Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/224

210 leader, did not contribute to the failure at Gettysburg. What General Lee said in 1868 forbids such a conclusion.

Never in his career did General Lee exhibit his greatness of soul in a stronger light than when, in agony at the miscarriage of his just hopes and plans, seconded as they were by the rank and file in heroic effort and sacrifice, he assumed the blame for the failure of others.

At this date to have this pure gentleman charged with neglect of his duty and carelessness in not even reading his own reports, makes the "gorge rise," and it is imperative that notice should be taken of so monstrous an accusation by some one, whether he was on the field or not.

When the Third Georgia Regiment became part of the Army of Northern Virginia, application was made to the proper authorities for a Confederate flag. The handsome regimental flag, Mrs. Wright's gift, was kept until May, 1863. In order to preserve this much worn treasure from total destruction, the officer then in command of the regiment sent it to the Governor of Georgia for safekeeping. Unfortunately, in the uncertainties of the time, the flag was lost.

The regiment's battle-flag went through the years of fearful strife with never a touch of the enemy's hand. When the surrender came at Appomattox the standard-bearer, Mr. Garland Snead, brother to the Colonel then in command of the Third Georgia, folded this tattered, stained and honored piece of bunting beneath his tattered, stained and honored coat of gray, and thus saved it from capture.

This flag first went to the front in the battles around Richmond. It was the 26th of June, 1862, when General Lee began his attack upon McClellan. There followed the week of brilliant victory, which, so far as the Third Georgia is concerned, seemed to culminate at