Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-08-07
WoFFORD'S GEORGIA BRIGADE.
III tbs Editors Of tie EHgHTcr:

been born.
WoFFORD's GEORGIA BRIGADE.
10 the Editors Of tie Enquirer:
CuLrfpER Co., Va, 18th July, 1865.
Gentlemen: PrcsuminS upon your uniform
kindness to Georgia, us well us to other troops
in permitting them to uSe your columns as I
channel of communication with their friends
throughout the Contcderacy. l ask place
for some account Of TIE part taken by Woi
forts Georgia brigade in the recent opera
tons in the encmyS country. This brigade
;s composcd of the 10Th, 18th and 9th Gcor.
ein regiments, the infantry battalons OF
Cobb's and Phillips Georgia Legions, and the
"a Georgia battalion OF sharp-shooters, anu Is
attached to McLaws' division, of Lons>treets
corps.
| 1t is not my purpose to enter upon de-
| tailed account Of the long and trying mare'leS
made by the army from Fredericksburg to
PENNSYLVANIA. Adler pens have chroniclcd
the Cortituilc with which they were endured.
Suffice it that Longstrcct'S corps arrived in
the vicinity Of Gettysburg on the night OF
the list of July, after portions Gi EwciPs and
Hills corps had engaged and gained SPLEEN
did success over the advanced corps ol
Meadcs army, driving them several miles out
| of the town, back tn their StrOn-hods in the
mountains, where the battles UF the II and ID
were fought.
On the ~ instant. after manmuvrlnS sew
| ...l L,n-s | into nnSIt ION. bOul
| ! o'clock =. NJ, when cann"nuIng soon com
menccd along the line, ana Hoods and Me
Laws divisions advanced IL the attack. In
front of McLaws was field threc.qnartcrs ol
mile in width, then skirt Of woods, two t.
three hundred wards wide. sad then another
field and woods, before reaching the base o!
the mountain. \ quarter OF Il nile from the
position where our line o! battle was formed
and parallel with it. ran the Emmcttsburg
road. lust beyond which was Il dwelling, q
barn and Il large peach orchard. In this
| orchard and on either side of IT. extending
along the road, the first line Of the enemy was
posted.
When the command "iorward' was given
Woford's brigade was formed immediately
in rear Of BarkSdalc's mississippi brigade. t.
support it, and in this order the two columns
advanced until the enemy WAS driven from
the orchard. Here ii became necessary To
change direction and to dcploy the columns
| Barksdale oblqucing to the left and Wo!tord
| to the right, to connect with hcrShaws South
Carolini0ns. At this time the column driven
from the orchard was making It's way. nc
longer column, back. with all possible speed
to the mountain, leaving the field unobstruct'
| cdA save by the she'll and shot from the bate
ries which commanded it from the heights
These missiles, however. did but little exccu-
| ton, barring single shell. which. exploding
in the ranks Of the 10th Gcorgia regiment
| killed eight and wounded twcnty-one.--
The breach thus made WAS promptly
filled up, and the line moved on in
magnificent style. 1t is due the 9th
GeOrgia-no less than the Captain com
mandug ito state that III consequence
of not having sufficient time To- complete a
movement being executed 10y Gcn. Mol"rd,
by direction before the order u advance was
given, an interval of 900 yards was made be-
tween the right and left wings Of this regi'
ment. 1t. therefore. became necessary Tor II
to close this interval and form as Ii moved
loublc-ouick. across the field, under fire.
hence. it did not advance in as good order as
the other regiments.
III tn, first piece Of woods described was n
Yankee column formed perpcndlcuarly t'
Wofford's line and Ranking kcrslIaw,s LETT,
which was wavering and failing back under
| their fire. The 18th Georgia on the right
and tho 24th Georgia on It's left, being the
first to discover this column. halted For Il mo-
mcnt, while the 10Th Georgia in the centre
and Cobb's and Phillips Legiont on its left
pressed forward, when Il vollcy from the line
| broke and drove the cncmy's column, IN utter
rout and confusion, from tho woods. hcr
shaw's left was relieved. Gen. Wottord
calmly brave as ever throughout, riding up
assured them that the Gcorgans, instead OF
the enemy. were N their left: they rallied
and, Joining his brigade, ali moved rapidly or
after the fleeing foe. So mpetu"uS was the
charge. that the enemy. thinking more o.
their own safety than Of imilictns injury upon
| their aSsailantS. rcdouhlcI their pace, ,Ehil'
our men, with deliberate AIM kept up dead
~ fire in their rear.
From this point until The mountain was
reached there was little resistance made to on
advancing column. Numbers. however, woulC
halt and give desperate battle, in which th'
sword and hay0nct We're used. Portions 0
Cobbs and Phillips Lcginns hal several hand
|
they succeeded in capturing, and now have tw'
stands in their possession. y Federal Office
ATTEMPTED to use his sword, which one Of tn
men wrenched from his grasp and thrust hi
bayonet into him. 4 Confederate officer wa
felled to the ground with the butt of II musket
and NUN bcrs of men OF these commands ar
now disabled by reason of bayonet wounds
The men would club their guns and use tn
ar In, l.
this novel mode of fighting. These close en-
counters continued occasionally uutil tho bri
pndc reached the mountain Here it met
terrible volcy: the enemy had, after bein
i driven mile gained their Gibraltar and mad
stand.
Gcn'ls Longstrect and McLaws, who wer
on the field throughout The action, percelyin
| that this stronghold--thc mountain side, stec
and very rugged-could he carried only at
heavy sacrifice of men, and Barksthllc havin
obliuued so far to the left rs to leave 4 Ion
interval through which flank movement
was being made against Wutlord's left, Ger
Loncstrcct ordered him to withdraw and fa'
J back to the EmmcttSburg road. The hrlgad
, retired in good order. The thanking part
fired volley into the left, now become tn
right, but with little effect. Such is
"pluin. unvarnishcd'' and imperfect accoun
, Of the action of Woffori's brigade in tn
fierce and sanguinary conflict of the Sd {
July at Gettysburg. Its loss was compare
lively light-the killed, wounded and mlssn
numbering little more than three hundred
while that OF the enemy on tho ground owe
which it fought. was very heavy. At least tie
TO its one. Truly. us remarked hy Gen. Lee
the list of casualties is no evidence Of tn
performance of a command: those that attac
: ranidlv and furiouslv, and follow it up igor
, ously, frequently suffer least--thc close proS
unity of the contending parties i1rhidding tn
use of grape and canister. ;.
At daylight on the I'D instant the battalion
Of sharp.shooters deployed as skirmishers
/ having been on picket during the night. wa
, advanced to thewoods, whence the enemy ha
beer. driven the evening before. Here 1t me
tho ono,,r,s limo of skirmishers SOorY tn