At the Right Hand of Longstreet: Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer

by G. Moxley Sorrel, Peter S. Carmichael (Introduction)

As a young man in Georgia, G. Moxley Sorrel enlisted in a cavalry unit even before the Civil War erupted, so eager was he to serve his home state. During the war, as an aide-de-camp on Brigadier General James Longstreet’s staff he fought in many battles, including those at Chickamauga and Chattanooga. He was at Longstreet’s side when Longstreet was struck down in 1864.  Sorrel’s “rough jottings from memory” provide vivid and detailed descriptions of many of the war’s chief participants and events. His military career was cut short when he was shot in the lungs at Hatcher’s Run. Although he survived, the war ended before he could return to duty. In his declining years he wrote, “For my part, when the time comes to cross the river like the others, I shall be found asking at the gates above, ‘Where is the Army of Northern Virginia? For there I make my camp.’”

Genres: Civil War, History, Biography, American Civil War, Memoir, Nonfiction, American History

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1905

Reviews

[Miles Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming off reading Col. John S. Mosby's "Memoirs," I was a little apprehensive about buying this book. It looked to be another of those privately-published, poorly edited re-issues which are a struggle to get through despite their short length. Nothing could have been further from the truth. This is an easy, pleasant, often touching read which gives a very interesting account of the Civil War as viewed by a man who saw it from its beginning to its end, always in the thick of the action. If you want to "be there," this book will put you there, in the strange and fantastical atmosphere of that great time.

When the War broke out in April of 1861, G. Moxley Sorrel was working as a bank clerk in Savannah. He slipped away to watch Fort Sumter fall, then promptly offered his services to the new Confederacy. In short order he found himself working as a staff officer for James Longstreet, then a brigade commander. It was the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership that lasted 'til the end of the war. Longstreet, who eventually rose to the command of the famous First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, and was known as Lee's "War Horse," not only participated in nearly every major battle fought in the East during the conflict, he also fought with the Army of the Tennessee in 1863, and helped win the Battle of Chickamauga. Returning to Virginia in early '64, Sorrel was at Longstreet's side for the terrible fighting at the Wilderness and participated in the fighting there, gaining fame for a charge he led against Hancock's corps which won the first day of the battle for Lee. He continued his service, rising to the rank of brigadier general, and commanded troops in the field (Georgians, of course) before wounds took him away from the siege of Petersberg. On his way back to rejoin Lee in April of '65, he heard the news of Lee's surrender, which ended a meteoric military career and returned him to civilian life and an uncertain future.

It should be noted here that Sorrel, who was very old when he penned these pages, makes no attempt to consult with history books or even letters or papers written during the war, but simply pours out his thoughts as they occurred to him. This makes the book very loose on dates, geography, orders of battle, etc., etc. but contributes to its clarity and readability. He is by no means attempting a history of the war or the campaigns he served in, but rather his own personal memories and recollections which he thinks will be of interest to the reader. This includes many humorous anecdotes (such as his tendency to get swindled in horse-trading), and some disturbing ones (the tendency of Southern generals to feud bitterly with each other, even to the point of dueling) as well as a real look as to the character, mentality and ability of many Confederate leaders, including Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, Stuart, Bragg, Early, the Hills, etc., etc. as Sorrel saw them. Anyone familiar with Shaara's novel "The Killer Angels" will quickly realize that he depended very heavily on Sorrel's accounts of Longstreet generally and Gettysburg specifically to write that famous work; his fingerprints are also all over Shelby Foote's masterful Civil War series super-popularized by Ken Burns' documentary.

To be sure, Civil War buffs and historians may take issue with some of Sorrel's conclusions. He places the blame for Gettysburg entirely on Jeb Stuart, which is why Jack Mosby spent half of his own memoir (above-mentioned), defending Stuart's reputation and blaming Sorrel and others on the staff for sullying it; and he avoids criticisms of some generals who probably deserved more of it, like Joe Johnston and Leonidas "Bishop" Polk.
By and large, though, it's hard to argue with a man who was "there" -- and Sorrel was always "there," except when his wounds prevented it. He comes off as a decent, fun-loving, thoroughly conscientious and brave man who bore no rancor toward his enemies and accepted defeat as graciously as he had accepted victory. When he died, a British military observer named Freemantle, who had been present at Gettysburg, wrote this touching passage which probably summed up how many felt in regards to Moxley Sorrel:

"His gallant clay is lying in the cemetery at Savannah, the long, pendulant southern moss laying softly over it. His 'Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer' has for me, like all books I love, a low, natural, wild music; and as sure as I live, the spirits who dwell in that self-sewn grove called literature were by his side, were with him when we wrote the last pages, his pen keeping in step with his beating heart."

