Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/206

 1 98 Southern Historical Society Papers.

taken by Perry's brigade, of Anderson's division, in the battles of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and in justice to myself, and the brave men I have the honor to command in the absence of General Perry, I ask that you give the following statement, in correction of a mis- statement of the part taken by Perry's brigade in that battle.

" ' P. W. A.' says: ' Anderson's division was posted for example, in the following order: Wilcox on the right, Mahone on the left, Wright in the centre, Perry in the right centre, and Posey in. the left centre. Wilcox was to advance first, to be followed by the other brigades, in their order to the left. Wilcox and his unconquerable Alabamians moved out at the proper time, and fought long and des- perately. Perry's brigade (Perry was not present himself), advanced a short distance, but did not become fully engaged.' His statement as to the disposition of, and orders given to the brigades is true; but when he says: ' Perry's brigade advanced a short distance, but did not become fully engaged,' he publishes to the world a misstate- ment of facts, which I cannot pass over in silence. Perry's brigade did advance at the appointed time, as ordered, with Wilcox' s brig- ade; it advanced as far as either Wilcox's or Wright's or any other brigade that advanced at the same time, and fought bravely and well until ordered by me to retire, after Wilcox had been forced back by overwhelming numbers, and the enemy had advanced, in strong force, more than one hundred yards beyond the line I was holding, almost cutting oflf my retreat. The loss of more than half the men carried into this charge would appear to unprejudiced eyes, that the brigade did 'become fully engaged.'

"Again, in his account of the battle of the 3d of July, in speaking of the charge of Pickett's division, ' P. W. A.' omits to mention that Perry's brigade was engaged, although he mentions the part taken by Wilcox's brigade; and yet Perry's brigade moved side by side with Wilcox's during that entire day, losing nearly two-thirds of the entire number taken into action. The men I have the honor to command, are staid, sober men, most of them having families, who, knowing the perilous condition of the country, entered the service to do all in their power to avert the impending danger; they fight, not for vain dreams of glory, nor yet for newspaper fame, or notoriety; but they are unwilling to stand by in silence and see their deeds so misrepresented to posterity, as to cause their children to blush for shame when they read of them in days to come. All we