Of Generals Hancock and Armistead

[@WillieDuitt1]

Great video!!!Chief Wahoo Lives!!

[@nancisaling9546]

Well said young man! You did a fine job in telling this story...

[@cephus51]

Thank you! Most kind of you to say

[@kiloechocharliekool2151]

What great t-shirt!

[@johncrandell4479]

Correction: in southern California, Armistead served under Hancock prior to his taking one year's leave, returning to active duty and then proceeding with a complicated resignation. He did not serve at Benicia. Rather, he was in charge of troops at various locales along the Colorado River and their assignment was to keep control of the natives. He spent one year on leave in Virginia and was ordered to return to duty in California. Both he and Garnett were under Hancock's command with Garnett then being in charge of his own troops at another locale further south along the Colorado River. Hancock's command was located in Los Angeles. He was in charge of all troops in the southern part of the state. Military historian George Stammerjohan, formerly of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, was one of if not the most knowldegeable person regards military history in California circa the Civil War. He gained information that it would have been impossible for Mr. & Mrs. Hancock, Armistead and Garnett to have been present together in Los Angeles at the same time that the legendary farewell reception took place at the Hancock residence. However, George could not find the exact primary source material to support his thesis. He would have unearthed it if he had been able to visit the federal records center in Orange County, as I did. After his assignment on the Colorado River, Armistead was reassigned to be in command of the Army barracks in San Diego where he granted himself leave and proceeded to Benicia to resign his commission. His application was refused and he was ordered to return to San Diego and start over and follow correct proceedures for resignation. He had infuriated the commander of all troops in California while at Benicia with his direct attempt to resign in person. Soon, he received word that his resignation had been accepted. That was approximately on June 19th 1863, the day/evening preceeding the morning on which a group of other southern born troops departed Los Angeles to cross the Mojave Desert heading for the Confederacy. Among them were Albert Sydney Johnston who had recently been replaced as military commander of California. Armistead departed San Diego and proceeded to Los Angeles and lodged for one night at the Bella Union Hotel. It seems that he had intended to join the group of southerners who had unfortunately already departed. Garnett had already been relieved of his desert command, had stopped in Los Angeles enroute to Benicia. A notice in the Los Angeles Star as well as military records at the Orange County federal records center clearly indicate that neither Garnett or Armistead could have been together in Los Angeles simultaneously as alleged by Mrs. Hancock in her memoir written in 1886 following her husband's death. Furthermore, she implied that George Pickett had also been present at the farewell reception. Pickett was then acquiring his own resignation while still assigned to Fort Steilacoom in Washington Territory. Mark Twain published Allie Hancock's memoir. All of the major personalities attending her phantasmal farewell reception were dead. There is no way he could have known her true intent. Armistead departed Los Angeles in pursuit of the party of already departed southerners and caught up with them near Warner's Ranch in northern San Diego County, prior to the group's venturing across the desert. The nighttime sky was illuminated by one of the greatest comets mankind has ever known - allowing their progress under the cool of darkness. There had been no tearfull farewell reception at Third and Main streets in Los Angeles, California.

[@cephus51]

Thank you for your comments. I've been meaning to respond for some time. You present a great deal of information, much of which I'm not familiar with. You said that some of it came through personal research. Has any of it been published? I would really like to get my hands on it. I try my best to have my facts straight, and if there is information that can help with this topic in particular, I would really like to know where to find it so I can study it.

[@brontewcat]

This is why civil wars are so tragic - pitting friends against each other. I believe Armistead had written a letter to Hancock’s wife, whom he very much admired, to be sent in the event of his death.

[@cephus51]

He also enclosed his personal Bible. I agree. Hancock and Armistead, Grant and Longstreet, even Meade and Lee were good friends. I think some of the most heartbreaking stories are those of the families, where one or more fought for Union and the others for the Confederacy. The Culp (the hill named after him), family had family in both sides of the Battle of Gettysburg

[@Skywalker8562]

@@cephus51 I would like to add a correction. General Lewis Armistead was commander of the 57th Virginia Infantry Division, not Regiment or Battalion. Now in today's new action Army we have cut down Corps and divisions to reinforced regiments of almost division strength, but rather than men in the old Army, the number of which would have made up a division, has been replaced by new technology on the battlefield.

[@cephus51]

@@Skywalker8562 I wasn't aware of that. I know that both armies did rearranging at times, yet at times I've found that the exact structuring varied. Thank you for your input.

[@Skywalker8562]

I would like to share Shelby Foote's research from what is now called "after action reports" of the battle. It has a longer name back at that time and I have limited writing space. Nevertheless, of the only two survivors from Pickett's division who reached the wall, one was the flag bearer, who climbed over the wall. Instead of being shot the Federals helped him over the wall and held out their hand and said "you are in the hands of the Lord". Very emotional.

[@Skywalker8562]

@@cephus51 Shelby Foote said the most vicious of wars are civil wars. He said the worst and most brutal fights he ever witnessed was between brothers.

[@jeffdarnell7942]

I know Longstreet and Grant were best friends. I've read about that SEVERAL places..

[@cephus51]

Absolutely correct. They became friends at West Point, and it was Longstreet who introduced Grant to his cousin, Julia Dent. He was also in their wedding party. (I wish I could find a photo of that). Once things calmed down at Appomattox, they both talked and reminisced like they had just talked the day before. A great friendship indeed.

[@robdean704]

That's Hancock up there and he's not running..

[@PaulRobert474]

LOVE that shirt!

[@cephus51]

Thank you, sir! Chief Wahoo Forever!

[@malafunkshun8086]

If you haven’t had a chance already, I strongly recommend reading Tom McMillans new book on Armistead and Hancock. He talks a great deal about their friendship, how there was a good deal of truth but also a good deal of myth and legend, particularly when it comes to Gettysburg. Aloha 😊🤙🏼

[@frankpesco7723]

Friends, classmates and more important fellow Masons

[@jokervonclown5300]

Beautiful and tragic

[@kurtsherrick2066]

Major Anderson the top Officer at Ft. Sumter was Beauregard's best friend. Why do you think in over 30 hours of Shelling not one Union Soldier got a scratch. When they Met when Beauregard asked Anderson to Surrender before the Battle it probably went like this friend I know you want to be Honorable so get all your men on this part of the Fort and I am going to shell the part over there. Raise a White Flag before you go deaf.

[@gustavderkits8433]

Mead and Lee barely knew each other. It’s in Mead’s report.

[@Toolaholic7]

Armistead also had a book sent to Hancock's wife after his death

[@brandonbutts7468]

It was his personal Bible.

[@scotthalladay2210]

Go Tribe

[@anthonyeckles2672]

I see you watched the Movie GETTYSBURG also! Lol

[@cephus51]

Yes, this is true. Gettysburg is one of my favorites. Yet, what I made it a point to do was to check as many sources as I could, solely to avoid appearing to simply recite the film. Yet, the result of almost all of my research found that the researchers for the film pulled most of what they put in the script from the primary and secondary sources I had found. So, there really wasn't much more to add. There is one comment on here where the research leads in an entirely different direction, but I have yet to begin looking into that particular source.