The Stonewall Brigade Quotes

“Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, who so valiantly defended Little Round Top at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, was in command of the Union troops assembled in formation to observe and accept the stacking of arms. In deference to the officers of Lee’s army, Chamberlain lowered his sword in an officer’s salute as each ranking member of his former enemy passed by. Leading the parade of surrender were the surviving members of the Stonewall Brigade. Appendix”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“With faulty caps and no artillery present, the Stonewall Brigade fought with knife, bayonet, gun butt, and fist. Those who were able, fled; the remainder were killed.[34] By May 14, 1864, there were less than 200 members of the Stonewall Brigade still in action. These men and survivors from other Virginia brigades were combined to form one small brigade, which was commanded by William Terry as the 4th Virginia.[35] Terry’s Brigade, as it became known simply as a means of designation, fought in various encounters for the remainder of the war, and the men of the former 1st Brigade, Virginia Volunteers, continued to refer to themselves as members of the Stonewall Brigade. After”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“By the end of the war, the Civil War had become a forerunner to the trench warfare of World War I, and if an army was given 24 hours to entrench, their position became practically unassailable. Thus, the Army of the Potomac’s inability to clear Brock Road on May 8 allowed the Confederates to begin the process of digging in, a crucial advantage.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Gettysburg was the last time Lee’s army would have the chance to be on the offensive during a campaign, as Grant’s Overland Campaign ground both armies down across Virginia. By the early part of that campaign, the Stonewall Brigade would be all but spent as a fighting force. Unlike”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“From almost the moment the Civil War ended, Gettysburg has been widely viewed as one of the decisive turning points of the Civil War. As renowned Civil War historian described Gettysburg, “It might be less of a victory than Mr. Lincoln had hoped for, but it was nevertheless a victory—and, because of that, it was no longer possible for the Confederacy to win the war. The North might still lose it, to be sure, if the soldiers or the people should lose heart, but outright defeat was no longer in the cards.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“After being wounded and carried behind the lines on the night of May 2, Stonewall Jackson had his arm amputated, after which he was transported to Thomas C. Chandler's plantation well behind the battle lines to convalesce. He seemed to be recovering, and his wife and newborn daughter joined him at the plantation, but his doctors were unaware Jackson was exhibiting common symptoms that indicated oncoming pneumonia. Jackson lay dying in the Chandler plantation outbuilding on Sunday, May 10, 1863 with his wife Anna at his side. He comforted his wife, telling her, “It is the Lord’s Day…my wish is fulfilled.  I always wanted to die on Sunday.”  Near the end, a delirious Jackson seemed to have his mind on war, blurting out, “Tell A. P. Hill to prepare for actions!  Pass the infantry to the front!  Tell Major Hawks…” His final words were “Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.” The”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“When Lee heard of Jackson’s injuries, he sent his religious leader Chaplain Lacy to Stonewall with the message, “Give him my affectionate regards, and tell him to make haste and get well, and come back to me as soon as he can.  He has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right arm.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Shortly before the battle of Fredericksburg, Jackson learned that he had become a father, receiving a letter informing him of the birth of his daughter, Julia Laura Jackson, on November 23. Also before the battle, renowned cavalry chief J.E.B. Stuart gave Jackson a new outfit to replace the battle worn coat Jackson had been using throughout the war. However, Jackson ultimately refused to wear it for the next few months, his shyness once again surfacing. Ultimately, he took his last picture in it for a portrait on April 26, 1863, less than a week before the Battle of Chancellorsville.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Longstreet’s men took up on Marye’s Heights. The Northern soldiers were mowed down again and again. As men lay dying on the field that night, the Northern Lights made a rare appearance. Southern soldiers took it as a divine omen and wrote about it frequently in their diaries. The Union soldiers saw less divine inspiration in the Northern Lights and mentioned it less in their own. The Battle of Fredericksburg also spawned one of Lee’s most memorable quotes. During the battle, Lee turned to Longstreet and commented, “It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we would grow too fond of it.”[28]”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Thus, the day ended in a tactical stalemate, with the Union suffering nearly 12,500 casualties (including over 2,000 dead) and the Confederates suffering over 10,000 casualties (including over 1,500 dead). Nearly 1/4th of the Army of the Potomac had been injured, captured or killed, and the same could be said for nearly 1/3rd of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. It was the deadliest and bloodiest day in American history. On”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Dead soldiers along the turnpike at Antietam. Antietam was the first battle in which war dead were photographed and made publicly available, stunning Americans. The”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he began a fierce artillery barrage from all sides, followed by a full-out infantry assault.  Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, Col. Miles raised the white flag of surrender, enraging some of the men, one of whom beseeched him, “Colonel, don't surrender us. Don't you hear the signal guns? Our forces are near us. Let us cut our way out and join them." Miles dismissed the suggestion, insisting, “They will blow us out of this place in half an hour." Almost on cue, an exploding artillery shell mortally wounded Miles, and some historians have argued Miles was fragged by Union soldiers. Jackson had lost less than 300 casualties while forcing the surrender of nearly 12,500 Union soldiers at Harpers Ferry, the largest number of Union soldiers to surrender at once during the entire war. For the rest of the day, the Confederates helped themselves to supplies in the garrison, including food, uniforms, and more, as Jackson sent a letter to Lee informing him of the success, "Through God's blessing, Harper's Ferry and its garrison are to be surrendered." Already a legend, Jackson earned the attention of the surrendered Union troops, who tried to catch a glimpse of him only to be surprised at his rather disheveled look. One of the men remarked, "Boys, he isn't much for looks, but if we'd had him we wouldn't have been caught in this trap." Jackson”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“For reasons that are still unclear, Union troops in camp at Frederick came across a copy of Special Order 191, wrapped up among three cigars. The order contained Lee’s entire marching plans for Maryland, making it clear that the Army of Northern Virginia had been divided into multiple parts, which, if faced by overpowering strength, could be entirely defeated in detail and bagged separately before they could regather into one fighting force. The “Lost Order” quickly made its way to General McClellan, who took several hours to debate whether or not it was intentional misinformation or actually real. McClellan is usually faulted for not acting quickly enough on these orders,”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“In early September, convinced that the best way to defend Richmond was to divert attention to Washington, Lee had decided to invade Maryland after obtaining Jefferson Davis’s permission. Today the decision to invade Maryland is remembered through the prism of Lee hoping to win a major battle in the North that would bring about European recognition of the Confederacy, potential intervention, and possible capitulation by the North, whose anti-war Democrats were picking up political momentum.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“With the Confederate army divided and Pope’s army between them, Pope was now positioned to prevent them from linking up by blocking the Thoroughfare Gap. Ultimately he opted not to, later claiming that when he saw smoke from the flames shooting near Manassas, he figured he had Jackson in trouble and could annihilate the Confederates before Longstreet reunited with them. In fact, those flames were coming from his own supplies, after Jackson’s men began torching what they couldn’t carry.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“As the story is told, determined to inspire his men to take the offensive, Jackson suddenly rode into the battlefield and attempted to brandish his sword, but the man who had once warned his VMI cadets to be ready to throw the scabbards of their swords away found that due to the infrequency with which he had drawn it, it had rusted in its scabbard.  Undaunted, he unbuckled the sword from his belt--scabbard and all--and waved it over his head.   Then he grabbed a battle flag from a retreating standard bearer and called for his men to rally around him.  Heartened by their commander’s zeal, the Stonewall Brigade set fiercely into the Union troops, quickly driving them back.  And although Union forces were subsequently able to regroup and attack, the Stonewall Brigade had given the Confederate front line time to reform and A. P Hill's troops time to come up and fill in the gaps. Almost”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Jackson, however, felt ill at ease with all the attention. At the end of the Valley Campaign, he confided to his pastor, “I am afraid that our people are looking to the wrong source for help, and ascribing our success to those to whom they are not due. If we fail to Trust in God and give Him all the glory, our cause is ruined.” Chapter”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Once one of the smaller detachments was defeated, an opportunity was looked for to repeat the strategy, until the entire enemy force was defeated in piecemeal fashion. This was the method of Jackson's choosing throughout the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, and the tactic is known in military circles as “defeating in detail.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Feeling increasingly at odds with his superiors, in a letter sent from Gaines’ Mills, Virginia dated June 28, 1862, a frustrated McClellan wrote to Secretary of War Stanton, “If I save the army now, I tell you plainly that I owe no thanks to any other person in the Washington.  You have done your best to sacrifice this army.”  McClellan’s argument, however, flies in the face of common knowledge that he had become so obsessed with having sufficient supplies that he’d actually moved to Gaines’ Mill to accommodate the massive amount of provisions he’d accumulated.  Ultimately unable to move his cache of supplies as quickly as his men were needed, McClellan eventually ran railroad cars full of food and supplies into the Pamunkey River rather than leave them behind for the Confederates. Despite”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Jackson, on the other hand, would be reinforced with several regiments, bringing his total force to 18,500. Robert E. Lee wrote to tell him, “Your recent successes have been the cause of the liveliest joy in this army as well as in the country.” He added that the reinforcements were so he could crush the Union armies in the Shenandoah, unaware at this point they were in the process of being recalled. Jackson was to leave the Valley and support the Confederate center above Richmond by cutting Union communications. Jackson”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“The next day was a Sunday, a day on which Jackson would rather not fight, but perhaps he felt he was being helped by a higher power, after all the recent rain, which had seen the Union pursuit bogged down on the muddy roads. Ewell”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“After the Battle of Winchester, Jackson allowed his men two days of rest and prayer, while his quartermasters tallied the spoils left behind by the Yankees. Although Jackson drove his men hard, he could sense they were at their limit; their failure to pursue Banks’ broken army was proof of it. While he was eager to get on with the fight, he needed men capable of fighting. He”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“The Union men at Front Royal were the 1st Maryland. Jackson also had a regiment of 1st Maryland (Confederate). Maryland was a border state, and like all border states, it had regiments in both armies. This was the case with the Southern states as well. When the war broke out, loyalists from all across the South formed their own Union regiments. These were often quickly crushed, or had to flee to the North and fight far from their home territories.