Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 03.djvu/32

22 The Seventh, the other regiment of my command, is absent in North Carolina on detached service.

, Brigadier-General.

Major, A. A. General.

I received a letter from Major Engelhard not long since, in which he says you wish me to furnish you, as far as I can, the names of officers killed and wounded in my brigade, and the number of men killed and wounded in the different battles from the Wilderness to the surrender, as General Lee had desired a report of you. I beg also to call your special attention to the defence of Fort Gregg, as you may not be aware that Harris' brigade has been given in print all the credit of that gallant affair. Relative to that, I send you a letter recently received from Lieutenant George H. Snow, of the Thirty-third North Carolina regiment, who commanded the detachment from my brigade which was in the fort at the time of its fall. Harris' brigade formed on our right after Thomas and I had cleared the works of the enemy as far as Mrs. Banks', and when we were driven back that brigade retired to the fort above Fort Gregg—I think it was called Fort Anderson—while mine retired along the new line of works to the "Dam," a sufficient number, however, being sent to Fort Gregg (with the supernumeraries of Walker's artillery armed as infantry) to man the entire work. You may perhaps recollect my calling your attention to this, and that after looking into the fort, you approved of my turning back other men of my command, though you had previously ordered my whole brigade into that fort. There were, I think, eight or nine commissioned officers of my command in the same fort.

The honor of the gallant defence of Fort Gregg is due to my brigade, Chew's battery and Walker's supernumerary artillerists, armed as infantry, and not to Harris' brigade, which abandoned Fort Anderson and retired to the old or inner line of works before Fort Gregg was attacked in force. Unsupported, I saw our noble