Confederate Headquarters Markers > Ewell’s 2nd Corps > Johnson’s Division
The monument to Nicholls’ Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia is southeast of Gettysburg on East Confederate Avenue. (East Confederate Avenue tour map)
Nicholls’ Brigade was commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg by Colonel Jesse M. Wiliams of the Second Louisiana Infantry, who was senior colonel in the brigade. Brigadier General Francis T. Nicholls had been seriously wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville and would never return to field command. But no permanent commander had been appointed for the brigade and it was still officially “Nicholls’ Brigade,” although it is sometimes referred to as “Williams’ Brigade”.
From the monument:
C. S. A.
Army of Northern Virginia
Ewell’s Corps Johnson’s Division
Nicholls’s Brigade
1st 2nd 10th 14th 15th Louisiana Infantry
July 1. Arrived near nightfall and took position east of Rock Creek north of Hanover road and on the right of the Division.
July 2. About 6 P. M. changing to left of Jones’s Brigade crossed the creek attacked Union forces on Culp’s Hill drove in their outposts and reached and held a line about 100 yards from their breastworks against which a steady fire was maintained for hours and some vigorous but unsuccessful assaults made.
July 3. At dawn the Brigade reopened fire and continued it for many hours then retired to line near the creek whence about midnight it moved with Division and Corps to Seminary Ridge.
July 4. Occupied Seminary Ridge. About 10 P. M. began the march to Hagerstown.
Present about 1100 Killed 43 Wounded 309 Missing 36 Total 388
See more on the history of the regiments of Nicholls’ Brigade in the Civil War:
1st Louisiana Infantry, 2nd Louisiana Infantry, 10th Louisiana Infantry, 14th Louisiana Infantry, 15th Louisiana Infantry