On His First Day as a Lieutenant, He Led His Men into Pickett's Charge

On July 3, 1863, George David Raysor, first lieutenant and commander of Company K of the 5th Florida Infantry, led his men into action at Pickett's Charge. Here's what happened.
"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.
This episode is brought to you in part by Untold Civil War, a podcast that aims to bring to light all the stories of the Civil War that remain forgotten and yet, are vital to our understanding of the conflict. Recommended listening! untoldcivilwar.squarespace.com/podcast-and-videos
Image: Robert L. Baldwin collection, U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
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[@conradnelson5283]

One story of thousands. Each unique and yet each similar..

[@gottadomor7438]

And gut-wrenching.

[@EndingSimple]

Every time I hear a biography I feel like I've collected another view point on life. Every life is a unique viewpoint on the whole of life.

[@watauguy]

I love these stories / history. Thank you so much.

[@brucebear1]

Similarly, my g-g-grandfather commanded a company for almost a year in the 66th NC Infantry, Martin's/Kirkland's Brigade, Hoke's Division, from the Battle of the Crater through Bentonville as a second lieutanant. The 66th NC was formed by combining a battalion of former railroad guard companies with a similar battalion of "Partisan Rangers" about three months after Gettysburg and enrolled in Confederate service, the last regiment to do so from NC. The regiment's soldiers had been enlisted in "State service" in their earlier organizations, so the idea of just being moved to where ever the Confederacy wanted to send them was not taken well. The captain of the former Wilmington-Weldon railroad guards, was a lawyer and he advised the men that legally they had three choices; accept the move by North Carolina, request a transfer to another State service organization, or request to be disenrolled from the new regiment and be placed on the rolls for the draft into the Confederate army. For this, he was court-martialed for "counseling his men to desert", leaving Co. K without a captain. As Co. K had to be re--organized, John Sykes was promoted to be the new captain, and Alvin Bagley was promoted from sergeant to 1st. Lt and my g-g-grandfather was promoted from the ranks to 2nd. Lt, becoming the last officer in the last company of the last regiment from NC to be enrolled in Confederate service during the War. In late 1863 and the winter of 1864, the regiment was moved to the defense of Wilmington but most of their time was spent in training and drill. In the early spring of 1864, the regiment was sent to central Virginia, taking part in action at Bermuda Hundreds, then being sent to the defenses of Richmond. After 2nd Cold Harbor, Hoke's Division was moved to the defenses of Petersburg. Captain Sykes was killed in skirmishing related to the Battle of the Crater but by this time, Lt. Bagley had been hospitalized and then sent home for recovery from malaria ("recurrent fever"). Since Lt. Bagley was on "invalid status", he could not be promoted to captain, and since Lt. Bagley was officially still 1st. Lt, my g-g-grandfather could no be promoted over him but was the only commissioned officer remaining in the company. Thus, my g-g-grandfather commanded the company from the defenses of Petersburg, through 2nd Malvern Hill, then being transferred to NC in December 1864 for the defense of Fort Fisher and Wilmington and then serving through the retreat from Wilmington, Wyse's Forks, and Bentonville. In official documents, he signed "D. Knowles, 2nd Lt., Commanding, Co. K, 66th Infantry Regiment". He resigned his commission after Bentonville (his wife and four children were at home in the path of Sherman's march from the Fayetteville armory to Bentonville and Goldsboro) and was paroled as part of Johnston's surrender about 4 weeks later at the end of the War.

[@rickatkins1789]

I am also glad to hear he survived the war and apparently had a full and peaceful life. I had ancesters who fought on both sides during the Civil War. Nonetheless, I honor them all as Americans and men of courage and honor.

[@KevinCave-rj8eq]

Run you are a great historian he only looks like he's about 17 or 18 we cannot forget these stories

[@mikehillas]

Your stories and the accompanying photographs really humanize these people. Each one has his own individual story. I really enjoy the fact that you relate what happens to them for the remainder of their lives after the war--I know I'm always curious. I'm not from the US originally, and have no ancestors who fought in the war, so it seems almost unreal that there are actually people living today who are his descendants. They may even be his great grandchildren; the war really wasn't that many generations ago. These soldiers seem to have existed in such a different time and society than the present one--I always get the feeling that they had a sense of their roots and connections to others that is often lacking in today's age. Too many people feel completely isolated today.

[@keithwolfe1942]

Glad he survived the war and all its folly.

[@richardmonson8657]

Once again Ron very interesting. Thank you.

