Bryan Grimes Major General CSA from Pitt County, NC Images & Uniform Collar Insignia

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Bryan Grimes Major General CSA from Pitt County, North Carolina...His Original Documented Uniform Collar Insignia sewn for him by his wife, Elizabeth Grimes, in 1865 and one of several Unpublished Photographs of him..

 

Links to brief biography and history of Bryan Grimes:

 

http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/grimes/bio.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Grimes

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Unpublished images and painting of General Grimes

[tarbridge]

Bryan Grimes was a Warrior. ..always one of my favorites.

 

The following is the text from Elizabeth “Beth” Parnicza’s 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Chancellorsville tour covering the action of May 3rd, 1863, in the area between Hazel Grove and Fairview.

 

The Federals are pushed back, and fighting once more swings back to a Confederate advance—largely Virginians and North Carolinians, along with a few South Carolinians, advancing on the men of Sickles’ 3rd Corps.

Famously, 25-year-old Brigadier General Stephen Dodson Ramseur throws his North Carolinians forward. They literally walked over comrades lying down in their front, blocking their passage to the battlefield. Could it have been men of the Stonewall Brigade?

 

T. J. Watkins of the 14th North Carolina wrote: “We found the Stonewall Brigade, lying flat on the ground, making no effort to succor our artillery, with the enemy near our guns; it was then Genl. Ramseur—ordered us to run over them; not using Sunday School words.”

 

The proud Stonewall Brigade goes to great lengths to show later that these Virginians were actually from John R. Jones’ brigade.

 

Ordered forward, the North Carolinians walked right over the prone line: “The brave, chivalric Virginians lay flat on the ground and the tar-heels whom they so often ridicule walked over them to glory and to victory,” wrote William Calder of the 2nd North Carolina.

 

Some take greater offense at the Virginians’ refusal to move forward and use creative solutions—like Colonel Bryan Grimes, commander of the 4th NC: “I, myself, put my foot on the back and head of an officer of high rank, in mounting the work, and, through very spite, ground his face in the earth.”

 

Consider for a moment what it means to be charging forward without support and how angry you might become that your comrades would not attack with you. But then, would you rather be stepped on, or charge into the awful scene ahead again?

 

A voice called out to Grimes ominously: “You may double-quick but you’ll come back faster than you go!

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Grimes was largely unknown outside the units he served with, he was not a self serving career officer and his promotions were merit based rather than political...He was a remarkable combat soldier who led by example...

 

The artillerists seeing only a small portion of the line held, now rallied again to their guns and opened upon us. About the same time my attention was called to my right and rear where I saw large numbers of the enemy fast closing up our line for retreat (the right of Ramseur's Brigade having halted to deliver their fire upon encountering the enemy where they were engaged, while we had taken the breast- work). Seeing these Federal troops in my rear, I gave the order to abandon the captured works and fall back to the protection of the earthwork still occupied by this () Brigade, through whose cowardice we had suffered so severely. We crossed to the right of the plank road, and got back to our line in the best manner possible. In this charge my sword was severed by a ball, my clothes perforated in many places, and a ball embedded in my sword belt and the scabbard, and I received a very severe contusion on the foot; and upon reaching the earthwork from which we had first started, I had only sufficient strength to get over, and lost consciousness from exhaustion and pain. One of my own ambulance corps seeing

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my condition, came to my relief, and from a canteen was pouring water over my head when I was recalled to my senses by the voice of Gen. R. E. Rodes, our Division Commander, inquiring, "What troops are these?" The commanding officer who had refused to advance when ordered by Gen. Stuart's staff officer, said the Brigade. Gen. Rodes said, "Why have you not joined in the charge?" The reply was, "We have had no orders to advance." Under the stimulus of this falsehood, I fully aroused, pronounced it a base lie; that I had heard the order given myself, and repeated his reply. Whereupon, Gen. Rodes took out his pistol, rode up to this officer, presented the muzzle to his head, and, with an epithet of odium, told him to forward his men, or he would blow his brains out. He then gave the command, and this (--) Brigade then moved forward, and, without firing a gun, reached the breastworks that we had taken, and found the Federal forces had evacuated the hill, and safely carried off all their artillery posted there. If these troops had moved forward in obedience to orders, and encountered the enemy, we would have advanced quickly to their support, and captured the principal part of Hooker's artillery. As it was, we met with terrific slaughter

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in my command, and failed to take the artillery. This closed the fighting at Chancellorsville, for the infantry.

