Identified Confederate Ambrotype and Southern Cross of Honor, W.S. Robertson 43rd Alabama Infantry / SOLD

Identified Confederate Ambrotype and Southern Cross of Honor, W.S. Robertson 43rd Alabama Infantry - Inventory Number: CON 375 / SOLD

1/6th Plate ambrotype of William S. Robertson of the 43rd Alabama Infantry.  Private Robertson enlisted in 1861, there is no recorded date for his discharge.  Private Robertson is seated wearing a wonderfully tinted checkered shirt in pink, with gold gilded buttons and a green cravat.  A portion of a buckle is visible between his shirt and trousers but not enough to see if it’s a roller buckle or oval CS.  This was recently acquired by an antique dealer from an estate and sold to our gallery, this image comes with an inscribed Southern Cross of Honor, a commemorative medal established in 1899 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor Confederate veterans. At least 78,761 were awarded from 1900 to 1959. The top bar has the name “W.S. Robertson” beautifully inscribed, and patent markings on the reverse. Suspended from the top bar is the Maltese cross with a laurel wreath at the center encircling a Confederate battle flag. The points of cross read, "UNITED DAUGHTERS CONFEDERACY TO THE U.C.V." The reverse of the cross has another laurel wreath at center with "DEO VINDICE 1861" over "1865". Each point of the cross as a word finishing the phrase, "SOUTHERN CROSS OF HONOR.” A nice Identified example with a wartime image of the soldier!

The 43rd Alabama Infantry was organized in Mobile in May 1862 and was sent to Chattanooga where it was placed in Ledbetters Brigade, Heth's Division, Dept. Of East Tennessee. It's first commander was Colonel Archibald Gracie Jr, Who was born in New York on December 1, 1832. he was a graduate of West Point, But resigned and went to Mobile Alabama to go into business with his father. He first served as major in the 11th Alabama and was later ordered to organize the 43rd Alabama and was made its Colonel on Feb. 11, 1862. He spent the rest of the war in contact with the Regiment first as its Colonel then as its Brigade commander.

The Regiment first saw action in a small fight on August 13, 1862 at Huntsville, Tn. A partisan regiment, the 7th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry under Colonel William Clift was organized in Scot and Morgan County Tn. Between 250 and 400 men from this unit were in Huntsville Tn. in Scott County were they had built a small fort. Colonel Clift wrote in his report of the attack "On the morning of August 13, about 8 o'clock, our pickets were driven in by the enemy. My command, numbering 250 meb, were soon for battle. I was attacked about 9 o'clock by the enemy, numbering from 1,500 to 2,000 men. On the appearance of such disproportionate numbers, my men(who were mostly new recruits) left my breastwork in wild confusion" In this fight Colonel Gracie assaulted and captured Fort Clift with two companies of the 43rd Alabama. Because of this success Colonel Gracie was appointed Brigadier General, At this time Y.M. Moody was promoted Colonel and given command of the 43rd Alabama.

The Regiment then went into Kentucky in early Sept. with Kirby Smith through Cumberland Gap, Occupying Frankfort and Lexington, were General Gracie was made Military commander of Lexington. They returned to East Tennessee by Oct. 26, It spent the winter of 1862-63 at Cumberland Gap. On July 20, 1863 the regiment received orders to move toward Knoxville but did not get there, Just short of Knoxville the regiment stopped and then fell back to Chattanooga where it was it became part of the Army of Tennessee under Braxton Bragg.

At the Battle of Chickamauga, it fought most Valiantly, and its loss was very heavy. At 3:30 General Longstreet Ordered Preston's Division forward through the ranks of General Kershaw, The 43rd Alabama with the rest of the brigade on the right, Kelly's Brigade on the left with Trigg's Brigade in reserve. The Brigade went into action with the 43rd on the left, then the 3rd Bn Alabama legion,4th Bn,1st Bn,2nd Bn and the 63rd Tn. Early in the attack the 63rd Tn had moved wide forming a hole in the line, The 43rd moved to the right and filled the hole between the 2nd Bn Alabama Legion and the 63rd Tn. In this attack on Snodgrass Hill the 2nd Bn broke the federal line in one of the most gallant actions of the war. One company from the 1st Bn and 9 companies of the 43rd joined them on the crest and beat off repeated counterattacks until they used up all ammunition and many of the weapons became to foul to use. As Kershaw's Brigade moved to make room for the Brigade to move through Colonel Oates of the 15th Alabama Infantry scrutinized the troops " As we moved out, he said, We passed Gracie's Brigade going in, in echelon of battalions as handsomely as a command ever moved to such perilous work, It had never been in battle and it's ranks were full" Preston's, the last of Longstreet's attacks was the bloodiest and most vicious of all. In the O.R. Colonel William Stoughton of the 11 Mich. Infantry commanding the 2nd brigade 2nd Division 14th Army Corps wrote, "About 4 o’clock the enemy made a vigorous attack upon our position and a contest ensued, which in its fierceness and duration has few parallels...the enemy was in heavy fever and fought with the most determined obstinacy. As fast as their ranks were thinned by our fire they were filled by fresh troops, They pressed forward and charged up to our lines firing across our breastworks and planted their colors within 100 feet of our own. A dense cloud of smoke enveloped our lines and in some places the position of the foe could only be known by the flash of his guns". According to the reports written by the commanders in Gracie's Brigade the units in this Federal report are the 2nd Battalion Alabama legion, A small portion of A company 1st Battalion Alabama Legion and the 43rd Alabama Infantry which was brought up by General Gracie, the other units of the brigade stopped at the bottom of the hill. In this attack Gracie's Brigade lost 698, killed, wounded, or missing, the most of Preston's Division. Both General Preston and General Gracie were enthusiastic in their commendation of the men and Officers of this regiment. After the assault the command remained 2 days on the field of battle burying it's dead, then moved to Missionary Ridge. They remained on the ridge until Nov. 18,1863.

