Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/441

414. Then the legion was divided into the Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth Alabama regiments, and Twenty-third Alabama battalion, and continued under him; while the Forty-first Alabama was substituted for the Sixty-third Tennessee. General Gracie participated in the battle of Chickamauga, where the intrepid conduct of himself and his brigade is shown by the fact that within two hours it lost 705 killed and wounded out of 1,870 in action. When Longstreet was ordered into east Tennessee, Gracie's brigade formed part of his force, and suffered severely at Bean's Station, where Gracie also received a painful wound in the arm. As soon as he recovered he rejoined his brigade, which was assigned to the Richmond and Petersburg lines, under General Beauregard, during the campaign of May, 1864. He had a horse killed under him in a skirmish before Richmond, and led the brigade at Drewry's Bluff, winning approving mention. From June until his death he was constantly in the trenches before Petersburg in the active work of Bushrod Johnson's division, his position being famous as Gracie's salient. While inspecting the enemy's line, with telescope in hand, he was struck in the head by a bullet from a shrapnel shell and instantly killed, December 2, 1864. He was buried in Hollywood cemetery, but shortly after the war his remains were conveyed to the family vault in New York City. The men of his brigade, in assemblage, paid this tribute to him: "He was a brave and excellent soldier a sincere friend without an atom of selfishness; without one trait, however small, to detract from the nobleness of his nature; always anxious for the comfort and safety of his men; of cheerful and genial manner; a member of the church and a true Christian. In fine, a gentleman and a soldier, without fear and without blemish." To this tribute from his men should be added the expressions of Gen. Robert E. Lee in a letter to his own wife: "The death of General Gracie was a great grief to me. I do not know how to replace him. He was an excellent