5:00 PM |
The
Death of General Stevens |
This commemorative print of General Stevens, is a letterhead from stationary Pvt. Brown ( 21st Massachusetts) used for writing his letters home. (Courtesy of John Proctor and Henry Brown)
 MAP
- Issac Stevens must have instinctively known
that this was the moment to press his attack. He rushed forward urging his troops on until
he caught up with his old regiment, the 79th New York. Attempting to restart the
Highlander's attack after they had stalled in the face of vicious enemy fire, 5'1"
General Stevens took the regimental colors from a wounded Color Sergeant and shouted,
"Highlanders!... My Highlanders!... Follow your general!". The color-bearer
yelled at Stevens; "For God's sake... General! don't take the
colors! they'll shoot you if you do!"The 79th did move forward, inspired by their general standing tall with the regimental colors snapping in the strong wind of the impending thunderstorm. To the left, and through the cornfield, the 28th Massachusetts and the 50th Pennsylvania joined the attack along with the 8th Michigan, 100th Pennsylvania and 46th New York in a second line. It was close to 5 pm when the 1st Division surged forward... and as if planed for in the attack, the thunderstorm exploded onto the battlefield and staggered the gray line with it's own version of hellfire and brimstone. What a surreal sight this must have been to the defending Confederate regiments of Hays' Brigade... lightning illumined the contorted faces of the charging enemy... men braced themselves, leaning into the horizontal wind, rain and hail of bullets... thunderous volleys of musket fire intermixed with the resonating boom of man's and Heaven's artillery... solid shot crashing through the trees and troops... screams, yells, zipping minie balls... the ominous thud, as a ball found it's mark. This moment undoubtedly must have seemed to be man's version of hell on earth. Many units lost much of their firepower as powder became wet. Gregg's Brigade, notably the 12th, 13th and 14th South Carolina Regiments and Thomas' Brigade were maneuvering right at the moment of attack. Branch's and Field's Brigades who were now short on ammunition, grudgingly started to give ground from the edge of the cornfield. Hays' Brigade of Louisiana Regiments, who were positioned on the edge of the grass field directly to the front of the 79th New York, broke in considerable disorder as the wave of blue crashed into their lines and poured into the woods. Just as General Stevens seemed to have an unthinkable victory over a vastly superior force, shots rang out to his front as he was entering the woods... Stevens slumped lifeless
to the ground... shot through the head. The colors of the 79th New York,
still tightly clutched in death, enveloped him as if in final tribute to his
courage.
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In this period drawing General Stevens is shown with the
National Flag instead of the 79th New York Regimental Flag. The regimental flag still
stained with his blood, was presented to his widow by the 79th after the war
along
with a note that read... "His memory is engraven on the hearts of everyone of his
Highlanders."
