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| 'Lee's Retreat after the Battle of Gettysburg' Sketch by Albert Bobbett From Our Country: a Household History for All Readers, from the Discovery of America to the Present Time - Volume 3, by Benson J. Lossing. [Johnson & Miles, New York, 1878] |
Although the Confederates lost battles and skirmishes from 1861 to 1863, most of the soldiers marching in the ranks believed themselves to be better fighters, and ultimately, the eventual winners in their ‘war of secession‘. Losing at Gettysburg, however, affected their aura of invincibility.
The 38th Virginia – a part of General Lewis Armistead’s Brigade – was part of Pickett’s Charge on the third day. Their losses were substantial. The regimental commander, Colonel Edmonds, was killed, and of the 481 members of the regiment who participated in the attack, 40 were killed on the battlefield; 51 were wounded; and 103 were captured. [1]
Private Christopher C. Gregory (Company B), and Sergeant James “Jimmie” Booker (Company D), both of the 38th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment survived the fight at Gettysburg. In the weeks following that battle, both men wrote letters home to friends and family. Their letters paint a vivid picture of the post traumatic stress on those who survived that field of death on Cemetery Ridge.
Gregory of Co. B wrote a somewhat rambling letter to a friend, Jason C. Swanson, from a camp near Culpeper Court House, Virginia on August 22.
we had a very Hard Time in pensylvania. We hade so mouch bade wether it rained evry night and evry day [???] . . . the Yankees ar folliwing ous . . . I do not bleve our trups will ever fight Good again. the[y] are to[o] dull. I bleve Every Soulder thinks we are whipe [whipped]. I am fearfull we ar whipe[d] [2]
Gregory described the emotional turmoil so many soldiers feel after they survive an encounter like Gettysburg.
I am seeing the dullis [dullest] times now I have ever have see[n] [since] the begin of the war. for all of my company who I like ar cut down & ar no mor on this Erth [Earth]. So I do not fele [feel] wright now with my company. I cold [could] once go to my company & talk with James [Burgess?] & pass off lonsome [lonesome] hourers & now my life is not mouch . . . I am onley living to see truble. [2]
Gregory displayed the extent of his demoralization – even more than a month after the battle: His loss of élan.
I now Hope this war will clos soon for I am wo[re] out with all things. I can not in joy my selfe mouch. I am living a dull life hard life & I bleve this war will hold on a longe time yet. I met withe [B]ill Gilberte when we started to merland [Maryland]. he was in Culpeper then I stade with him one night. He sed He was in hopes when we met again pece [peace] wold [would] be hear but he was kill in a few days after. [2]
Sergeant James Booker from Co. D wrote a letter to his family on July 11th from Maryland. He begins his letter with almost the same opening that Gregory did:
we have had a verry hard time sence I wrote to you before both marching and fighting . . . we went in to Pennsylvania and stayed for some time and had a hard Battle Near Hagerstown Getys Burg. it commenced on the 1 day of July and continued until the night of the 3 day, and then both armys fel back with great loss. [3]
Booker -a veteran of Antietam and Chancellorsville – was horrified at their losses.
we went in the 3 day and got nearly all of our Devision killed & wounded I hope thare was not another Devision in Lees army that suffered the loss that Picketts did, Gen Picketts lossed every Brigidary Gen that he caryed in the battle too [two] killed and one taken prisner. nearly all the officers in our brigade were killed & wounded. we lost our Col one of the best men in service. he was a good offeser and he was good to his men. Thay all loved him. our Lt Col lost one of his arms at Malvin Hill and got the other one seriously wounded in the Battle the other day. [3]
Booker’s company – like Gregory’s – suffered severely.
I guess you will see a list of the killed and wounded in the papers which will be more correct than I could gave you. thare was 35 men went in the battle in our company and thay was only 15 of them cam out fit for duty. [3]
Both Gregory and Booker struggled with survivor’s guilt. In the next part of the letter, Booker displays his via his unnecessary rhetorical question about luck and his preoccupation with ‘prisners‘ – both Confederate and Union.
My self & Jon come through safte. are we not luckey? . . . me and Jon came verry near being taken prisner on the day of the battle I told him when I saw that we were nearly surrounded I told Jon that we would run and try to get away from them and we made our ascape by doing so, while several of our boys that was with us let the Yankees take them. we have taken a great many of the Yankeys prisners. [3]
The end of Booker’s letter seems like it is more for self-assurance than it is reassurance. He also shows a growing awareness of pro-Yankee sentiments. Like Gregory, Booker appears to have lost his élan.
I hear of a small battle nearly every day and I am expecting another big battle every day, though I don’t think thay will put our Devision in. our brigade is on guard in this town, the citerzens of the town
seem to be in favor of the Yankees mostly. [3]
Many historians call Gettysburg the turning point of the Civil War. From a manpower perspective that is certainly true. But Gregory’s and Booker’s letters also indicate there was another turning point as well – the mental will to win was gone.
It, too, died on the Ridge.
There are millions of stories from the Irrepressible Conflict. This was just one of them.
Mac
[*] Christopher Columbus Gregory was one of 10 children and joined the 38th Virginia with his three brothers John, Nathan, and Richard. A fourth brother, Wilson, was also in the Confederate army but with another regiment. Christopher was the only one of his brothers to survive the conflict. After the war he became a blacksmith, married Mary Shough, and had at least 6 children. He died March 24, 1908.
[**] James Booker and his twin brother John served together in Company D. Both brothers were severely wounded at the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff near Petersburg, Virginia, on May 16, 1864 and transferred to a hospital in Richmond. Only James – like Christopher – survived. After the war, James returned to Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and on October 31, 1867, he married Martha Ann Fulton of the same county. She was one of the “sweethearts” mentioned in his letters. James and Martha had seven children. They died within two months of each other in 1923.
Works Cited
[1] Gregory, G. Howard. 38th Virginia Infantry. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, Inc., 1988. (part of The Virginia Regimental Histories Series)
[2] “Christopher C. Gregory Letter – 2 August 1863”. Pamplin Historical Park Digital Archives.
[3] “James and John Booker Letters – 11 July 1863”. Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library.
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