Alan J. Pitts
Missouri veterans
Thu Feb 15 00:45:35 2001


General Maury called them "The noble brigade of Missourians, Elijah Gates commanding, the survivors of more than 20 battles and the finest troops I have ever seen."

While at Mobile, Capt. Joseph Boyce of the 1st/4th Missouri remembered the question being asked: Is there anyone in the brigade who has not been wounded? After a careful review, it was determined that everyone still present with the brigade had been wounded at least once; some as many as six times.

You mention irony. The Missourians were well aware of it. Those that had volunteered with the Missouri State Guard in 1861 recalled their pledge to fight the Yankees from Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico, if need be. And now, here they were at Fort Blakely, with the waters of Mobile Bay on the shore behind them.

These men had fought at Wilson's Creek, Elkhorn Tavern, Shiloh, Iuka, Corinth, Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Vicksburg, from Cassville to Atlanta, Allatoona, and finally Franklin, where they lost 70% of their number in an afternoon's assault. If you visit the McGavock cemetery at Franklin, notice that the third largest group of dead from the Confederate units buried there are Missourians.

The experience gained by the Junior Reserves at Chehaw and other actions that you cited were helpful, but their experiences in no way compare to the battles fought by these brave men. I hope Mr. Neel will add his comments to our discussion; I've always thought that the story he related about the Missouri veterans teaching these boys what to do when the Yankees attacked was rather touching; a fitting requiem for the last days of the Confederacy.