Confederate Military History/Volume 3/Biographical/G
Brigadier-General Samuel Garland was born at Lynchburg, Va., December 16, 1830, of an old Virginia family, his great-grandmother having been a sister of President Madison. His father, Samuel Garland, Sr., a well-known lawyer, died when his son was five years old. He entered a classical school at the age of seven years, and was graduated at the Virginia military institute, where he was the founder and president of the first literary society of that institution. In 1851 he was graduated in law at the university of Virginia, and he at once entered upon the practice of the profession at Lynchburg. His career during the period before the war was one of worthy prominence, and he became widely esteemed as a skillful lawyer and polished gentleman. In 1859, after the affair at Harper's Ferry, he organized the Lynchburg Home Guard, of which he was the first captain. He was not by inclination a military man, entering the service both in 1859 and 1861 as a matter of duty; but when enlisted in the fight, no labor was too fatiguing and no peril too hazardous for his devoted and intrepid spirit. On April 23, 1861, he left home with his well-drilled and disciplined company, and proceeded to Richmond, where his men were mustered into the service of Virginia, as Company G of the Eleventh Virginia infantry, on the following day. Of this regiment, composed of four Lynchburg companies and commands from other Virginia towns, he was placed in command as colonel, a few days later. He took his regiment to camp at Manassas, where it joined the brigade of General Longstreet. In the fight at Blackburn's ford the regiment was distinguished, and Colonel Garland was mentioned by General Longstreet, with others, as having "displayed more coolness and energy than is usual amongst veterans of the old service." In the famous battle of the 21st, the regiment was intended to take an active part, but the Federal flank movement caused the fight to open in another quarter. After the engagement Colonel Garland was detailed to collect the spoil of battle on the field. In the fight at Dranesville, in December, he was reported as behaving with great coolness. In the absence of orders he held his line until the rest of the Confederate force was entirely withdrawn from the field. In February, 1862, he was commended by General Johnston as fully competent to command a brigade. In March he moved with his regiment to the Peninsula, where the brigade came under the command of A. P. Hill. In the battle of Williamsburg, the most severe loss was sustained by the Eleventh regiment, and Hill reported that "Colonel Garland, though wounded early in the action, refused to leave the field, and continued to lead his regiment until the battle was over, and his example had a most happy effect in showing his men how to win the battle." Immediately after this Garland was promoted brigadier-general, and was assigned to the command of a brigade of D. H. Hill's division, which after Seven Pines was composed of the Fifth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-third North Carolina regiments. He was distinguished for gallant conduct in the heat of the fight at Seven Pines; at Gaines' Mill, asked permission and made a flank attack at an opportune juncture, which decided the fate of the day, his men cheering and charging and driving the enemy ; and he was in the attacking columns at Malvern Hill. During the Second Manassas campaign he was with Hill's division, holding McDowell in check at Fredericksburg, after which he joined the army in the Maryland campaign. At Fox's gap, on South mountain, his North Carolinians, scarce 1,000 in all, sustained the first attack of Cox's corps of McClellan's army on September 14th. They held their ground with wonderful heroism in the face of a furious attack. With them, where the fight was hottest, stood General Garland, notwithstanding the remonstrances of Colonel Ruffin. It was to him the post of duty. On one side lay McClellan with 30,000 men; on the other was the short road to Harper's Ferry, beleaguered by Jackson. The enemy must be held back a day, or the Federals, under an active commander, could overwhelm the divided Confederates. In this position, early in the fight, he received a mortal wound, from which he died on the field. "Had he lived," wrote Gen. D. H. Hill, "his talents, pluck, energy and purity of character must have put him in the front rank of his profession, whether in civil or military life."
