It’s true that John B. Gordon was in the Sunken Road. He was commanding the 6th Alabama Regiment in Rodes’ Brigade of D. H. Hill’s Division. This week during the 150th anniversary events there, I heard the anecdote more than once of Gordon being shot in the face, falling into his cap and in danger of smothering except that a ball had previously pierced his cap and so let the blood out.

The 60th Georgia was in Lawton’s Brigade of Ewell’s Division and fought at the northern end of the battleground in the area of the Mumma farm and Dunker Church. The 45th Georgia was in Thomas’ Brigade of A. P. Hill’s Division and had been left in Harper’s Ferry and did not rejoin the division until after the fighting at Sharpsburg, but in time to be engaged near Shepherdstown when Lee re-crossed the Potomac into (West) Virginia.

Seven months after the battle, when Gordon had recovered from being shot five times, he was assigned to command the brigade of Alexander Lawton, who had been disabled in the same battle.