Source
Gaines Mill - I have followed the path of their assault. It was not an easy walk and cannot imagine doing it under fire...
The Confederates began their assaults on this position about noon but were constantly beaten back. Brigade after the brigade had been ordered to charge. They had charged and met repulse before Whiting's division which consists, you know, of Law's brigade and ours reached the scene of action at 4 p.m. Said General Whiting to General Hood, pointing to a battery that was doing tremendous execution in the Confederate rank, 'That battery ought to be taken, General' 'Then why has it not been done?' asked Hood. 'Because the position is too strong,' answered Whiting. 'My brigade is composed of veterans, but they can do nothing with it.' 'I have a regiment that will capture it,' said Hood; and, galloping to Fourth Texas, dismounted and called it to attention. Then marching it by the flank to an open field, he gave the orders to bring it into the line of battle, and shouted, 'Forward !
Dismounted, Hood effectively replaced Colonel John Marshal as the leader of the 4th Texas on June 27. Hood led the 500 men of the regiment on a march toward the Union left flank. Initially, Law's Brigade was on Hood's right in the battle line, but Hood ordered his men past Law's on the Confederate right flank. The regiment was under constant fire from the well-positioned Union artillery. As they continued across the open field, the Federal enfilade grew to include sharp-shooters and infantry fire. Colonel Marshal was shot in the neck and fell from his horse. The wound was mortal. The troops continued forward and obeyed Hood's order to hold fire until he gave the command. The Federal position allowed for constant shell and shot to be pelted on the Confederate Texans, and "half way across the field, men began to drop, wounded or dead, from the ranks.
When Hood's men reached the top of a rise in the terrain, approximately 150 yards from Boatswain's Creek, they came upon numerous troops clinging to the ground who would go no further. It was at this point that Longstreet's and A.P. Hill's men were halted. The lieutenants of the companies the 4th encountered, thought to be Virginia troops, urged the Texans not to proceed further. Hood and his men ignored the warning and started down the other side of the rise toward the creek. Once the continued march began, there was an immediate eruption of Union firepower. Hood maintained the order to hold fire and urged his men forward.
When the 4th Texas got to within one hundred yards of Porter's line, Hood ordered to fix bayonets while on the move. Once that task was complete, Hood ordered the 4th Texas to charge at the double-quick. With the gleaming steel of the bayonets and a Rebel Yell that rivaled the sound of the artillery, the 4th Texas reached the first Union entrenchment on the hill. It unnerved Porter's men to the point that they "fled panic-stricken." According to Chaplain Davis, "it seemed as if every ball found a victim, so great was the slaughter."
When Porter's troops in the first line of battle fled to the rear, the men in the second row of entrenchments followed suit. At this point, the 4th Texas regiment was joined by the right-wing of the 18th Georgia group. Together these men pursued the Federals further up the hill toward the rear of the Union defensive position. As the 4th Texas and 18th Georgia chased the Yankee troops, the 1st and 5th Texas regiments, along with the South Carolina Legion at last reached the rise of the hill. These three regiments marched through heavily forested and swampy terrain, thus delaying joining the first two regiments on the attack. The united five regiments continued to pursue their enemy and finally collapsed the Federal left flank. The battle line crumbled, and the 4th Texas regiment reached the hill's summit and captured fourteen of the eighteen Federal artillery guns.
As Hood's troops continued their pursuit of the enemy, they were confronted by the 5th U.S. Cavalry. The brigade stood its ground. When the cavalry approached to within forty yards, the Rebels fired simultaneously, which effectively negated any threat of defeat at the hands of the cavalry battalion. Six of the seven Federal cavalry officers were killed or wounded in the attack, and of the 250 cavalry troops involved, only 100 survived. By the end of the day, the Confederate troops pushed their enemy to the Chickahominy River's southern bank. This was due in large part to Hood's Brigade, especially the 4th Texas regiment. The 1st and 5th also contributed greatly as both regiments took a significant number of prisoners. According to Private Polley, "The Fifth Texas captured two whole regiments of Yankees the Fourth New Jersey, raised in Newark, and the Eleventh Pennsylvania, raised in Philadelphia."
Conclusion
The brigade men, especially those of the 4th Texas regiment, we're exceptionally proud of their accomplishment that day. They were lauded by generals such as Longstreet and Jackson for their skill and valor and played an enormous role in saving the Confederate capital. The battle lasted from early morning until "the night came on and human slaughter ceased." According to Historian and Hood scholar, Harold B. Simpson, June 27, 1862, was the "greatest day of valor for the Fourth Texas Infantry."
Historians and military experts consider hood's Texas Brigade to be second only to the Stonewall Brigade in terms of tenacity and valor of all of the brigades that fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Like Jackson, Hood was a leader who displayed no fear and projected a fierce sense of pride and determination among his men. Of the many leaders who commanded the brigade, Hood instilled an ethic and confidence in the men who comprised the brigade that still bears his name.
