Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/738

CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY. brigadier-general, while Brandon was advanced to the rank of colonel. He led the regiment in the Chattanooga and Knoxville campaign, returning to Virginia with Longstreet. In the summer of 1864 he was promoted to brigadier-general and soon after was sent to Mississippi, where he was placed in charge of the bureau of conscription. In his own State he labored unceasingly to bring out every man needed for the service of the Confederacy. He zealously promoted the cause of the South, but when that cause was lost accepted the result in good faith and turned his attention to the rebuilding of the ruined fortunes of his State.

Brigadier-General William F. Brantly began his military career with the Twenty-ninth Mississippi regiment Going through the campaign in north Mississippi and in Kentucky, we find him just before the battle of Murfreesboro colonel of his regiment In this position he proved himself an able and gallant officer. General Walthall, in his report of the battle of Lookout Mountain, says: "It is due in particular to commend Col. W. F. Brantly, Twenty-ninth Mississippi regiment and Lieut.-Col. McKelvaine, Twenty-fourth Mississippi regiment, for the skill, activity, zeal and courage I have ever observed in them under similar circumstances, but which in an especial degree signalled their actions on this occasion." During the Atlanta campaign there was hardly a day when the Twenty-ninth Mississippi was not under fire. Even when the men were not themselves actually engaged they had to be on the alert and were constantly exposed to the annoying fire of the enemy's artillery. At the battle of Resaca the Federal artillery set fire to the works of this regiment, partly constructed of rails. During the morning of the 14th of May the enemy charged Hindman's division, and a part of the charging column got so near Brantly's position as to get under his artillery and for a while destroy the effects of its fire. Under the