Brig. Gen. George P. Doles

[jkBluesman]

Brig. Gen. George Pierce Doles (b. 1830, d. 1864). Born in Milledgeville, Georgia he was educated in the local schools before becoming a successful business man. His first experience with the military he received as captain of the local militia company. Doles enlisted with the company in the Provisional Confederate Army after the start of the Civil War on April 4, 1861. With the 4th Georgia Infantry he was sent to Norfolk, Virginia and became the regiment’s colonel in May 1862 shortly before Norfolk had to be evacuated. This was due to the Union Peninsular Campaign. The Federal advance on Richmond was stopped at Seven Pines and during the Seven Days. Doles was wounded in the campaign’s last battle at Malvern Hill. He recovered in time to follow Gen. D.H. Hill’s division into the Maryland Campaign. The Battle of South Mountain brought Doles heavy fighting but it bough the Confederates valuable time to assemble their army at Sharpsburg. There on September 17 Doles assumed command of a brigade when his superior Gen. Roswell Ripley was wounded in the “Cornfield”. The Georgian was promoted to brigadier general in November 1862 and led his troops with success at Fredericksburg in December and at Chancellorsville in May 1863 as part of Gen. Robert Rodes’ division in the II corps. Doles earned a reputation as a steady brigadier. On the first day of Gettysburg, Doles led his men against the Federal XI corps, the Confederates driving their opponents back to Cemetery Hill. He did not see any further action in that battle until the retreat to Virginia. In the Overland Campaign the next spring Doles’ men stood their ground on the first day of the Wilderness even counter-charged successfully with Gen. John B. Gordon’s Georgians und Gen. Cullen Battle’s Alabamians. They were stalled on the second day when the battle ended with a stalemate. At Spotsylvania Court House Doles’ command lost half of its men captured at the “Mule Shoe” on the second day’s fighting. The subsequent Battle of Cold Harbor would be Doles’ last. On the eve of the Union charge, on June 2, Doles was inspecting his line near Bethesda Church when the bullet from a Federal sharpshooter hit him in the chest. His body was brought back to his home town where he was buried in Memory Hill Cemetery.

Ldr: 4
Tact: 5
Init: 3
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0

Teaches: Steady, Oblique Fire

[jkBluesman]

Battleline, maybe you find a nice quote from Cullen Battle related to Doles.

[Gil R.]

Copied, but can be recopied if needed.