"We Hornets were badly stung."

Tuesday, May 31, 1864, near Hanover Junction

We do not win every time. While most of the time, we give better than we receive, the tables were turned recently and we have suffered greatly for it. A week ago Monday, we met the Yankees again. They had done another march around our right towards the south. Our Lee, always knowing what the enemy is doing, marched us to Jerico Mills, on the North Anna.

General Fitzhugh Lee, the cavalryman nephew of our General Lee , told our General Wilcox that there were two brigades of Yankee cavalry, cooking rations and in all other ways ill-prepared to receive an attack, were on the other side of the river. General Wilcox was persuaded that his division could sweep them away without difficulty.

All four brigades of the division, including ours under  Colonel Brown from the Fourteenth, our own McGowan being absent wounded at Spotsylvania, advanced across a wheat field, went beyond some tracks and through another wheat field before entering some woods. Once we were in the woods, somehow, our regiment and the First became separated from the rest of the brigade. It was at that time, upon entering a clearing, that we found a skirmish line of infantry waiting for us. We saw no cavalry.

We recovered from this most unwelcome surprise quickly and drove away their skirmishers only to find their artillery had noticed us. We kept on after the Yankee skirmishers and moved out of sight of these guns only to  come attract the interest of different guns. Our muskets cut them down faster than they were doing to us and at the very moment when we were to charge and capture their guns, more of their infantry, in line of battle, made themselves known by their volleys in our flank. We could not hold our position against such odds, cut off from the rest of the brigade. We were ordered to withdraw and we did, all the time under fire, finally making it to this place.

D--n that whelp Lee for misleading us right into massed Yankee artillery and infantry. Sims is wounded, Sullivan is wounded, Corporal McAteer is wounded, Porter is wounded. Colonel Brown is captured, John Plyer is captured, Davis is captured and so is Fleming. Major Clyburn is wounded. Corporal Montgomery received a bad gunshot wound to the face. We Hornets were badly stung.


I Send You These Few Lines.


Even the best of armies, under the best of commanders, get bested themselves in battle. The battle of North Anna was nearly one of those. Grant was attempting an end run maneuver and Lee managed to blunt the move. This battle, also known as Jericho Mills, ended as a stalemated draw for both armies, according to some historians and a victory for Lee by others. As far as the 12th South Carolina was concerned, it was shot up rather badly. Many more stalemates or victories like this and the regiment will cease to exist.

The same can be said for a number of Confederate regiments. Casualties are mounting but the losses are not being matched by replacements. A good regiment, at full strength, should number 1,000. By this time in this war, Southern regiments are lucky to number 250. The 1st and the 12th, who were separated from the rest of the brigade, together numbered 350. They should have numbered 2.000.

The casualties are represented by more than just numbers. The war is taking a toll on the experienced talent in the field. In the 12th South Carolina, for instance, the regimental commander, Miller, is dead, The next in command is Lieutenant Colonel Bookter. He is absent, wounded as is the major, Clyburn. The regiment is now under the command of Robert Kerr, a captain.

The casualties mentioned above, are all confirmed by National Archives service records.

Robert E. Lee's nephew, Fitzhugh, is rather unpopular with Tooms at this point in the war and perhaps with many others. Tooms hopes that Fitzhugh Lee is somewhere far, far away. Maybe, maybe not.