The Generals Killed At Gettysburg

Of the roughly 120 Union and Confederate generals present during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg, nine were either killed outright or mortally wounded. More general officers lost their lives at Gettysburg than in any other battle in American history. This thread will cover these nine men, their previous military careers, and how each met his death during those three terrible days in Pennsylvania. The nine generals were as follows: **Confederacy:** Brig. Gen. Paul Semmes Brig. Gen. William Barksdale Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Brig. Gen. Richard Garnett Maj. Gen. William Dorsey Pender **Union:** Maj. Gen. John Reynolds Brig. Gen. Samuel Zook Brig. Gen. Stephen Weed Brig. Gen. Elon Farnsworth From here, we will look at who these men were and how they died during the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. **Brig. Gen. Paul Semmes** Paul Semmes was born in Georgia in 1815 and served as a captain in the Georgia militia before the Civil War. He entered Confederate service as colonel of the 2nd Georgia Infantry and was promoted to brigadier general after distinguishing himself during the Peninsula Campaign. On July 2, Semmes led his brigade into the savage fighting around the Wheatfield. During the advance, he was struck in the thigh by a rifle ball that badly damaged a major artery. He survived for several days before dying in Martinsburg on July 10. Shortly before his death, Semmes reportedly declared: “I consider it a privilege to die for my country.” **Brig. Gen. William Barksdale** William Barksdale was born in Tennessee in 1821 and served as an officer during the Mexican-American War. He later represented Mississippi in the United States Congress from 1853 until the state seceded in 1861. On July 2, Barksdale personally led his Mississippi brigade in a furious assault against the Union position at the Peach Orchard. His men shattered the Union line before continuing toward Cemetery Ridge. During the attack, Barksdale was struck in the knee, foot, and chest. Left behind when the Confederates withdrew, he was taken to a Union field hospital and died the following morning. His reported final words were: “I am killed! Tell my wife and children that I died fighting at my post.” **Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead** Lewis Armistead was born in North Carolina in 1817 and served for more than twenty years in the United States Army. He fought with distinction during the Mexican-American War, receiving brevet promotions for gallantry. On July 3, Armistead led his Virginia brigade forward during Pickett’s Charge. Holding his hat upon the point of his sword, he crossed the stone wall at the Angle and reached the deepest point of the Confederate advance. Armistead was then struck in the arm and below the knee. His wounds were not initially considered fatal, but his condition deteriorated while he was held at a Union field hospital. He died on July 5 from secondary fever and complications resulting from his wounds. **Brig. Gen. Richard Garnett** Richard Garnett was born in Virginia in 1817 and graduated from West Point in 1841. He served on the frontier and during the Mexican-American War before resigning from the United States Army to join the Confederacy. Before Pickett’s Charge, Garnett reportedly remarked: “This is a desperate thing to attempt.” Because of an injured leg, Garnett was unable to lead his men on foot and instead rode into battle, making himself a highly visible target. He was last seen approaching the Union line near the Angle. Garnett was killed during the final stages of the charge, although precisely how he died remains unknown. His body was never positively identified. **Maj. Gen. William Dorsey Pender** William Dorsey Pender was born in North Carolina in 1834 and graduated from West Point in 1854. Before the Civil War, he served on the western frontier and participated in military operations in Washington Territory. Pender rapidly rose through the Confederate ranks and became a major general at only twenty-nine years old. On July 2, while positioned near the Lutheran Seminary, he was struck in the thigh by a fragment of an artillery shell. He survived the wound and was transported to Staunton, Virginia. On July 18, an artery in his injured leg ruptured. Surgeons amputated the limb, but Pender died only a few hours later. **Maj. Gen. John Reynolds** John Reynolds was born in Pennsylvania in 1820 and graduated from West Point in 1841. During the Mexican-American War, he received two brevet promotions for gallantry and established himself as an exceptionally capable artillery officer. By Gettysburg, Reynolds commanded the Union I Corps and was among the most respected officers in the Army of the Potomac. On the morning of July 1, he arrived outside Gettysburg and immediately began directing Union infantry into position. While riding into Herbst Woods, Reynolds reportedly shouted: “Forward, men, forward, for God’s sake, and drive those fellows out of those woods!” Moments later, he was struck in the head or neck and died instantly. **Brig. Gen. Samuel Zook** Samuel Zook was born in Pennsylvania in 1821 and became a lieutenant in the state militia at only nineteen years old. Before the war, he worked in the developing telegraph industry. Zook entered Union service in 1861 and eventually received command of a brigade in the Army of the Potomac’s II Corps. On July 2, his brigade was ordered forward to reinforce the Union position near the Wheatfield and Stony Hill. While leading his men on horseback, Zook was struck in the shoulder, chest, and abdomen by Confederate rifle fire. He was carried to a field hospital at a nearby tollhouse, where he died the following day. **Brig. Gen. Stephen Weed** Stephen Weed was born in New York in 1831 and graduated from West Point in 1854. He served in Florida during the Seminole Wars and later participated in the Utah Expedition. During the Civil War, Weed developed a strong reputation as an artillery officer and was promoted to brigadier general shortly before Gettysburg. On July 2, his brigade was sent to reinforce the Union position on Little Round Top. While standing near the artillery on the summit, Weed was shot in the chest, possibly by a Confederate sharpshooter. His reported final words were: “I would rather die here than that the rebels should gain an inch of this ground.” **Brig. Gen. Elon Farnsworth** Elon Farnsworth was born in Michigan in 1837. His university career ended after a drinking party during which another student died after falling or being thrown from a window. Farnsworth later joined the Union cavalry and rose rapidly through the ranks. He was promoted to brigadier general only days before Gettysburg. On July 3, Farnsworth was ordered to lead a mounted attack across the broken ground below Big Round Top. He reportedly protested that the charge was nearly impossible but accepted the order after his courage was questioned. Farnsworth rode into the attack at the head of his men and was struck several times by Confederate rifle fire. He died on the field at only twenty-five years old. No battle in American history witnessed the deaths of more generals than the three bloody days at Gettysburg. These nine men came from different states and fought beneath opposing flags, yet each possessed an extraordinary degree of personal courage. They did not direct the battle from positions of safety. They rode or marched beside their men and shared the same dangers faced by the soldiers beneath them. All of these men were exceptional individuals with a deep love for their country and its people. If only men of this caliber were still around today, the US would still rule the world!