Civil War Illustrations

The Death of the Rebel General Garnett

Caption: The Death of the Rebel General Garnett at the Battle of Laurel Hill. See page 484 [for related story].

Source: Illustration from Harper's Weekly, August 3, 1861, page [482].

Accompanying text, from page 482 of the same issue:

On page 481 we publish an illustration of the battle in which the late General Garnett, of the Rebel army, lost his life. He had evacuated his camp at Laurel Hill during the night of the 11th. General Morris's column commenced the pursuit the next afternoon. After a terrible forced march through rain and mud, over Laurel Mountain, Our advance came upon the enemy at Carrick's Ford, eight miles south of St. George, Tucker County. The rebels drew up in line of battle, and poured in a raking yolley on the right of our column – the Ohio Fourteenth – which returned a hot fire, lasting twenty minutes, when Colonel Dumont's Indiana Seventh made a charge upon their battery. They broke and ran, crossing the ford toward St. George. General Robert S. Garnett, while attempting to rally his flying men, was struck by a ball which passed through his spine and out at the right breast. He fell dead on the sand. Colonel Dumont continued the chase two miles and bivouacked. The rest bivouacked on the battleground.