Diary of Private William S. White, December 1861

Our Third and Fourth Detachments are camped for the winter at Land's End, under the command of Lieutenant John M. West, and supported by the Fourteenth Virginia Infantry, Colonel Hodges commanding. The third gun is stationed immediately on the James River where the Warwick empties into it, and the fourth gun one-and-a-half miles up the Warwick River, supported by Company "K," Fourteenth Virginia Infantry, Captain Claiborne, of Halifax county, Va., commanding. We have comfortable log cabins, built by our own men, with glass windows, plank floors, kitchen attached, etc., and our cuisine bears favorable comparison with home fare. Time does not hang very heavily on my hands, for I am now drilling a company of infantry from Halifax county, Captain Edward Young's, in artillery tactics, previous to their making a change into that branch of the service. Then we get up an occasional game of ball, or chess, or an old hare hunt, or send reformed Bob to the York River after oysters, we preferring the flavor of York River oysters to those of Warwick River.

Fortunately we have managed to scrape up quite a goodly number of books, and being in close communication with Richmond, we hear from our friends daily.

Soon the spring campaign will open, and then farewell to the quiet pleasures of "Rebel Hall," farewell to the old messmates, for many changes will take place upon the reorganization of our army during the spring. No more winters during the war will be spent as comfortably and carelessly as this[.] Soon it will be a struggle for life, and God only knows how it will all end.

My health has but little improved, but I had rather die in the army than live out.

SOURCE: William S. White, A Diary of the War; or What I Saw of It, p. 110

Diary of Private William S. White, Late February 1862

During the latter part of February we were ordered with the Fourteenth Virginia Infantry to fall back to the left flank of Mulberry Island, some four or five miles in rear of our former position.

Mulberry Island is the nearest water battery on the north side of the James River to Newport News, and mounts seven or eight heavy guns. It is supported by the Day's Point battery, on the south side of the James, mounting seventeen guns. Magruder, as soon as we reached this place, sent us six hundred negroes to throw up heavy fortifications. Our position here is quite a strong one; on our left flank is the Warwick River, on our right is a deep marsh and the heavy battery at Mulberry Island; in our front is a broad, open field, our guns commanding it. Reinforced by the Fifth Louisiana Infantry.

SOURCE: William S. White, A Diary of the War; or What I Saw of It, p. 111

Further Particulars of the Winchester Battle

WINCHESTER, March 25. – The details of last Sunday’s fight have been received.  There have been more deeds of heroic daring performed in this battle, than in any other in history.  Capt. Schrieber, Aid and Inspector General of Gen. Shields’ division, while riding to the crest of a hill to the left of stone ledge, with two Orderlies, was confronted by five rebel cavalry, who emptied their revolvers, killing to Orderlies.  Capt. Schrieber charged them, running one of them through to the hilt of his sword, and received a ball in his cap, but was unharmed.

Capt. Perkins, Chief of Gen. Banks’ staff, was mainly instrument in planning the attack and performed deeds of skill and valor.

The twelve rebel regiments engaged were all Virginians, which were 1st, 2nd, 4th, 13th, 23rd, 42nd and 22nd, and one Provisional and one Irish Regiment.  They had Ashby’s Cavlary, two eight gun batteries and one six gun battery.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 29, 1862, p. 3

Brig.-Gen. Lewis A. Armistead

Lewis Addison Armistead, the gallant and lamented officer (of whom this is a brief biographical memoir, attached to the record of the brigade he first organized) and commanded up to the moment of his death), was born in Newbern, N. C., on February 18, 1817.

He was the son of Gen. Walker K. Armistead, of the United States Army, a native of Virginia, and Elizabeth, daughter of Hon. John A. Stanley of N. C.

He was entered as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, but on account of some youthful escapade (I have been told, the partial cracking of Jubal A. Early's head with a mess-hall plate), he was retired from that Institution before graduation. He was appointed Second Lieut, in the United States Army, from citizen's life in June, 1839, and assigned to the 6th Regiment of Infantry (commanded at that time by Gen. Zachary Taylor, who afterwards became the distinguished Mexican hero, and President of the United States). He served during the latter part of the Florida war, under his father, Gen. W. K. Armistead, and was promoted First Lieut, by President Tyler, to rank as such from March 30, 1844. He joined Gen. Scott, in Mexico, at the siege of Vera Cruz, was breveted Captain for gallant and meritorious conduct at the battles of Contreras and Churubusco; afterwards was breveted Major for gallant and meritorious conduct at the battle of Molino del Rey. These brevets were conferred by President Polk. March 3, 1855, he was commissioned Captain in the 6th Infantry by President Pierce. Early in 1861, he resigned his commission in the United States Army, and in company with Gen. Albert Sidney Johnson and other officers of that army, who had also resigned, crossed the plains, and offered his services to the State of Virginia. He was soon commissioned Colonel and given command of the 57th Regiment of Virginia Infantry. In April, 1862, he was commissioned by President Jeff. Davis Brig.-Gen. in the provisional army of the Confederate States; and set to the organization of a brigade of infantry. This brigade was composed of the 57th, 53d, and 14th Virginia Regiments and 3d Georgia Regiment; subsequently the 3d Georgia was exchanged for the 38th Virginia, and the 9th Virginia added to the brigade. This brigade, known as Armistead's, was assigned to Huger's Division of Longstreet's 1st Army Corps. Gen. Armistead was first engaged with his brigade (or a portion of it rather) at the second day's fight of Seven Pines, June 1, 1862, where he personally distinguished himself for extreme gallantry.

He next commanded his brigade at the battle of Malvern Hill, where it was heavily engaged, and where he again displayed his usual gallantry, and did signal service. He commanded his brigade throughout the first Maryland campaign, and in September, 1862, on the return of the army to Culpepper Court-House, Va., he was assigned with his brigade to Pickett's Division of Longstreet's Corps, and remained with that command up to the time of his death, taking part in all its actions. As a firm disciplinarian and executive officer, in addition to his high qualities for personal courage and judgment, he had no superior in the service. He conspicuously led his brigade in the celebrated charge of Pickett's Men at Gettysburg; advancing in front of his line, waving his hat upon the point of his sabre, and cheering his men on, when he was shot down after having taken the first line and guns of the enemy. He was found mortally wounded among the foremost ranks of the dead and dying, taken charge of by Maj.-Gen. Hancock, his old companion in arms of the United States Army, and sent to the 11th Corps hospital at Gettysburg, where he died of his wounds on the following day. Fallen, a noble soldier in his harness, he lies near the field of his honor and glory; buried with the speedy shrift of the times of war, but his memory ever preserved with those who knew him well—as the brave soul, the kind heart, the cheerful temper he always was.

Gen. Armistead was a widower; and was killed, leaving only one child — a son — who, although quite a youth at the time, was his father's aide-de-camp — W. Keith Armistead.

SOURCE: Walter Harrison, Pickett’s Men: A Fragment of War History, p. 33-5