Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (Full Version)

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Mike13z50 -> Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/8/2007 11:14:26 PM)

Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863). Armistead nearly scuttled his military career when he broke a plate over the head of fellow cadet Jubal A. Early and was expelled from West Point. He was, however, commissioned directly into the infantry in 1839 and served in the Mexican War, being wounded at Chapultepec and earning two brevets. He resigned his captaincy on May 26, 1861, and headed back east to offer his services to the Confederacy. After serving in western Virginia (fall 61-spring 62), he was given command of a brigade in the Norfolk area and later served with it on the Peninsula, seeing action at Seven Pines and in the Seven Days. He fought at 2nd Bull Run and Antietam, where he was wounded. Armistead is best known for his final moments. His brigade, of Pickett’s division, advanced the farthest in the third day attack at Gettysburg known as Pickett’s Charge. Wounded three times as he led his men across the Union breastworks, Armistead fell mortally wounded among the guns of Cushing's Battery, part of Hancock’s corps. In a scene made famous in the Killer Angel’s, Armistead had vowed that if he should ever lead troops in battle against his friend Hancock that “God should strike me dead. Though only wounded in the arm and left leg, tired, exhausted, his spirit broken, he died two days later in a Union field hospital. Armistead is buried next to his uncle, commander of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, at the Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.

Gil NOTE:=>by Scott Jennings



Gil R. -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/9/2007 2:05:31 AM)

Thanks, but you've got me confused: is Scott Jennings someone else, or do you want to go by that name instead of Michael Jennings?



jkBluesman -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/10/2007 6:12:07 PM)

There is another nice story attached to Gettysburg:
The Union soldiers and officers had identified Armistead as Longstreet and sent a courier under a flag of truce to Lee on July 4. Present on Seminary Ridge was also Longstreet who chuckled as he heard he were captured and wounded but taken care of.



Mike13z50 -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/11/2007 11:39:09 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gil R.

Thanks, but you've got me confused: is Scott Jennings someone else, or do you want to go by that name instead of Michael Jennings?


Gil,

My brother {named Scott Jennings) got interested in the bio project, and wrote Armistead and Pickett. He has an account (mikeejay2) but couldn't remember his pw, so I posted those for him. I showed him how to get a new password sent to him, and he will be contacting you to volunteer form some more generals. BTW, is there a way to change your password on the forum? I searched the help files and couldn't find anything.

Mike



chris0827 -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/12/2007 4:54:15 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: jkBluesman

There is another nice story attached to Gettysburg:
The Union soldiers and officers had identified Armistead as Longstreet and sent a courier under a flag of truce to Lee on July 4. Present on Seminary Ridge was also Longstreet who chuckled as he heard he were captured and wounded but taken care of.


A nice story but it didn't happen. Shortly after the attack Abner Doubleday heard that a Confederate general possibly Longstreet had been captured and sent a messenger to check. It was quickly established that the general was Armistead. The flag of truce on the 4th was an attempt by Lee to get an exchange of prisoners so he would not have to retreat with thousands of Union prisoners slowing him down but Meade declined.



mikeejay2 -> Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/12/2007 5:48:41 AM)

GIL THIS IS AN UPDATE ON ON GEN ARMISTEAD HE WAS THE FIRST ONE I WROTE ABOUT AND WOULD PREFER THIS VERSION BE USED INSTEAD OF THE FIRST DRAFT SENT BY MY BROTHER MIKE


Brig Gen Lewis Armistead CSA (b1817- d1863) traveled east and received a commission as a major, but was quickly promoted to colonel of the 57th Virginia Infantry. He served in the western part of Virginia, but soon returned to the east and joined the Army of Northern Virginia. He was promoted to brigadier general and fought as a brigade commander under Lee during the Seven Days Battles (where he was chosen to spearhead the bloody, senseless assault on Malvern Hill), and led Longstreet’s assault at Second Bull Run. At Antietam, he served as the provost marshal for the army, a frustrating job due to the high levels of desertion that plagued the army in that campaign. He was with Longstreet’s corps near Norfolk, in the spring of 1863, so missed the Battle of Chancellorsville.At Gettysburg, Armistead’s brigade arrived the evening of July 2nd, 1863, in the division of Maj. Gen. George Pickett. He was wounded the next day while leading his brigade towards the center of the Union line in Pickett’s. His brigade, led from the front by Armistead, waving his hat from the tip of his sword, reached the stonewall at the "Angle", which served as the charge's objective. The brigade got farther in the charge than any other, an event sometimes known as the High Watermark of the Confederacy, but it was quickly overwhelmed by a Union counterattack. Armistead was shot three times just after crossing the wall. He was informed that his old friend, Gen Hancock, had been commanding this part of the defensive line, but that he, too, had just been wounded. In a scene made famous in the Killer Angel’s, Armistead had vowed that if he should ever lead troops in battle against his friend Hancock that “God should strike me dead." Though only wounded in the arm and left leg, tired, exhausted, his spirit broken, he dies two days later in a Union field hospital. Armistead is buried next to his uncle, a commander at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, at the Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.



Gil R. -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/12/2007 7:10:45 AM)

Okay, received.



jkBluesman -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/12/2007 2:42:16 PM)

Well, according to the British observer Colonel Freemantle there was a second messenger with a flag of truce, this time from the Federals. And he was sent to report the capture of Longstreet.



Gil R. -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (3/13/2007 3:11:02 AM)

Here's Armistead. I added the first two sentences, since it's always good to provide pre-Civil War info.


