The following letters concern objections raised by subordinates to the proposed promotion of Capt. William McLeod of the 38th Georgia to Lt. Colonel. At the time, McLeod was the acting commander of the regiment due to resignations and the incapacitation of the more senior officers due to wounds and sickness. The first letter raises objections to McLeod's promotion by other officers of the regiment. The second letter from Col. Clement Evans, acting commander of Lawton's Brigade, endorses and forwards those objections while noting McLeod's own objection and denial of the charges made.
Despite these charges, McLeod apparently did receive his promotion to Lt. Colonel although command of the regiment returned to the newly promoted Col. James D. Matthews upon his return from Georgia. Within six months, however, McLeod was dead, shot down leading his men in the brigade's devastating charge on the first day at Gettysburg. That gives rise to one of the real human interest stories concerning the Lawton-Gordon-Evans Brigade. The young Capt. (and Lt. Col.) McLeod was accompanied through-out the war by his personal slave servant. After the war, the servant accompanied the McLeod's family to the battlefield at Gettysburg to help them locate the grave and then returned with McLeod's exhumed body for reburial in the family plot in Georgia. The story is retold in the monograph "That There Be No Stain Upon My Bones: Lieutenant Colonel William L. McLeod, 38th Georgia Regiment, 1842-1863", published by Milk Creek Mercantile, Mulino, Oregon.
These letters are preserved in the National Archives filed with miscellaneous documents relating to the 38th Georgia. My thanks to John Davis for extracting them for me.
Camp of 38th Regt Geo Vol
January 19th 1863
At a Meeting held pursuant to an order from Col. C. A. Evans Cmdg Brigade - We the undersigned tender these as our objections to the promotion of Captain W. S McLeod to Lieut Col. of the 38th Geo Regt.
1st He claims to command an artillery Company has drawn pay as such, and applied for a transfer on the ground that he never regularly belonged to the regiment.
2nd His extreme youth being only 20 yrs of age
3rd His want of judgement & Stability
4th Injustice to men & officers being subject to extreme prejudices which in our opinion unfits him to command brave & true men.
5th Gambling with his men & officers.
6th Advising men & officers to resort to illegal measures to get home.
7th Cowardice in action.
Chas A. Hawkins Capt & Brigade Inspector
Lt. R G Dorough Comdg Co (E)
Lt. G G Maddox Comg Co (B)
Lt. S A Hagood Comp (B)
Lt. K R Cross " (B)
J. Cole Vaughn Sr Comdg Co (G)
L. W. Farmer Lt. " "
J. O. Maxwell Lt Cmdg Co "F"
T. D. Thornton Lt (F)
John W. McCurdy Lt Co (D)
R.M. Campbell Lt. Comdg Co (I)
John Baxter Lieut. Co. D
A. C. Bell Lt Commanding Co. N
Lt. A. H. Hill Com N
G. W. Stubbs Lt. Com Co K
John Oglesby Lt Com (H)
John O. andrew Lt Co. (H)
Henry R. Deadwyler Lieut Co H
We therefore beg leave to recommend the following named officers as suitable for the field officers of the 38th Reg. Ga. Vol.
Major Jas D. Mathews for Colonel.
Capt. R P Eberheart for Lt. Colonel.
Capt John C. Thornton Major
Hdqrs Lawton's Brigade
Jan 20, 1863 --
Respectfully forwarded.
The 38th Ga Reg. has had no field officer in command since the 27th of June 1862. Col. Wm Lee having resigned Lt. Col. Parr and Maj. Matthews both severely wounded. Lt. Col. Parr resigned in December last, and Maj. Matthews still at home, perhaps permanently disabled.
Capt. Wm McLeod the Senior Captain, was absent from the last of June 1862 to the last of October 1862 and since then has had command of the Regiment.
On account of the absence of all field officers, the uncertainty of their return, the increasing discontent of men and officers The regiment has been under no efficient organization or discipline since its arrival in Virginia.
The promotion of good to competent officers by the rule of Seniority is preferable to filling vacancies by election, but the rule rightfully subjects the officers claiming promotion to all objections for competancy and when this power is fairly and firmly exercised good officers will be promoted and those who are incompetant will be kept back. I have therefore in this case as in all others notified (by Circular) the Company officers of their right to file objections to the promotion of any officer, which notice has called out the "objections to the promotion of Capt McLeod" which accompanies this report. I send also the "protest of Capt. McLeod".
Should the transfer of Capt. McLeods Company be ordered the question of his promotion will be disposed of without reference to the other objections; ---Capt. McLeod is only twenty years of age, and is deficient in that Stability, Consistant, uniform discipline, and prudent management of a regiment so necessary to be exercised by the officer charged with that important trust.
His "gambling with men & officers" & "advising them to resort to illegal measures to get home" brought to my notice for the first time, by these "objections". I find an enquiry to have sufficient cause of probability to authorize me to order his arrest and to direct charges to be preferred in proper form.
If Maj. Mathews is not permanently disabled he is worthy to be promoted Colonel -- To Captain Eberheart's promotion there is no objection--The ill health of Capt. Thornton which has prevented him from doing duty for several months is an objection to his promtion.
The vacancies in the Several Company Offices may be filled by promotion according to rank after a report upon their competancy made by the Board of Examiners appointed by myself for this Brigade.
C.A. Evans
Col. Cmg
Brigade
(A list of the officers of the 38th Ga with date of appointments of each officer that was appended to the Evan's original letter has been omitted.)
Last Updated: April 15, 1998