Sketch of Hoods Texas Brigade of the Virginia Army (Handwritten Civil War Diary)

the suffering and the groans of the dying tend to depress and blacken the pall that surrounds the mind of the wounded soldier. Suffering on the cold ground where he fell, he longs for the coming morning. But he knows not that it shall dawn upon him. Exhausted, bleeding, hungry, famishing and no one to fill his canteen or bind up his broken arm or shattered leg. And although hours are dark and the [ca?s] roar is not to be heard yet every watch was disturbed and the sentinel hears the groans of his suffering comrades all night long. Friends walked and looked for friends and brothers

know not the fate of each other whether living or dead. Long trains of ambulances are passing to and fro nearly all night, gathering and carrying to the field infirmary the maimed and dying soldiers of the Southern Army.

This is indeed a life like and truthful picture. The loss of Hoods Brigade in this battle was more than half hr carried into the fight some 3000 men. The 4th Texas lost more than any other regt 1st 4th 5th Txs 18th Ga Hampton Legion 4th Ala Whitings Brigade 2nd and 11th Miss. 6th C were the eight regts that carried McLellands stronghold at Gaines Mill. After the battle terminated, I went to the

[?] as one of the guards of the 4th New Jersey, which the 5th Txs captured and in returning next morning had a most excellent view of the battlefield as it lay swimming in [?] [?] with the corpses of thousands both firend and foe captured canon small arms and plunder Gel T J Chambers of Liberty [County?] [?] valuables and gall and ser vice to Hood on that day as [?] [?] On Sunday June 29th being on guard at Genl Whitings HdQrs he being rather [boozy?] [?] asked "Theres no body worth a damn but myself and the Texas Brigade" McLelland was now whiped, and the [?]

Of “Fraziers Farm” Savage Station” and "Malvern Hill” were fought to save his army and not to take Richmond. Both “Savage Station” and “Frazers Farm” were bloody and disparate - from each place did we drive The Yankees _ killing, slaying and capturing them and plunder. The battle of “Malvern Hill” was very se ver, and fought by Magruder, who was on that day very drunk. The “Texas Brigade” was partially [engaged?]. “Malvern Hill” is a very strong position- some two miles from James river and can be controlled by the Yankees gunboats, Magruder pitched into them and fought them hard all

day of 1st July, charging and recharging them- wihe his num bering slain and mutilated by hundreds, but being drunk his only order was " Charge them" about 7 hour Hoods and Whitings brigades were ordered up to sup port his charging forces. and as we knew it several "grew [?] and half dozen const batteries opened upon us the first shell exploding in 1st Texas killed and wounded 27 and for the whole day - untill 9 pm we lay under as murderous artillery fire every little while sic[?]ing a well directed shell among us maimed and killed somebody