[Chowhound88 (a.k.a. Ralph) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book.

[Timons Esaias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important historical document, and a fascinating read, but also cringeworthy. And a little odd.

Sorrell was on Longstreet's staff for much of the Civil War, until made a general and given a command of his own (this as a result of an ad hoc command he was given at the Battle of the Wilderness, in which he nearly turned Grant's left flank). Some authorities claim he was the best staff officer in the Confederate Army, and he went on to a career in business. I'm not sure when this book was actually written (Sorrell died 1901, this wasn't published until 1905), but it was clearly many years after the war.

The delay is part of what makes it odd. He asserts that all the battles have been written about to exhaustion, so he's not going to give a battle history (except, of course, when he does). The result is more a memory of interesting incidents, and the personalities of the folks he met. He makes a point of sizing up all the major players that he met, and is willing to be scathing.

I've read so much Civil War history that I frequently realized that I was now looking at the source for many color comments I'd read in Shelby Foote or Bruce Catton or the like. And I've read enough history to have a sense when he was fudging. In his eyes the Confederacy was glorious, not treasonous, and the slaves all wanted them to win, and being a gentleman largely outweighed everything. He is unapologetic. He is also loyal to Longstreet and Lee (he spent much of the war seeing them every day) and so is reluctant to criticize either directly. An interesting thing, though, is that he'll ask a question rhetorically that implies the criticism without stating it.

He did not have much time for Braxton Bragg, and his remarks are telling. When he and Longstreet arrived for what became the Battle of Chickamauga, there was no one at the train station to guide them to Bragg's HQ. For a staff officer, that says it all. He also records the bizarre fact that Jefferson Davis was told, in person, by all of Bragg's chief officers that they had no confidence in Bragg as senior commander (this in Bragg's presence), and Davis didn't sack him. Personally, I have some sympathy for Bragg, since all of those chiefs were prima donnas and several should have been shot for insubordination, but what a weird and dysfunctional situation!

One of Lee's skills was organization, especially of the artillery. His innovation was to make sure that there was artillery assigned to individual brigades and divisions, so that when the first brigade arrived on the field, it had guns. (The Union armies often had to wait for an entire Corps to arrive, with the artillery following behind.) Also the batteries had consistent calibers of cannon, to simplify the supply train. When he sees how the Western army's artillery is organized, Sorrell is not impressed.

One cultural feature that comes up several times in the book is the impact of dueling on the war and personal life histories. There are frequent mentions of friends or officers who died or were wounded in duels, and how that disrupted things for the survivors, if it happened during the course of the events related. Yeah, so-and-so went down to Richmond on leave and got involved in an affair of honor, so we had to replace him. (Van Dorn is one of the cases he mentions, though it was an assassination in lieu of a duel.) There are several cases in which he was required to try to head off a duel that was too stupid or too threatening to senior staff.

Sorrell points out several times that he's writing from memory and some personal documents, but isn't doing any research, so some of his inaccuracies may be excused. He is wrong about how J.E.B. Stuart was killed, for instance. But he wasn't a witness, so.

Sorrell had no military training, so how did he become a staff officer? Well, he joined a unit that had formed in Savannah, but it didn't seem to be getting involved in the action. Dad had a plantation up in Virginia, so why not go up there and see what's up? Being of the right class, he simply rides up to Beauregard's command post and asks for a job. He's told to come back the next day. He rides back to a family place, and is turned down again the following day, but then they hear that the battle of Bull Run may be shaping up so they go back, and Longstreet had just asked for some staff help so he was sent over there and became an officer on the spot.

An interesting note was that as the paper money devalued, so did what the officers were making as opposed to the troops. The troops got room and board, as it were, but the officers were paid cash, not fed. At one point he records that this meant soldiers were actually paid more than officers, in value, and that this was solved by putting officers on the same meal plan as the troops.

Historically interesting, and therefore recommended.

