The Tale of Two Brigades at Gettysburg

This issue on Gettysburg features two interesting Confederate units: the Florida Brigade, led by Col. David Lang, and the Virginia brigade under Col. John M. Brockenbrough (the “Brock” syllable pronounced “Broke,” according to author George Newton). Both brigades were small in number, and both had controversy swirl around their performance.

Florida was a very small state, population-wise, at the time of the Civil War. More people lived in Rhode Island than the number shown for Florida in the 1860 census. However, the state sent a stalwart brigade to each of the two principal theaters of the war. The Florida Brigade in Lee’s army would leave two of its three regimental flags on the field of Gettysburg.

An important debate point with the Confederate attack on the Union army’s left flank on July 2, 1863, is the “what-if” scenario of Brig. Gen. Ambrose R. Wright’s Georgia brigade penetrating the enemy line on Cemetery Ridge, then having to fall back for lack of support, among other reasons. The Floridians, on the right flank of Wright, were criticized in post-battle headlines for their role in the attack and retreat. Colonel Lang would take on Wright’s claims point by point in the newspapers. More headlines were made two years later when a member of the 2nd Florida and veteran of Pickett’s Charge was arrested as a co-conspirator in the Lincoln Assassination.

The hapless brigade of Colonel Brockenbrough is another interesting and provocative matter. The unit was plagued with internal dissension and an apparent lack of discipline and leadership. They performed well on July 1 in the fighting on McPherson’s Ridge, and were praised by their division commander Henry Heth, but in the legendary attack of July 3, 200 members of one unit apparently refused to participate. The brigade’s contribution to the battle’s grand finale was mostly as spectators to its failure.

Within two weeks of the Battle of Gettysburg, “at least” three of Brockenbrough’s regiments—the 40th, 47th and 55th Virginia—would lose their battle flags on the field at Falling Waters, and a new commander would be found.

Editor