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Firmness, Endurance, and Vigor
In the 1904 148th Pennsylvania Infantry regimental history, Dr. Alfred T. Hamilton recalling his service as a US Army physician at Gettysburg used these four words to describe one particular soldier: General William Barksdale. The story of how these two men met on July 2, 1863, at a temporary field hospital, is one of the Battle of Gettysburg's most enduring and poignant episodes.
William Barksdale:
William Barksdale was born in Smyrna, Tennessee on August 21, 1821. After graduating from the University of Nashville, Barksdale relocated to Columbus, Mississippi. He studied and practiced law there before becoming the editor of the Columbus Democrat, one of Mississippi's strongest pro-slavery and state's rights newspapers. When the United States declared war on Mexico in 1846, Barksdale was appointed to a staff position in Mississippi's state forces and served in northern Mexico.
Upon his return to Mississippi in 1848, Barksdale became active in politics, eventually winning election to the US House of Representatives. A slave holder, Barksdale was one of the most outspoken advocates for the expansion of slavery and state's rights in Congress. With Abraham Lincoln's election to the Presidency in 1860 and Mississippi's secession, Barksdale resigned his seat on January 12, 1861. Returning home he was appointed a general in the Mississippi state forces and later became colonel of the newly formed 13th Mississippi Infantry. Promoted to brigadier general in June 1862, Barksdale led his brigade (the 13th, 17th, 18th, and 21st Mississippi Infantry) in notable Virginia campaigns and battles in 1862 and early 1863. |