[@johnhadley7715]

Very nice work. You humanize this fellow’s traits, skills, and loyalty to his command, all coin of the highest value anywhere.

[@HistoryUnitedStates]

Thanks for the release!

[@williamhulsey9209]

William Faulkner had a comment about young boys in the South that held an image in their heart of that day in the moments before the charge when all was possible and in reach, David defeating Goliath.....and then.....and then

[@richardyoder3646]

Love your videos Ron, keep them coming

[@SouthernStorm_61]

We don't hear much about Florida Confederates, but they were in the thick of the fight in proportion to their state's population, which was small by theme of the Civil War.

[@dongray2349]

Great Story. Thanks for what you do.

[@baystateplugflipper7061]

Excellent!!!!

[@FinbarrAnderson]

Great bit of history.

[@jerrygouge9615]

Good story. Love first person accounts.

[@johnwayneeverett6263]

Thank u.

[@joewhitcombe1365]

Thank you for your research and presentation. I follow your narrative with great interest. Are map illustrations a big ask ?

[@allenhonaker4107]

I would love for you to do an episode on John B Sedgwick. Having lived in CT. I went and saw his grave but know little about his career except his death.

[@richardpcrowe]

Bobby Lee loved his frontal charges...

[@amadeusamwater]

The Florida Brigade was in Anderson's Division of Third Corps. It was usually the smallest brigade in the army, having only 3 regiments instead of the more usual 5.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Glad he survived his first day as company commander (@age22).

[@jonalexander6362]

God bless these men who had the guts to fight a teranical government.

[@bcwest56]

There were actually three commanders involved with the advance against the center. Gordon, Pettigrew, and Pickett. Under the command of Longstreet. Pickett did not lead his troops into battle, he relied on his subordinates, Tremble, Garnett, and Armistead. Garnett was killed and his body was never recovered, Tremble was shot in the groin and also died from the wound. Armistead was the only one to make it to the union positions and was shot in the chest and died while in Union captivity. And, as a side note, Chamberlain was not even close to the center Union positions, he was in the rear getting resupplied.

[@gggaryjon67]

I've never understood why this isn't called Lee's charge. He ordered it and was responsible for it. Other units besides Pickett were involved. Oh well, no one cares.

[@paulnicholson1906]

I know that a victory at Gettysburg is the dream of every southern schoolboy but I personally don't know if a decisive peace would have been what would have happened. I bet the Union army would have just retreated to protect Washington, regrouped and the Army of Northern Virginia would have run out of steam and returned to home base again. They would have won a battle in the middle of nowhere and achieved little of note.

[@mattlevault5140]

You make a valid point. Gettysburg is famous because it turned the ANV back to the south. My understanding is that the ANV was on it's way to capture and ransom Harrisburg. Had they won at Gettysburg it would likely just be remembered as a stepping stone to whatever would happen at Harrisburg. Of course, we can only speculate about that...

[@paulnicholson1906]

@@mattlevault5140 I find these stories very interesting and they bring the civil war to life. I grew up partly in Winchester, VA so we were steeped in all this stuff, literally everywhere there has a Civil war story, I think our house was on what was part of the first battle of Winchester even although you wouldn't know it now it is developed.

[@dragineeztoo61]

The purpose of the offensive was to influence the upcoming presidential election. Lee knew McClellan and knew that, if he could get McClellan elected, the war would be over.

[@mattlevault5140]

@@paulnicholson1906 I had permission to relic hunt at the 3rd Winchester battlefield where they build the Target and Lowe's. We found cool stuff before they paved it over... I have family in Winchester.

[@lewismessinger2532]

You're on to something. Gettysburg would likely have been a shaping op leading to a larger confrontation along the Pipe Creek Line of defense established by Meade the Union forces would most likely have fallen back upon.

[@ukulelemikeleii]

Interesting! I had no idea there were Florida troops in the army of Northern Virginia.

[@hankhammer869]

Well, that explains it.

[@musketbal]

Was Barksdale senior to Pickett's command?

[@fredtheuberdriver]

No

[@wordcarr8750]

Ref 1:22 => "...22 year old, George David Raysor..." and Ref 8:13 => "....and died in office, in 1909, at age 66." If I do the math, 1909 - 66 = *_1843_* , and 1863 - 22 = *_1841_* means there is a discrepancy with the dates/age reported in this video.

[@jerrygouge9615]

And lead was not going over their head during the bombardment. Cannons shoot steel rather than lead shells.

[@pops1507]

Pickett was a notorious loose cannon.

[@preparedsurvivalist2245]

A confederate soldier veteran...that had to be a cross to bear.