Brigadier-General Richard Brooke Garnett, a cousin of Gen. R. S. Garnett, was a native of Virginia and a graduate of the same West Point class in which his cousin was a member. Promoted second lieutenant of the Sixth infantry on graduation, he began his services in the field in the Florida war of 1841-42. He subsequently served in garrison at Jefferson barracks. Mo., and on frontier duty at Fort Towson, Indian Territory, and Fort Smith, Ark., and as aide-de-camp to Brigadier-General Brooke at New Orleans. He was promoted first lieutenant in February, 1847, and continued in service, at San Antonio, Tex., and at Fort Pierre, Dak., where he was promoted captain. He assisted in quelling the Kansas disturbances in 1856-57, was detailed to escort the southern boundary commissioners in 1857, served again in Kansas, and was engaged in the Utah expedition and the subsequent march to California. In the latter territory and in New Mexico he served until he resigned to offer his services to the Confederate States. He was commissioned major, corps of artillery, C. S. A., and in November, 1861, promoted brigadier-general. Jackson, then in the Shenandoah valley with a small force, was reinforced soon afterward, and Garnett went with these forces, and at the battle of Kernstown, March 23, 1862, he commanded the Stonewall brigade. During the Maryland campaign he commanded Pickett's brigade. In the westward movement on September 14th, with his brigade he reached Boonsboro after a hot and tiresome march over the mountains, to which he was ordered to return that afternoon to dispute the mountain pass with the Federal army. His troops, almost exhausted, took a position before Turner's gap, on the eastern slope of the South mountain, under artillery fire, and sustained for some time a fierce attack from Reno's corps of McClellan's army. On the 17th, Garnett and his men fought to the southeast of Sharpsburg village, in support of the Washington artillery, and later in the day in conjunction with S. D. Lee's battalion, and were distinguished for bravery. General Garnett was subsequently identified with the record of Pickett's division, in command of his brigade, consisting of the Eighth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twenty-eighth and Fifty-sixth Virginia regiments, which he finally led into action during the memorable charge on the third day of the battle of Gettysburg. The brigade moved forward in the front line, and gained the enemy's strongest line, where the fighting became hand to hand and of the most desperate character. The brigade went into action with 1,287 men and 140 officers, and after the struggle about 300 came back slowly and sadly from the scene of carnage. General Garnett's part in this fatal action is thus reported by his successor in command, Maj. Charles S. Peyton: "Of our cool, gallant, noble brigade commander it may not be out of place to speak. Never had the brigade been better handled, and never has it done better service in the field of battle. There was scarcely an officer or man in the command whose attention was not attracted by the cool and handsome bearing of General Garnett, who, totally devoid of excitement or rashness, rode immediately in rear of his advancing line, endeavoring, by his personal efforts and by the aid of his staff, to keep his line well closed and dressed. He was shot from his horse while near the center of the brigade, within about 25 paces of the stone wall."
Brigadier-General Robert Selden Garnett, born in Essex county, Va., December 16, 1819, was graduated at the United States military academy in 1841, and promoted second lieutenant of artillery. He served at the West Point academy from July, 1843, to October, 1844, as assistant instructor of infantry tactics. In 1845 he was assigned to duty as aide-de-camp to General Wool, and in this capacity rendered conspicuous service in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, winning promotion to the rank of first lieutenant of the Fourth artillery. He subsequently served as aide-de-camp to General Taylor, and participated in the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista, where he won the brevets of captain and major. After peace was declared he was transferred to the infantry and promoted captain. In 1852-54 he was commandant corps of cadets and instructor in infantry tactics at West Point. Receiving promotion to major in March, 1855, he commanded the troops sent against the Indians on Puget sound in the far northwest, and remaining there was in charge of the Yakima expedition in 1858. Subsequently he traveled in Europe on leave of absence until the year 1861, when he returned, resigned his commission, and entered the Confederate army. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, C. S. A., to date from March 16th, and served as adjutant-general under Gen. R. E. Lee, in command of the Virginia forces. Early in June he was commissioned brigadier-general and ordered to proceed to Staunton and assume command of the troops to operate in northwestern Virginia. In a few days he was engaged in the unfortunate campaign in West Virginia, where his life was sacrificed. It was very early in the war; he found difficulty in obtaining supplies, clothing and shelter for his men; the sentiment in that vicinity was against the Confederacy, and he was confronted by overwhelming odds. Without a trace of faintheartedness, he established his headquarters at Laurel hill, and there and at Rich mountain intrenched his troops. On June 10th, Pegram was dislodged from Rich mountain, and a superior force compelled Garnett to abandon Laurel hill and fall back. He was pursued by the Federals, and a brisk action occurred on the Cheat river, at Carrick's ford, July 13th. At the next ford on the same day, while with his rear guard, he was instantly killed by a volley of the enemy, falling, as President Davis wrote, in exemplification of the "highest quality of man, self-sacrifice for others." His body, kindly cared for by General McClellan, was subsequently transferred with tokens of respect to the hands of his friends.