May 14th. - On Thursday the enemy attacked Major-General Johnson's line, breaking through, capturing himself and Brigadier-General Stuart of Maryland, together with two thousand prisoners and twenty cannon. About 5 o'clock A. M., Ramseur's Brigade were ordered up to check the enemy, who were pressing our men, and kept them at bay for about two hours when we were ordered to charge, drove them (Ramseur's Brigade alone) back to the

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captured works, rested a few minutes, and Ramseur having been shot in his right arm and not able to keep up, and seeing no one to apply to, and seeing the necessity for speedy action, I ordered a second charge, myself leading them, and by the very boldness of the move recovered the entire works and all the guns, capturing many prisoners and killing more Yankees than the Brigade numbered men. They made repeated efforts to retake works but we successfully repulsed every attack and held possession until 4 o'clock A. M. Friday, when we were ordered to move out, which we did just before day. Gen. Lee rode down in person to thank the Brigade for its gallantry, saying, "we deserved the thanks of the country, we had saved his army." Gen. Daniel who was engaged on our left was seriously wounded and yesterday morning, at his request, I was assigned to his Brigade. He died last night. He was an excellent officer, and although I probably gained a Brigade by his death, I would have preferred to remain in statu quo rather than his services should be lost to the country. North Carolina has suffered seriously.

May 16th. - My escapes are regarded as miraculous when account is taken of number killed, particularly as I never order my men to perform any

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duty attended with danger without sharing it with them.

 

 

The hand sewn collar insignia removed from his last uniform and handed down through Grimes' family has an interesting history. Although Grimes burned all the letters he received from his wife during the war so the enemy would never have them his wife saved all his letters home and published them after his untimely assassination in 1880. In a letter posted after his promotion he requested that she sew him a new collar with the rank on gray wool since the buff color used by many officers tended to be a bit of a target in the field. Ed

 

Bryan Grimes, 1828-1880

Extracts of Letters of Major-Gen'l Bryan Grimes to His Wife: Written While in Active Service in the Army of Northern Virginia: Together with Some Personal Recollections of the War, Written by Him After its Close, etc.

Raleigh, NC: Edwards, Broughton & Co., Steam Printers and Binders, 1883.

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Bryan Grimes Bio-Sketch Written by Craig Pippen, Camp 2205, Stem, NC

On November 2, 1828, Bryan Grimes was born on his family plantation of Grimesland in Pitt County, NC. His parents were the affluent planters, Bryan Grimes, Sr. and Nancy Grist Grimes. Bryan attended school at Washington in Beaufort County, NC. He attended a private academy in Hillsborough, NC before attending the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill at age 15. He graduated in 1848 and returned to his plantation to run the estate. He married Elizabeth Davis in April of 1851. They had four children, one being Bryan Grimes III who died in childhood. His mother died in 1857 after only six years of marriage to Bryan. This left Bryan Grimes, Jr. in a state of depression and sadness. He traveled to Europe, returning to North Carolina and his plantation at Grimesland.

