Battle of Gettysburg
Continued from: The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Emerald Guard with the 33rd Virginia Infantry had crossed the Potomac and was encamped around Chambersburg when the order came to converge on the Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. Arriving late in the evening of July 1, the brigade spent much of the 2nd day skirmishing on the far Confederate left. It would not be until the next day that the 33rd would see real fighting. At 3 a. m. on the morning of the 3rd, the regiment was aroused and marched off with the rest of the brigade towards the enemy position atop Culp's Hill. After daybreak, the regiment advanced in line of battle towards the enemy who was "strongly entrenched in a most advantageous position.” The regiment advanced up the slopes of the hill advancing "in intervals" as the men took cover behind rocks and trees as they advanced. Although the regiment exhausted its ammunition within an hour or two, at least part of the 33rd remained engaged for almost five hours, as partial supplies were received upon the field. During this portion of the fighting, Captain Bedinger of the Emerald Guard was killed while advancing towards the enemy. Captain Golladay, in temporary command of the regiment after the battle wrote that Bedinger's body had fallen perhaps the closest to the enemy's lines. [ref: Emerald Guard]
The family mourned the loss of George as the one of theirs whom they felt carried the same the fine attributes and family expectations as his father had possessed. No longer would George’s merry face and lively quips enliven the family gatherings at “Poplar Grove” or “Bedford”. Edwin Lee, deeply grieved, wrote an obituary for the Lynchburg Virginian of July 21, 1863.
[Note: Obituary below from the Lynchburg Virginian July 21 1863 as quoted in Levin, Alexandra Lee, 1987, “This Awful War”, p. 66. The obituary was also carried in the Richmond Whig for August 8, 1863.]
The family mourned the loss of George as the one of theirs whom they felt carried the same the fine attributes and family expectations as his father had possessed. No longer would George’s merry face and lively quips enliven the family gatherings at “Poplar Grove” or “Bedford”. Edwin Lee, deeply grieved, wrote an obituary for the Lynchburg Virginian of July 21, 1863.
[Note: Obituary below from the Lynchburg Virginian July 21 1863 as quoted in Levin, Alexandra Lee, 1987, “This Awful War”, p. 66. The obituary was also carried in the Richmond Whig for August 8, 1863.]
“We regret to learn that among those killed in the recent battle near Gettysburg, on the
3rd day of July, was Capt. Geo. R. Bedinger, of the 33d Va. Infantry. He was a son of the
late Hon. Henry Bedinger (U. S. Minister to Denmark under Mr. Pierce) and though quite
a young man, he had won for himself a most enviable reputation for unusual gallantry
and skill. He entered the service as a private, earned his promotion upon fifteen battlefields,
and at last has fallen where brave men love to die, leading his men up to the cannon’s
mouth. He was slain in Ed Johnson’s charge upon the entrenchments.”
E. A. Moore of the Rockbridge Artillery wrote: “Gay, brilliant Bedinger, whose presence imparted
an electric touch to those around him; I shall ne’er see his like again!”