mountains of North Georgia. Still Lee, with his torn and tattered
veterans, stood like a wall of granite before Richmond and Petersburg.
What a halo of glory should surround the heads of all who constituted
the Army of Lee or followed the fortunes of Longstreet, Hill, Ewell,
and Early. At Chickamauga, Chattanooga, East Tennessee, Wilderness, or
wherever the plumes of their chieftains waved or their swords flashed
amid the din of battle, victory had ever perched upon their banners.
It was only when away from the inspiration and prestige of Longstreet
did the troops of Kershaw fail or falter, and only then to follow in
the wake of others who had yielded.
Owing to the casualties in battle during the last few months and the
disasters of the two Valley campaigns, many changes in the personnel
of the companies and regiments necessarily took place, once we got
fairly settled in camp.
Brigadier General Kershaw had been made Major General in place
of General McLaws soon after the battle of the Wilderness. His
Aid-de-Camp, Lieutenant Doby, having been killed on that day, I.M.
Davis, Adjutant of the Fifteenth, was placed upon the personnel staff
of the Major General.
Colonel John D. Kennedy, of the Second, having recovered from the
wounds received on the 6th of May, was promoted in place of General
Connor to the position of Brigadier General.
The Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel of the Twentieth both being
captured on the 19th of October, Lieutenant Colonel F.S. Lewie, of the
Fifteenth, was assigned temporarily to the command of the Twentieth.
Captain G. Leaphart, senior Captain, was afterwards promoted to Major,
and commanded the "Twentieth Army Corps" until the close of the war.
Lieutenant Colonel Stackhouse was made Colonel of the Eighth after the
death of Henagan, and either Captain McLucas or Captain T.F. Malloy
was promoted to Major (I am not positive on this point). Captain
Rogers was also one of the senior Captains, and I think he, too, acted
for a part of the time as one of the field officers.
The Third Battalion was commanded by one of the Captains for the
remainder of the war, Colonel Rice and Major Miller both being
permanently disabled for field service, but still retained their rank
and office.
There being no Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel of the Seventh, and Major
Goggans having resigned soon after the Wilderness battle, Captain
Thomas Huggins was raised to the rank of Colonel. I do not remember
wheth
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