About Me
Gilbert Moxley Sorrel was born February 23, 1838 in Savannah, Georgia. His father, Francis Sorrel, was of French decent. His mother was of the prominent Moxley family of Virginia.
Prior to the war 'Moxley' worked as a clerk in a banking house for the Central Railroad. On June 1, 1861, he enlisted as a private in the Georgia Hussars. Impatient to join the war effort, he left this unit after 30 days and traveled to Virginia. He procured a letter of introduction from Col. Jordon, Beaureguard's A.A.G., and a friend of Moxley's father; and reported to General Longstreet at Manassas on July 21, 1861. He served initially as a volunteer aide-de-camp.
Pleased with his work, Longstreet requested a commission for Moxley three weeks after the battle. On September 11, 1861, Moxley received his captain's commission and assignment as A.A.G. on Longstreet's staff, seemingly to his surprise. He wrote modestly in his Recollections, "I had had no military training except some drill and tactics at school, but it seemed he (Longstreet) thought I took to the work handily." He served as Longstreet's chief of staff for the next 3 1/2 years.
Moxley, despite his youth and his lack of prior military training, rose quickly in rank and responsibility. He was promoted to Major on May 5, 1862; and to Lt. Colonel on June 18, 1863. As early as December of 1863, Longstreet was recommending that Moxley be given command of a brigade, if a Georgia brigade became available. Though Moxley described his responsibility as chief of staff "to respond to calls for instruction and to anticipate them", he was often in the position to have to issue orders himself for troop movements. With this experience and much support from his commander, as well as a recommendation from A.P. Hill, Moxley was given a promotion to Brigadier General on October 27, 1864. He was given command of a brigade of Georgians in A.P. Hill's Corps.
Moxley was wounded slightly by shell fragments at Sharpsburg and at Gettysburg. His horse was killed under him at Gettysburg, for which he was reimbursed $1,000. Moxley was also seriously wounded at Hatcher's Run in February, 1865; he was shot in the chest and the bullet penetrated his lung. He was on his way back to his command when the war ended.
At the time of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 10th, 1865, at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, General Sorrel was attempting to rejoin his command along with his brother, Dr. Sorrel. He reached Lynchburg, Virginia, when he received word of the surrender of the Army, and on May 20th, 1865, he received his parole from the United States Army at that place. Following his parole, he and his brother made their way to Richmond, where they were administered the Oath of Allegiance by an office in that City. When asked to his intentions, General Sorrel informed the officer that they were heading for Baltimore, Maryland, to meet with family at that place and to obtain transport by sea to Savannah. Moxley was promptly informed that they would not be allowed passage there as only native Marylanders were being allowed to go to that state.
Managing to slip aboard a ship to Baltimore, the pair arrived safely in the city shortly thereafter and meet with their family. It was here that the brothers parted ways temporarily, and General Sorrel proceeded to New York City, New York, where, after a short stay at the New York Hotel, he was able to obtain passage aboard a steamer and arrived shortly thereafter in Savannah, Georgia, to be greeted by family and friends.
Moxley was described as a "tall, slender, graceful young man with dark eyes and a friendly disposition." and also as "a very gallant officer and polished gentleman." Francis Dawson, and Englishman who served in the ordnance department and did not fit in well with the staff, described Moxley as "demanding" and "overbearing". Jeffery Wert calls him "a perceptive man with administrative skills"; and Longstreet biographers Eckenrode and Conrad assert that Moxley was "the best staff officer in the Confederate army."
Following the War Moxley worked as an agent - and later as the General Manager - of the Ocean Steamship Company of Savannah, Georgia where he remained until his death. He also served on the Savannah City Council from 1872 to 1875. Taking an active interest in the History of the State of Georgia and the Confederacy, Moxley served on the board of the Georgia Historical Society as well as being the Vice President of that Organization. In 1870 when Robert E. Lee visited the City of Savannah, Moxley was selected to lead the delegation that was sent to greet the former Confederate General at the train station where they then escorted him throughout the city.
It was not long after the war (1867) that Moxley meet Miss Kate du Bignon, whom he would later marry. The couple would have one child but sadly he died long before reaching adulthood.
Moxley had grown ill over time and Kate suggested that he write down his remembrances of the was as a solace "in illness and tedious convalescence".
On August 10th, 1901, while staying at the home of his brother near Roanoke, Virginia, General Moxley Sorrel died at the age of sixty-four. His remains were taken to Savannah, Georgia for burial and he was laid to rest at Laurel Grove Cemetery in that city.
Following General Sorrel’s death his memoirs were published by The Neale Publishing Company of New York City, New York, in 1905 under the title of “Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer.†The book is herald by some as one of the best first hand accounts of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia and Lieutenant General James Longstreet.
* Though Moxley, in post war writings, referred to himself as Longstreet's "Chief of Staff", this title did not officially exist in the Confederate Army. Moxley, as the senior AAG, certainly performed the duties of a Chief of Staff, as did Osmun Latrobe after Moxley's promotion; but in no official documents nor correspondence during the war was this title applied to them.
