A CURSORY SKETCH, WITH PERSONAL OF Walthall's Brigade, Army of Tennessee C. S. A., 1862-1865 BY E. T. SYKES, Late Adjutant-General Walthall's Brigade. DEDICATION To the soldiers of Walthall's Brigade, now living-and to the friends and relatives of such as have "passed over the river"— who so gallantly fought under their superb leader during the Civil War, and whose fittest eulogy is, that they always stood unawed before the enemy, and were worthy to be under command of their noble chieftain, this "sketch" is rememberingly and feelingly dedicated by the author, who counts it an honor to be called their "old adjutant general." PREFACE By an act of the legislature of the State of Mississippi, approved March 4th, 1878 (Pam Acts of 1878, pg. 139), entitled "An Act to provide for carrying into effect the Joint Resolution of the Legislature of this State, of the 8th day of February, A. D. 1878, for the collection and preservation, amongst the archives of this State, in some permanent and enduring form, of a record of the part taken by Mississippians and others in the service of this State, during the late and uphappy struggle between the States," Colonel W. H. McCardle, a resident journalist of Vicksburg, Miss., was designated a special Commissioner to carry into effect the objects and purposes of said resolution. In the anticipated discharge of said objects and purposes, the Colonel on entering upon the duties of said commission, requested General Walthall and other ex-Confederate officers, to write for use in his contemplated "Record," a sketch of their respective commands during said war. Knowing that I was the custodian of the order books of, as well as other valuable papers pertaining to, the Brigade, General Walthall requested me to write the asked for "sketch" of his brigade. To this request I promised compliance, and at once proceeded to the pleasant duty. On completing the "sketch", I placed it in Colonel McCardle's hands for use by him; but, the Colonel failing to discharge his duties under said act: and likewise failing to return to me my manuscript, I later on, at the request of General Walthall, prepared for a permanent memorial, a more extended "sketch" of his brigade; and since his death, have still further added to and elaborated the original "sketch." In doing so, I have made free use of certain valuable information contained in papers committed by the General to my keeping, as far back as October the 15th, 1887. The book containing the correspondence between General Walthall and Colonel Daniel R. Huntley, of the 31st Alabama Infantry, and letters of General Edward W. Pettus, of Alabama, and others, concerning the "battle of Lookout Mountain," and which along with the brigade order book, has been placed by me in the "Department of Archives and History" at Jackson, Mississippi, is deserving of being read by every survivor, as well as all others taking an interest in the war record of Walthall's brigade. Columbus, Miss., 1905. E. T. SYKES. |