Gaines Mill - I have followed the path of their assault. It was not an easy walk and cannot imagine doing it under fire...
The Confederates began their assaults on this position about noon but were constantly beaten back. Brigade after the brigade had been ordered to charge. They had charged and met repulse before Whiting's division which consists, you know, of Law's brigade and ours reached the scene of action at 4 p.m. Said General Whiting to General Hood, pointing to a battery that was doing tremendous execution in the Confederate rank, 'That battery ought to be taken, General' 'Then why has it not been done?' asked Hood. 'Because the position is too strong,' answered Whiting. 'My brigade is composed of veterans, but they can do nothing with it.' 'I have a regiment that will capture it,' said Hood; and, galloping to Fourth Texas, dismounted and called it to attention. Then marching it by the flank to an open field, he gave the orders to bring it into the line of battle, and shouted, 'Forward !
Dismounted, Hood effectively replaced Colonel John Marshal as the leader of the 4th Texas on June 27. Hood led the 500 men of the regiment on a march toward the Union left flank. Initially, Law's Brigade was on Hood's right in the battle line, but Hood ordered his men past Law's on the Confederate right flank. The regiment was under constant fire from the well-positioned Union artillery. As they continued across the open field, the Federal enfilade grew to include sharp-shooters and infantry fire. Colonel Marshal was shot in the neck and fell from his horse. The wound was mortal. The troops continued forward and obeyed Hood's order to hold fire until he gave the command. The Federal position allowed for constant shell and shot to be pelted on the Confederate Texans, and "half way across the field, men began to drop, wounded or dead, from the ranks.
When Hood's men reached the top of a rise in the terrain, approximately 150 yards from Boatswain's Creek, they came upon numerous troops clinging to the ground who would go no further. It was at this point that Longstreet's and A.P. Hill's men were halted. The lieutenants of the companies the 4th encountered, thought to be Virginia troops, urged the Texans not to proceed further. Hood and his men ignored the warning and started down the other side of the rise toward the creek. Once the continued march began, there was an immediate eruption of Union firepower. Hood maintained the order to hold fire and urged his men forward.
When the 4th Texas got to within one hundred yards of Porter's line, Hood ordered to fix bayonets while on the move. Once that task was complete, Hood ordered the 4th Texas to charge at the double-quick. With the gleaming steel of the bayonets and a Rebel Yell that rivaled the sound of the artillery, the 4th Texas reached the first Union entrenchment on the hill. It unnerved Porter's men to the point that they "fled panic-stricken." According to Chaplain Davis, "it seemed as if every ball found a victim, so great was the slaughter."
When Porter's troops in the first line of battle fled to the rear, the men in the second row of entrenchments followed suit. At this point, the 4th Texas regiment was joined by the right-wing of the 18th Georgia group. Together these men pursued the Federals further up the hill toward the rear of the Union defensive position. As the 4th Texas and 18th Georgia chased the Yankee troops, the 1st and 5th Texas regiments, along with the South Carolina Legion at last reached the rise of the hill. These three regiments marched through heavily forested and swampy terrain, thus delaying joining the first two regiments on the attack. The united five regiments continued to pursue their enemy and finally collapsed the Federal left flank. The battle line crumbled, and the 4th Texas regiment reached the hill's summit and captured fourteen of the eighteen Federal artillery guns.
As Hood's troops continued their pursuit of the enemy, they were confronted by the 5th U.S. Cavalry. The brigade stood its ground. When the cavalry approached to within forty yards, the Rebels fired simultaneously, which effectively negated any threat of defeat at the hands of the cavalry battalion. Six of the seven Federal cavalry officers were killed or wounded in the attack, and of the 250 cavalry troops involved, only 100 survived. By the end of the day, the Confederate troops pushed their enemy to the Chickahominy River's southern bank. This was due in large part to Hood's Brigade, especially the 4th Texas regiment. The 1st and 5th also contributed greatly as both regiments took a significant number of prisoners. According to Private Polley, "The Fifth Texas captured two whole regiments of Yankees the Fourth New Jersey, raised in Newark, and the Eleventh Pennsylvania, raised in Philadelphia."
Conclusion
The brigade men, especially those of the 4th Texas regiment, we're exceptionally proud of their accomplishment that day. They were lauded by generals such as Longstreet and Jackson for their skill and valor and played an enormous role in saving the Confederate capital. The battle lasted from early morning until "the night came on and human slaughter ceased." According to Historian and Hood scholar, Harold B. Simpson, June 27, 1862, was the "greatest day of valor for the Fourth Texas Infantry."
Historians and military experts consider hood's Texas Brigade to be second only to the Stonewall Brigade in terms of tenacity and valor of all of the brigades that fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Like Jackson, Hood was a leader who displayed no fear and projected a fierce sense of pride and determination among his men. Of the many leaders who commanded the brigade, Hood instilled an ethic and confidence in the men who comprised the brigade that still bears his name.
