Request for "flavor quotes"

[General Quarters]

Callahan, what a picture! Thanks.

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: jkBluesman

"The mountain roads were filled with broken regiments and companies and it was very late before they got to the foot of the mountain and in some sort of order. The material of our army was such that it did not take long for the men to shape up after disaster."
Gilbert Moxley Sorrel about the march of Longstreets' corps to South Mountain in his Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer

What's being described here? Is this the aftermath of the Battle of South Mountain, and Longstreet's men are retreating to the base of the mountain? Or was the "disaster" something else?

[Gil R.]

Private Henry R. Berkeley, an artilleryman in the ANV, about Iverson`s repelled charge at Gettysburg:
"There were seventy-nine North Carolinians laying dead in a straight line. I stood on their right and looked down their line. It was perfectly dressed. Three had fallen to the front, the rest had fallen backwards; yet the feet of all these dead men were in a perfectly straight line. They had evidently been killed by one volley of musketry and they had fallen in their tracks without a single struggle. I turned from this sight with a sickened heart and tried to eat my breakfast, but had to return it to my haversack untouched."

Callahan, this is a great quote and I want to use it, but I'm wondering if you have any info on the source. I like to provide the names of memoirs or other published sources when possible. If you happen to know the unit he was in that would be great, too. Thanks!

[Callahan]

I found it in the book "Brigades of Gettysburg", which lists Berkeley`s diary "Four years in the Confederate artillery" as the source (his entry from the 2nd of July 1863, to be precise).
Berkely served in the Amherst Va. Arty, II. Corps Artillery Reserve.

[Callahan]

Found another one, that might fit. It`s from an unnamed soldier of the 28th Pennsylvania, who describes the confederate charge against the upper slopes of Culp`s Hill on the 3rd of July:
"Down the opposite slope they came in beautiful alignment, their officers gallantly leading - now up the hillside in our front, in solid column, as if by sheer force of weight to bear us down. There was no retreat for the poor fellows in the front ranks, who, with blanched faces, came up to be mowed down in companies. At twenty paces, ten, five, and even less intervening space, our minnie balls were planked [sic] into their unprotected bodies. The faces of the men in the front ranks exhibited that fear and dread that is akin to insanity, and yet without any hope of success, they were driven to the slaughter."

"Brigades of Gettysburg" lists "Re-union of the 28th & 147th Regiments, Pennsylvania Volunteers" p. 6 as the source.

[Gil R.]

Thanks for the added info, and the new quote. Both are very good additions.

[jkBluesman]

ORIGINAL: Gil R.

ORIGINAL: jkBluesman

"The mountain roads were filled with broken regiments and companies and it was very late before they got to the foot of the mountain and in some sort of order. The material of our army was such that it did not take long for the men to shape up after disaster."
Gilbert Moxley Sorrel about the march of Longstreets' corps to South Mountain in his Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer

What's being described here? Is this the aftermath of the Battle of South Mountain, and Longstreet's men are retreating to the base of the mountain? Or was the "disaster" something else?

Longstreet's men had come to the rescue of D.H. Hill at South Mountain in a forced march. The next morning they were on the road to Antietam Creek and that's what is described in the quote. As South Mountain was defended successfully it was not a disaster. I like the quote because Sorrel implies that the ANV was in general of a material that recovered fast from disaster.

[cesteman]

Just a suggestion, and maybe I missed it here but how about an excerb from Lincolin's Gettysburg Address?

[Gil R.]

It's partly in there:
"But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or to detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. – Pres. Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address"

That was the part that seemed best to excerpt for the game.

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: jkBluesman

ORIGINAL: Gil R.

ORIGINAL: jkBluesman

"The mountain roads were filled with broken regiments and companies and it was very late before they got to the foot of the mountain and in some sort of order. The material of our army was such that it did not take long for the men to shape up after disaster."
Gilbert Moxley Sorrel about the march of Longstreets' corps to South Mountain in his Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer

What's being described here? Is this the aftermath of the Battle of South Mountain, and Longstreet's men are retreating to the base of the mountain? Or was the "disaster" something else?

Longstreet's men had come to the rescue of D.H. Hill at South Mountain in a forced march. The next morning they were on the road to Antietam Creek and that's what is described in the quote. As South Mountain was defended successfully it was not a disaster. I like the quote because Sorrel implies that the ANV was in general of a material that recovered fast from disaster.

Oh, I see. I had assumed that the broken regiments were in Longstreet's corps, and that caused my confusion. I like the quote, but explaining its context succinctly will be tough.

[shenandoah]

[font="times new roman"]Jackson writing to his wife Anna about his defeat of Banks at the battle of Winchester during May 1862, “People seemed nearly frantic with joy; indeed it would be almost impossible to describe their manifestations of rejoicing and gratitude. Our entrance into Winchester was one of the most stirring scenes of my life.”[/font]

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: shenandoah

[font="times new roman"]Jackson writing to his wife Anna about his defeat of Banks at the battle of Winchester during May 1862, “People seemed nearly frantic with joy; indeed it would be almost impossible to describe their manifestations of rejoicing and gratitude. Our entrance into Winchester was one of the most stirring scenes of my life.”[/font]

Is there more to the quote, especially in terms of giving context? It feels incomplete to me.

[Gil R.]

jkBluesman,
I've had a devil of a time trying to come up with the descriptive text for this quote, which is confusing because the first sentence is about a specific occasion and the second is a general statement that doesn't perfectly apply to the first. Does what I wrote do the job?

The mountain roads were filled with broken regiments and companies and it was very late before they got to the foot of the mountain and in some sort of order. The material of our army was such that it did not take long for the men to shape up after disaster. – Gen. G. Moxley Sorrel, C.S.A. (from “Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer,” describing the resiliency of the Army of Northern Virginia in the aftermath of the tough fighting at South Mountain)*

[jkBluesman]

I think it does the job. Sorrel's narrative is often like that and he is a good source for army gossip. So I will not come up with more quotes from him here, but will use him for bios.

[Gil R.]

Okay, thanks -- it's in.

[jkBluesman]

"Men, there are but two candidates for the office, and there is but one of them worth a damn. I nominate him. All who are in favour of electing Sergeant Blank, come to a shoulder. Company, Shoulder arms..." Quoted from a history of NC regiments on how Lieutenant William Quince of North Carolina handled a company election in late 1861

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: jkBluesman

"Men, there are but two candidates for the office, and there is but one of them worth a damn. I nominate him. All who are in favour of electing Sergeant Blank, come to a shoulder. Company, Shoulder arms..." Quoted from a history of NC regiments on how Lieutenant William Quince of North Carolina handled a company election in late 1861

I like it, but do you have the info on the regiment, company, etc.?

[jkBluesman]

I knew you would ask. Unfortunately I can only add that the quote was taken from "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina, I, p. 221, edited by Walter Clark.

[Gil R.]

I had a hunch you'd say that...

Am I correct that this would have been an election for captain?

[jkBluesman]

I would think so as it was a company election. Stephen Sears used the quote to illustrate what experienced officers sometimes did to prevent the election of well-known men who were not qualified for an officer rank.