June 29, 1863, 8:54 a.m.

Hood’s Texas Brigade is on the move in Pennsylvania. They are marching along the Cashtown Road heading towards Gettysburg.

 

Color Sergeant Val C. Giles of the 4th Texas Infantry observes that the Texas and Arkansas boys are feeling “mighty fine,” after finding many barrels of fine whiskey and are given a “gill or two.” He writes that the Texas Brigade went through four states in twenty-four hours, the state of Virginia, the state of Maryland, the state of Pennsylvania and the state of intoxication!

 

The Texas and Arkansas troops are in a great mood, and find excellent provisions along their march, “liberating” chickens, hogs, good “dutch” apple butter, and bacon. He later wrote that he would never again take a bath in a river since 500 of the men took a bath in cramped quarters when they crossed the Potomac.

 

Sgt. Giles observed the 1st Texas infantry Flag carried by Color Sgt. George A. Branard, who at Little Round Top three days later, wave the flag defiantly at the Federal Troops at Little Round Top. Seeing the flag, always makes Sgt. Giles long for home in the Lone Star State and thinks of his brother who is in the 10th Texas Cavalry in the Western theater of the war.

 

On July 2, Sgt. Giles would fight at Little Round Top observing that the battle at Little Round Top “was as close as Indian Fighting” he saw during the war. Men and officers on both sides “cursing each other and every one of them was vicious and mad at the enemy and at the world.”