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“General Banks saw that Jackson meant business, and so recalled General Williams’ brigade that was en route to Centreville. The rebels suffered 139 killed, 312 wounded, and 253 captured. The Union lost 118, 450 were wounded, and 22 were missing or captured. The Pritchard home was turned into a hospital, with Samuel, the pregnant Helen, and their children aiding the groaning and bleeding men of both sides. Though Stonewall Jackson had lost the battle, he gained a strategic victory by draining troops from the main fight in front of Richmond; the Valley Campaign had begun in earnest. Although”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“The first major battle of the Valley Campaign was at Kernstown on March 23, 1862. It was a Sunday, and Jackson, a devoutly Christian man, didn’t want to fight on the Sabbath, but he changed his mind when he saw the lay of the land. Not far off from Pritchard’s Hill was Sandy Ridge, which offered a similarly good view of the Valley. He rushed the Stonewall Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Richard Garnett, to this ridge, where a stone wall offered them protection. The Union troops saw the opportunity too, and raced to get there first. One”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“McClellan knew that Jackson’s force was relatively small, so he only sent 16,000 men under the command of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks. A former Speaker of the House and Governor of Massachusetts, Banks was one of the many “political” generals Lincoln had raised to command at the beginning of the war, in spite of the fact that his only real military credentials were that his Massachusetts militia were considered some of the best in the North. Banks himself had no real combat experience.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Before leaving, Jackson assembled his brigade to bid them this farewell: “Officers and Soldiers of the First Brigade: I am not here to make a speech, but simply to say farewell. I first met you at Harper’s Ferry, in the commencement of this war, and I cannot take leave of you without giving expression to my admiration for your conduct from that day to this, whether on the march, the bivouac, the tented field, or the bloody plains of Manassas, when you gained the well deserved reputation of having decided the fate of that battle. “Throughout the broad extent of country over which you have marched, by your respect for the rights and property of citizens you have shown that you were soldiers, not only to defend, but able and willing to both defend and protect. You have already gained a brilliant and deservedly high reputation throughout the army and the whole Confederacy, and I trust in the future, by your own deeds on the field, and by the assistance of the same kind Providence who has heretofore favored our cause, you will gain more victories, and add additional luster to the reputation you now enjoy. “You have already gained a proud position in the future history of this, our second war of independence. I shall look with great anxiety to your future movements, and I trust that whenever I shall hear of the 1st Brigade on the field of battle it will be of still nobler deeds achieved and a higher reputation won. “In the Army of the Shenandoah you were the First Brigade, in the Army of the Potomac you were the First Brigade, in the 2d Corps of this army you are the First Brigade; you are First Brigade in the affections of your general, and I hope by your future deeds and bearing you will be handed down to posterity as the First Brigade in this, our second war of independence. Farewell!”[21] As it turned out, this moving speech was premature in its deliverance, because just one month later, after witnessing the deplorable troops over who he was to command, Jackson called for his old brigade to reinforce him in the Valley. An”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“After the battle ended and the Union army was in rapid retreat, Beauregard stated sardonically that had Richmond dispatched adequate supplies to the Confederate armies, he would have been able to pursue the Union army all the way to Washington, implying that Davis had short-changed his troops and cost the Confederates an even greater victory. In his official report, which made its way into the newspapers, Beauregard suggested that Davis had prevented the pursuit and destruction of McDowell's army, as well as the potential capture of Washington D.C. itself.  This only added to the animosity Davis already felt toward the celebrity-seeking general, and it would eventually lead to Beauregard being sidelined during the middle of the war.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Private Casler recounted what happened next: “General Bernard E. Bee, riding up to General Jackson, who sat on his horse calm and unmoved, though severely wounded in the hand, exclaimed in a voice of anguish: ‘General, they are beating us back.’ Turning to General Bee, he said calmly: ‘Sir, we’ll give them the bayonet.’ Hastening back to his men, General Bee cried enthusiastically, as he pointed to Jackson: ‘Look yonder! There is Jackson and his brigade standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here and we will conquer. Rally behind them!’”[16] Another account differed as it was said that Bee was in fact irritated by what appeared to be inactivity from Jackson and angrily gestured, “Look at Jackson standing there like a damned stone wall!”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War

“Jackson, since the inception of the brigade, stressed the importance of using the bayonet in battle as the majority of the C.S.A. Army had very short-ranged and grossly inaccurate muskets and balls, while the Union Army had the luxury of rifled bullets and gun barrels. Because of this, the defensive army, primarily the Confederates, had to hold fire until the enemy was close enough to be affected by the short-range muskets. This left the defenders in a safer position as the attackers were usually marching across an open field in an attempt to advance on the defenders.”
― Charles River Editors, The Stonewall Brigade: The History of the Most Famous Confederate Combat Unit of the Civil War