Brig. Gen. Lewis Addison Armistead (b. 1817, d. 1863). A North Carolinian, Armistead attended the Military Academy at West Point, but was expelled either for poor academic performance or for breaking a plate over the head of future Confederate General Jubal Early (or for a combination of the two). Despite his failure to graduate, his father – a veteran of the War of 1812 – secured for him a position as a 2nd Lieutenant, and he went on to serve in the Mexican-American War. When the Civil War broke out, Armistead received was initially made a Major in the Confederate army, but was quickly promoted to Colonel of the 57th Virginia Infantry. He served in the western part of Virginia, but soon returned to the eastern part of the state and joined the Army of Northern Virginia. Armistead was promoted to Brigadier General and fought as a brigade commander under Gen. Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days Battles of June 25-July 1, 1862, most notably being was chosen to spearhead the bloody, senseless assault on Malvern Hill. Two months later, he led Gen. James Longstreet’s assault at Second Bull Run, and at Antietam he served as the provost marshal for the army, which required dealing with the high levels of desertion that plagued the army in that campaign. Armistead’s most famous moment in the Civil War came at the Battle of Gettysburg, which he joined late on the second day, July 2nd, 1863. Being attached to the division led by Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett, Armistead’s brigade represented an important component of Pickett’s Charge. Armistead led his brigade from the front, waving his hat from the tip of his sword, and reached the stonewall at the “Angle," which served as the charge's objective. In doing so, his brigade got farther in the charge than any other – an accomplishment widely recognized as the “High Watermark of the Confederacy.” The brigade, however, was quickly overwhelmed by a Union counterattack, and Armistead himself was shot three times just after crossing the wall. As his captors tended to him, he was informed that his old friend, Union Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, had been commanding this part of the defensive line, and that he, too, had just been wounded. In a scene made famous in literature and film – and based on contemporary accounts – Armistead had said to Hancock shortly before taking up arms against the Union that if he should ever lead troops in battle against his friend Hancock, “God should strike me dead." Though only wounded in the arm and left leg, exhaustion and a broken spirit led Armistead to succumb two days later in a Union field hospital; his friend Hancock survived his wounds. Armistead is buried next to his uncle, the commander of Fort McHenry during the famous British bombardment during the War of 1812, at the Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. (Bio by Scott Jennings)

Leadership: 6
Tactical: 5
Initiative: 3
Command: 7
Cavalry:

Teaches: Heroes, Chargers, Steady (twice)



Gil R. -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (4/10/2007 8:57:36 AM)

Funny. I forgot that I had edited it, and reedited it. Here's how it looks now.


Brig. Gen. Lewis Addison Armistead (b. 1817, d. 1863). A North Carolinian, Armistead attended the Military Academy at West Point, but was expelled either for poor academic performance or for breaking a plate over the head of future Confederate General Jubal Early (or for a combination of the two). Despite his failure to graduate, his father, Gen. Walker K. Armistead, a veteran of the War of 1812, secured for him a position as a 2nd lieutenant, and he went on to serve in the Seminole Wars of 1835-1842 (fighting under the elder Armistead’s command) and later in the Mexican-American War. His heroism, especially at Chapultepec, earned him a brevet to major. When the Civil War broke out, Armistead received was initially made a major in the Confederate army, but was quickly promoted to Colonel of the 57th Virginia Infantry. He served in the western part of Virginia, but soon returned to the eastern part of the state and joined the Army of Northern Virginia. Armistead was promoted to brigadier general on April 1, 1862 and fought as a brigade commander under Gen. Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days Battles of June 25-July 1, 1862, most notably being chosen to spearhead the bloody, senseless assault on Malvern Hill. Two months later, he led Gen. James Longstreet’s assault at Second Bull Run, and at Antietam he served as the provost marshal for the army, which required dealing with the high levels of desertion that plagued the army in that campaign. Armistead’s most famous moment in the Civil War came at the Battle of Gettysburg, which he joined late on the second day, July 2nd, 1863. Being attached to the division led by Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett, Armistead’s brigade represented an important component of Pickett’s Charge. Armistead led his brigade from the front, waving his hat from the tip of his sword, and reached the stone wall at the “Bloody Angle," which served as the charge's objective. In doing so, his brigade got farther in the charge than any other – an accomplishment widely recognized as the “High Watermark of the Confederacy.” The brigade, however, was quickly overwhelmed by a Union counterattack, and Armistead himself was shot three times just after crossing the wall. As his captors tended to him, he was informed that his old friend, Union Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, had been commanding this part of the defensive line, and that he, too, had just been wounded. In a scene made famous in literature and film – and based on contemporary accounts – Armistead had said to Hancock shortly before taking up arms against the Union that if he should ever lead troops in battle against his friend Hancock, “God should strike me dead." Though only wounded in the arm and left leg, exhaustion and a broken spirit led Armistead to succumb two days later in a Union field hospital; his friend Hancock survived his wounds. Armistead is buried next to his uncle, George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry during the famous British bombardment during the War of 1812, at the Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. (Bio by Scott Jennings)

Leadership: 6
Tactical: 5
Initiative: 3
Command: 7
Cavalry:

Teaches: Heroes, Chargers, Steady (twice)

Death date: 62



mikeejay2 -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (4/12/2007 4:53:25 AM)

FIRST TIME I HAVE HEARD THE REFERENCE "BLOODY" ANGLE. I PREFER THE TERM "THE ANGLE" AS THE HIGH WATER MARK. MY BELIEF IS THAT 99 OUT OF 100 CIVIL WAR READERS WOULD PLACE THE "ANGLE" AT GETTYSBURG, BUT WOULD HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE HECK THE "BLOODY" ANGLE WAS. BUT THIS IS JUST MY OPINION.



Gil R. -> RE: Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA (b. 1817, d.1863) (4/13/2007 2:39:41 AM)

Okay, I changed it back. I forget where I read that, but I'll go with what you wrote.



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