Upon his return, he won election as a delegate to represent North Carolina at the Secession Convention. Once NC seceded from the Union, he resigned from the delegation and offered his services to the Confederate Army where he received a commission as a Major of the 4^th N. C. Infantry. Major Grimes fought at First Manassas. In May 1862, Grimes received a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel of the 4^th N. C. He received wounds while fighting at the Battle of Seven Pines when his killed horse fell upon him. After Seven Pines, the 4^th N. C. received a new commander in the form of Colonel Bryan Grimes, Jr. The 4^th N. C. was now part of the Army of Northern Virginia where it remained for the war. Grimes and the 4^th took part in the Peninsula campaign. Grimes did not see action at Sharpsburg, with the 4^th, due to an injury. He served, temporarily, as a brigade commander in D. H. Hill’s Division. He then fought at Fredericksburg with the 2^nd Corps. In this battle, his troops repelled a Federal attack.

Before the 1863 Chancellorsville Campaign, Colonel Grimes was back commanding the 4^th N. C. Regiment. He received a wound in the foot on May 3, 1863. On July 1, 1863, Grimes’ regiment was the first Confederate unit to enter Gettysburg.

In September, he married Charlotte Emily Bryan. They had ten children. One of his sons, John Bryan Grimes, eventually served as Secretary of State in North Carolina. He and his wife named a son Bryan Grimes, who also died as a child.

In May of 1864, Colonel Grimes received a promotion to brigadier general and command of his own N. C. Brigade. He served in General Ramseur’s Division, whom he later replaced upon his death in the Cedar Creek Battle. During that same battle, General Grimes received an injury to his leg.

On February 15, 1865, Grimes became the last person in the Army of Northern Virginia to receive a promotion to major general. He served in the Petersburg Campaign before heading west with Lee’s Army. He led the Army of Northern Virginia in its last action, a skirmish, on April 9, 1865 before Robert E. Lee surrendered. Upon the surrender, Major General Grimes received a parole.

In 1867, Grimes returned to the family plantation in North Carolina. He remained in Pitt County as a farmer until his murder in 1880 by William Parker. Parker was a hit man hired to murder Grimes to prevent him from testifying in a criminal case. Parker received an acquittal in his trial. Later, he returned to Pitt County. Drunk, he proclaimed that he killed Grimes. Arrested that night and jailed, an angry lynch mob entered the jail and lynched Parker. Prosecution of anyone for the lynching of Parker never occurred. Bryan Grimes lies buried in the family cemetery on the Grimesland Plantation. It is located at 5230 Grimes Farm Rd., Grimesland, NC.

[tarheeltim]

Ed, you still need to meet my friend BJ Grimes who is a direct descendent of Bryan Grimes. If you recall, she is the one with the dueling pistols.

[nchistory]

Beautiful, what's the story? Where and how did you obtain?

[Leatherneck72]

The collar insignia shown in the period hand tinted images and the painting depict the regulation insignia that are of bullion thread and are in high relief. Yours are not the same ones pictured, but are interesting nonetheless.

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So there is no misunderstanding here or anywhere else, the actual collar insignia presented here was removed from MG Grimes' uniform and retained by his wife then handed down through the Grimes family...It is not the insignia illustrated in the painting (which is 20th century) or in the war time photograph. Ed

[confederateplanet]

Thats great. One of my favorites too.

[doinworkinvans]

Now this is too cool! I love all the NC stories here lately!

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Grimes' letter to his wife Charlotte March 14, 1865: "...examining everything on my line. (I) went to each picket post, and at some points so close you could almost see the whites of the Yankees' eyes." The proximity of the opposing lines and deadly exchange of fire was especially dangerous for the sharpshooters' favorite target: officers. His vulnerability prompted Grimes to cloak his high rank from the wrong set of eyes. "I concealed your handiwork on my collar lest some enterprising Yankee might take it in his head to pick off a major general," he wrote Charlotte, "and I have no idea of you being a widow if I can help it."

 

from Lee's Last Major General Bryan Grimes of North Carolina by T. Harrell Allen

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If I have room I'll bring the complete General Grimes grouping to the Raleigh show this weekend. There are a few rare images with it. Ed

[Allan H.]

Wow just doesn't seem to convey the feeling, but..... WOW!'

 

Thank you for sharing this amazing piece of history with us.

 

ALLAN