[Jim White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very Enjoyable Book to Read

G. Moxley Sorrell was a true Southern gentleman who served on Longstreet's staff, Longstreet was a southern general I didn't know much about. From reading this book, I am now a big fan. Cordell calls it like he sees it. Some folks, he absolutely scored (Lee, Longstreet) and others, he does not have much use for (Bragg). Very enlightening and informative. I give it my highest rating!

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer of his time in service with the Confederate States of America’s Army of Northern Virginia (“ANV”). Sorrel was there at First Manassas in 1861 and nearby to Appomattox in 1865, when he was attempting to rejoin his command. He had been seriously wounded in February of 1865 and in April of 1865 he was making his way back to actively duty. His primary service was as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant General James Longstreet, commanding officer of the First Corp of the ANV. These recollections were written decades after the Civil War. He wrote this book almost exclusively from his memories and recollections. As such, conclusive new or confirming documentation about significant decisions and actions during the war are unfortunately sorely missing. It is mostly Sorrel’s reminisces of fellow soldiers and events. Those reminisces are interesting and certainly valuable for anyone with a keen interest in the working and the personalities of the ANV. One of his most important recollections concerned the events at Gettysburg, especially about the disagreement between General Lee and Longstreet as to how that battle should have been fought and why they disagreed. While Sorrel places some blame on Longstreet for being so obstinate in his disagreement that his immediate and faithful execution of Lee’s orders were not as they should have been. However, Sorrel primarily places the blame for the loss at Gettysburg on the shoulders of General Jeb Stuart and his missing cavalry corp.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting collection of memories by an insider on Longstreet's staff. Sorrel wrote his recollections many years after the war ended from memory. He states that he didn't consult any records to prepare his book. He has an excellent recall and his descriptions of Longstreet and Lee make the account worthwhile on their own. If you want to understand how the Confederate forces operated this is a useful record to review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Written and Concise

Original source material is a wonderful way too learn about history. Sorrel is clear and concise in his writing which makes this book all the more readable and enjoyable. Sorrel wastes little time in either effusive praise or unnecessary censure. His experiences have a solid ring of truth.

[Adam Gutschenritter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quick read on the experience of Longstreet's aide-to-camp. I expected more battle, but instead got more discussions on the life and people within the Army of Northern Virginia. I was most surprised by the fact that he had so few historian corrected errors having written the memoir from memory, 40 years later, without aid of notes, while sick. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[Grayson Zinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting overview of one officers experience

[Pamela G. Rabiola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after visiting the Sorrel-Weed House in Savannah, GA (https://sorrelweedhouse.com/). It was an interesting read, not about the battles but about his life.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moxley Sorrel was one of the best staff officers in the Confederate army. He served as one of the key staff officers in the service of Gen. James Longstreet's First Corps. This book, in his own words, is one of the more insightful books by an "insider" from the Civil War.

The book provides some brief background, prior to Sorrel joining Longstreet's staff (which, by the way, appears to have been one of the better corps staffs on the Confederate side--east or west or trans-Mississippi).

His career was distinguished and he had a rare opportunity to observe Longstreet and other major Confederate officers. The book portrays Sorrel's views on major battles of the war--from the Peninsula to Seven Pines to the Seven Days to Second Manassas and on to Gettysburg. Then, an examination of the First Corps' movement to the western theatre, where it played a key role at Chickamauga.

Sorrel became a battlefield figure at the Wilderness, as he led a flanking attack on Union General Winfield Scott Hancock. He finished the war as a battlefield commander rather than a staff officer.

What is best about this book, though, is his careful and thoughtful analysis of events and officers. A very nice work indeed.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the cause he served was a very questionable one, I think "Mox's" Recollections is a highly accessible and readable -- certainly more so that James Longstreet's. Even a casual buff of the Civil War will find much that has been borrowed from this specific work in many current histories, The Killer Angels and the movie, Gettysburg. I find myself randomly re-reading chapters and passages whenever I need a distraction or to pass time.

[Jerry Mrizek · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I recall this book doesn't really deal with strategy or tactics but gives a great sense of what life was like during the "down" time. Stories about staff officers appropriating large amounts of whiskey and the comraderie that existed makes this a real treasure that lets the reader really see these historical figures as real people.

[Terri Lasseter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Anecdotes of a Confedarate Officer from Georgia

After visiting the Sorrel Weed home in Savannah, I was curious to read this book by General Sorrel. I found the collection of experiences to be very interesting.