"About 4:30 p.m., Longstreet having advanced to Wilcox, he swung his right forward and advanced. As soon as his left reached my right, I conformed to the movement, and advanced at the double-quick upon the strongly fortified position in front, exposed to artillery and musketry fire from the start. Our men suffered terribly, but advanced nobly to the charge. About half way across the field the enemy had a line of batteries strongly supported by infantry. We swept over these, without once halting, capturing most of the guns and putting the infantry to rout with great loss. Indeed, I do not remember having seen anywhere before, the dead lying thicker than where the Yankee infantry attempted to make a stand in our front." - From the report of Colonel David Lang, Gettysburg Campaign

Core members of Anderson's Division, the original Florida brigade consisted of the 2d, 5th, and 8th Florida regiments. They transferred to the Third Corps along with the rest of R.H. Anderson's Division from Longstreet's First Corps following Chancellorsville in the grand reorganization of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Image of General Edward A. Perry, commander of the Brigade

The brigade was commanded by Generals Edward Perry and General Joseph Finegan; it was also commanded for periods by Colonel David Lang (including at Gettysburg).

The 9th, 10th, and 11th Regiments were formed from elements of Finegan's brigade and joined the Third Corps sometime around Cold Harbor. The core of the brigade served from the Seven Days until Appomattox. Many of the "new" regiments saw action in Florida, including at Olustee.

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