Strange; Lieutenant Colonels John T. Ellis, Charles S. Peyton, and Bennett Taylor; and Majors Waller M. Boyd and William Watts.

The Fifth Brigade, stationed along the banks of the Bull Run, was tasked with "...guarding Island, Ball's, and Lewis' Fords, to the right of Evans' demi-brigade, near the stone bridge, also under General Cooke's command.

As the regiment moved into position, a stray bullet from the fighting killed a man in one of the Amherst companies, Private George Thompson, the 19th's first battle death.

Gilmer of Company described the 19th positions as "impenentrable to the enemy," and noted in his diary that the slaves who also took part were paid the same as the soldiers (11.00 dollars).

The 19th, insulted by this comment, rose up and fired a volley into the Federals, killing the officer, who is believed to be Colonel James Miller of the 81st Pennsylvania Volunteers.

A counter-charge by Federal cavalry was met by the 19th at bayonet point and driven back by point-blank rifle-fire delivered by Longstreet's division.

Soon after the crossing, Brigadier General Richard Brooke Garnett received command of the brigade from Colonel Hunton near Monocacy, Maryland.

This smaller figure was due to battle casualties as well as disease and heavy rates of desertion prior to crossing the Potomac into Maryland.

The brigade took position on the east side of South Mountain near Turner's Gap on September 14, 1862, and was suddenly attacked by infantry and artillery from Joseph Hooker's I Corps.

Brown and Lieutenant William N. Wood (the author of Reminiscences of Big I) held its position for 2 hours, even though its men were spread out in a skirmish line formation.

"[11] Greiving men carried the bloodied Ellis to the field hospital at the Currin Farm where soon died and was buried under an apple tree.

Continuing forward in the face of devastating fire, the men of Garnett's brigade rushed headlong for the low stone wall protecting the position.

Confederates, primarily from Kemper's brigade but perhaps including some men of the 19th Virginia, leaped over the wall and made a mad dash for Captain Andrew Cowan's 1st New York Independent Battery just south of the Clump of Trees.

Despite the risk, he chose the latter, and made it safely back across the field to Seminary Ridge, although being wounded by a ball that punctured his coat, vest, and shirt, but failed to penetrate his skin.

Another article in the museum's collection is the 19th Virginia's regimental battle flag (restored by the modern day re-enactors of the 19th VA Co B and Co K), captured during Pickett's Charge on July 3.

Color bearer Polk Points was wounded in the charge, and gave the banner to an unidentified soldier who carried to the stone wall.

Sergeant Benjamin Falls and Corporal Joseph H. De Costro of the 19th Massachusetts saw a corner of a Confederate battle flag beneath a body and went forward as the firing died down to claim the valued prize of an enemy banner.

To this day, the 19th Virginia's regimental flag, preserved at the Museum of the Confederacy, is still void of a small rectangular piece where the "19th" was cut out by the Massachusetts men.

It was tasked with guarding prisoners on the march to the Potomac, where it was forced to wait several days due to the rising of the river.

William Wood, on his furlough in late February 1864, actually fought independently in a small action near his homestead at the Skirmish at Rio Hill north of Charlottesville.

"[15] He described the winter encampment there as "jolly",[15] although rations were "scarce",[15] tempting some men to endeavor to cook a stray cat they found.

"[16] On May 22, 1864, the 19th marched from Chaffin's Farm to Anderson's Crossing, "where Pickett's Division was again united, and became once more an active arm of that grand army, whose fame, so honestly won, has been the admiration of the world.

Unlike much of the Confederate line, Hunton's brigade did not have the shelter of protective earthworks to help fend off the Yankee attack that morning.

After advancing several hundred yards, Wood sent a message back to ask for orders, but received no new instructions and was sent Company C under the command of Captain Charles Irving.

Lieutenant Wood and other officers picked up rifles and fought alongside the privates in an attempt to put as much firepower into the fight as they could muster.

He described their daily rations as "unparched corn,"[22] but said that faith in General Lee never faltered and that their powder was kept dry, implying that they were still full of fight.

The men took this opportunity to cook some of their corn, but a fire had hardly been lit when Wood received orders to take his company and deploy them as skirmishers and drive a small body of Federals from some pines at the base of the hill.

Major [Waller M.] Boyd, commanding our regiment, quickly said: 'We are prisoners,' and that was the end of the Nineteenth Virginia Infantry as a body of armed soldiers.

William Wood summed up the feelings of most ex-Confederate soldiers when he wrote, "I was glad to don clean citizen's clothes, that my mother had kept for me through the war, and to eat a good dinner.

Though greatly crushed by the final outcome of our struggle, I felt proud that I had been permitted to do my part, and even to suffer for the cause I loved.