[@billlawrence1899]

I continue to wonder why we persist in calling it "Pickett's Charge". It wasn't Pickett's, and it wasn't a charge. Well, OK. Some of Pickett's men did charge the wall after they crossed the road, but Pickett wasn't leading them. I call it "Lee's Folly". How about "Lee's Waterloo"?

[@johnhadley7715]

How about calling it,”The Sick Old Man’s Folly. There has been a good deal of speculation since the early 1960’s of Lee’s having had a cardiac event in the late winter- early spring 1862-1863, after which he was not the same.

[@billlawrence1899]

@@johnhadley7715 It has also been reported that to put it delicately.He was suffering from some pretty severe intestinal diffaculties

[@danielcline7413]

Very well said my friend it's sad but kind of funny how when the shit hits the fan or the dominos are falling or however you want to put it and some higher up domino sees it coming congratulations your a officer go get em!

[@danielcline7413]

​@@johnhadley7715well sir I was not much of a lee fan after this battle but later on in life I read a interview with a french aristocrat and lee and he stated that it's not about slavery or about business it's about the union being a tyrant both at home and abroad since its inception and his fear of being forced into adopting this policy if the union prevailed .as far as the war I am named after the youngest brother of seven all civil war participants his six older brothers all surviving the war .him not so lucky I guess being a drummer or flag bearer due to his age was not a good life choice.as for the rest sad but true if you take into account the native americans the taking of texas and almost uncountable other skirmishes in freedoms name general lee was spot on in his assessment of the union .not slighting america or trying to provoke any one just putting the cards on the history table thanks for your comment!

[@WH0oo...]

@@danielcline7413 utter nonsense.

[@jesterboykins2899]

Rip patriot

[@Macarena22279]

"never fight uphill, me boys"!!

[@tripsaplenty1227]

"arghhh mateys, plunder General Meade's gold and bury it in the Bahamas"

[@theomnisthour6400]

We have history and civics teacher position open in the City of God. Are you available and willing to sign up to the laws of God and the Holy Spirit?

[@i.m.9918]

Although often not possible, given the titanic profile of the ‘cause’ of the war, you really should insert any thoughts on the issue of slavery. What was his thoughts on the horror of it? Did he care about the ideological hypocrisy? Was it a non-issue in his worldview? Again… ‘if that info is available’. Otherwise these confederates are portrayed just as noble soldiers, leaving out the moral horror of the system they militarily advocated for. The Germans of WWII cannot escape the conscious affirmation of antisemitism and ‘the final solution’. Neither can the Confederacy be delinked from its ‘raison d’etre’. Military courage is one thing; Moral courage is another.

[@joeholden6129]

The entire country was complicit in this evil enterprise. The federal government promoted the production of cotton for the textile industry. Cotton required massive amounts of manual labor for harvest. There was no mechanical harvesting until 1948.

[@georgiapines7906]

Oh, brother....

[@oldschool1993]

This was a war of white men to abolish slavery, an institution that had been the norm of every race and religion for 10,000 years.

[@joshuagann8026]

You know how rich you had to be to have slaves. Common soldier probably wouldn't have known one way or the other. Now you get into higher ranked officers and Confederate government officials..... You're right I'd like to see that side of it.

[@i.m.9918]

@@joshuagann8026 I hear you... but don't exempt the non-slave-owning commoner in the South. They greatly prized the slave system despite not owning them because it still gave them status and privilege in the common activities of the day. You see, a staple of human existence is that people will accept being lesser than others as long as you give them privilege over even lesser people. Look how racism still thrives in institutionally egalitarian societies today. Look how the mainstream underclass today which is losing ground to the super rich day after day adapts to increasing marginality by reviling a status-less super-underclass called immigrants (especially of the undocumented variety). The common southerner was as complicit as his richer slave-owning fellow in the practice and support of institutionalized racism. It is a case of tragic ignorance because the white southern underclass would never get access to enormous sectors of employment opportunities in the south as long as there was enslaved labor outcompeting him. But popular status and hate is far more compelling than actual job opportunities ... it combines into a thick ignorance that was mobilized by the slave-owning class to get the common southerner to 'actually' fight for the slave-owning system; it also instils the incentivizing notion that they, too, might someday earn enough to have a slave, especially ones you can screw aerobically without consequence.

[@edwardgoering1237]

Razor sounds like true Patriot for the Southern Cause but I,m glad we ended slavery but still our Federal Government has turned sour where States need to wrench the powers from them before we are somethin g we never were meant to be