On the 19th they moved to Chickamauga Station, it was here they were moved by rail to Charleston Tn., reaching there Nov. 25, 1863, here changes were made to the organization of the brigade. The Hilliard's Alabama legion was consolidated into two separate regiments. The brigade now consisted of the 41st Alabama which was organized at Tuscaloosa Alabama on May 16, 1862 and spent the time before joining General Gracie's command as the non-Kentucky portion of the famed Orphan Brigade, 43rd Alabama, 59th Alabama which was organized by the consolidation of the 2nd Battalion and the 4th Battalion of the Alabama Legion, 60th Alabama which was organized by the consolidation of the 3rd battalion and four companies of the 1st Battalion Alabama Legion, and the 23rd Battalion of Alabama Sharpshooters which was organized by the assignment of three companies from the 1st Battalion Alabama Legion.  After hard marching the Regiment reached Knoxville Tn. in time to participate in the assault on the morning of Nov. 29, 1863. After advancing the Brigade was ordered to fall back the attack having already failed on other parts of the battlefield. The Regiment remained on the field in rifle pits until night fall of Dec. 4, 1863 when the ordered withdrawal took place after a difficult night march through winter conditions the brigade reached Blain's cross roads at daylight a point near Lee's springs. Stopping there about 2 hours, they continued on to Rutledge Tn.The one day and two nights spent here were very rough for want of rations of any kind. The brigade then moved to a point 5 miles from Rogersville Tn. which was reached on Dec. 7, 1863. The brigade stayed until the early morning of Dec. 14, 1863 on which the brigade was ordered to fall in moving through rain and mud the march carried the brigade back toward Bean's station Tn. and at about 3:30 pm commotion at the head of the column announced the action to come. A short time later the brigade was formed in line of battle and the command forward-guide center was given, advancing the brigade passed through an orchard and in the distance about 3/4 of a mile lay Bean's Station, which contained a brick hotel and wooden out buildings. Beyond the station implaced on a ridge was a line of battle of enemy artillery which commanded the ground over which the brigade advanced. From among the buildings came puffs of smoke indicating firing from infantry, advancing and halting to lie down several times the brigade got close enough to attack and with heavy firing falling on the brigade and night coming on the 60th Alabama charged taking the station and holding it until night fall brought an end to the battle. Colonel E. Porter  Alexander stated that loss for the engagement was 290 with more than half being from Gracie's Alabama Brigade.

In May the Brigade was sent to Virginia to General Beauregard to oppose the Federal attempts on the outposts of Richmond. The Brigade spent much time marching and counter marching to meet threats near Richmond and around Drewry's Bluff. At Chester Station on May 10 1864 Gracie’s brigade was deployed from the James River to the Richmond Turnpike were it linked up with Barton's Brigade. It was not engaged in the fight which took place on this day except for skirmishing around Ware Bottom Church. It was hotly engaged at Drewry's Bluff May 16 1864, The brigade was deployed in the forward line of Ransom's Division with the 23rd Bn Alabama Sharpshooters on the left with the 41st Alabama,60th Alabama,59th Alabama and the 43rd Alabama linked up with Lewis's North Carolina Brigade. At 4:45am the command to advance was passed to General Gracie who was heard to command " Skirmishers forward march, second the battalion of direction; battalions forward; guide right, march!" Almost right away the brigade contacted one company of the 9th New Jersey Infantry at the Willis House and after firing their weapons the federals left for their own lines. Fog provided cover up close to the Federal lines but heavy fire stalled the attack and the North Carolina Brigade on the right found the going no easier. In the fog the 41st Alabama got around the flank of the New Jersey troops which they managed to halt for a short time, Running short of ammunition and being attacked on three sides the federals troops began to fall back with the Alabamians pressing hard behind them. Unaware of the success of the 41st Alabama, General Gracie only knew that he had taken heavy Casualties and went for reinforcements which come in the form of Terry's Virginia Brigade which moved through the Brigade and ran into the same heavy fire that had stopped Gracie's Brigade. It was at this time that Beaurgard halted Ransom and action shifted to the Confederate right. After Drewry's Bluff the brigade was continually in the trenches at Petersburg till the end, and while fighting gallantly at Appomattox  the 43rd with other portions of the brigade had just driven back a line of the enemy and taken a battery when the capitulation of the army was announced. It surrendered as part of Moody's Brigade, Colonel Stansel Pickens commanding, Bushrod Johnsons Division, Gordon's Corps Of the 1123 names on the Muster rolls of this regiment only 50 were left at Appomattox.

Inventory Number: CON 375 / SOLD