Lynchburg Va March 7th 1872
Sir
In compliance with your request I have to inform you that:
I was commissioned Colonel in the Virginia service on the 2nd of May 1861, to rank from that date—My regiment was the 24th Virginia Inft.
I was commanding a brigade of 3 Regiments, the 7th and 24th Va and 7th Louisiana at the 1st Battle of Manassas, my rank being then Colonel.
I was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Confederate service, to rank from the 21st of July 1861—and / my brigade was composed of the 5th and 23rd North Carolina and 24th Virginia, to which was added the 20th Georgia in the early part of October 1861, and on the 1st of May 1862, the 38th Virginia was transferred to the brigade in lieu of the 20th Georgia, which was transferred to Forrest's brigade.
On the 5th of May 1862, I was wounded at Williamsburg, and during my absence the Army was reorganized, so as to brigade the regiments by states, every brigade being thus broken up. On my return, the 1st of July 1862, I was assigned to the command of Elzey's brigade, he being wounded. This brigade was composed at that time of the 13th, 25th, 31st, 44th, 52nd and / 58th Va Regts and the 12th Georgia. the 12th Georgia was replaced by the 49th Va about the 26th of August 1862.
I was commissioned Major General to rank from the 17th of January 1863, and assigned to the commanding Ewell's former division, to which I then belonged. The division was composed of my own Va, Hays' Louisiana, Lawton's Georgia, and Trimble's brigade, the latter being composed of one North Carolina, one Alabama and two Georgia regiments. Gov Wm Smith, Col 49th Va, was promoted to the command of my brigade, and he was subsequently succeeded by General / Pegram. Genl John B. Gordon was assigned to the command of Lawton's brigade, and Colonel R. F. Hoke was promoted to the command of Trimble's brigade, which was made a North Carolina brigade, by transferring three N.C. regiments to it in the place of the Ala & two Georgia regts.
I was made Lieut. General with temporary rank from the 31st of May 1864, and assigned to the command of Ewell's Corps (The 2nd of A.N.Va) then composed of my division, Rodes', and Gordon's.
On the 13th of June 1864 I was detached from the Army of Northern Va, with the 2nd Corps, and Breckenridge command of three brigades of infantry / and five small brigades of Cavalry were united with my command for the Campaign into Maryland and the Valley.
Subsequently, during the Valley Campaign, Kershaw's division of infantry, two brigades of Cavalry under Fitz Lee and one under Rosser were united to my command.
By the capture of the greater part of Johnson's division of Ewell's Corps on the 12th of May 1864, a considerable change was made in the organization of the divisions—Gordon's brigade and Hays' brigade were transferred / from my division and united with the remnant of Johnson's, so as to make a division for Gordon composed of his own brigade (Georgia) under Evans, two Louisiana brigades united into one under Hays, and the rest of Johnson's division into one brigade under General William Terry.
R. D. Johnston's brigade (North Carolina) was transferred from Rodes' division to mine, so as make that division composed of Pegram's brigade (Va), Hoke's brigade, and R. D. Johnston's.
Rodes division was then composed Doles Georgia brigade, Battle's Alabama brigade, and Daniel's and / Ramseur's N. C. brigades. At the time I was made Lieut General, Ramseur was made Major General and assigned to my division, Col Jones was made Brigadier General & assigned to Hoke's brigade.
Col Zebulon York was made Brig Genl and assigned to Hays brigade.
Bryan Grimes was made Brig Genl & assigned to Daniel's brigade, Col Cox made Brig Genl & assigned to Ramseur's brigade, and Col Phil Cook made Brig Genl and assigned to Doles' brigade.
Daniel, and Doles had been killed, Hoke made Major General, and / Hays was absent wounded, so the Corps was composed of
Rodes division of
Battle's Ala brigade
Cook's Ga brigade
Grimes' N.C. brigade
Coxe's N. C. brigade
Gordon's division of
Evans' Ga Brigade
Terry's Va Brigade
York's La Brigade
and
Ramseur's division of
Pegram's Va brigade
Lewis' N. C. brigade
R. D. Johnston's N. C. brigade
& three Battalions of Artillery under Genl A. Long
when I was promoted Lt General.
Yours Truly J A Early
Col Chas C. Jones Jr.