Junius Daniel was commissioned a brigadier general on September 1, 1862, making him one of the five men from Halifax County to attain that rank in the Confederate Army. (I am unable to find out who the other four brigadier generals are from Halifax County, N.C.)
He spent the fall of 1862 with his brigade at Drewry's Bluff in Virginia and then served in North Carolina. During this time, his unit saw very limited combat action.
Shortly after the Battle of Chancellorsville, his unit was transferred to Major General Robert E. Rodes' division of Richard S. Ewell's 2nd Corps, where he served with distinction during the Gettysburg Campaign Daniel's largest brigade, trusted to carry the Corps Flag, consisted of the 32nd, 43rd, 45th and 53rd North Carolina along with the 2nd North Carolina Battalion.
On July 1, 1863, the first day of the battle, Daniel's brigade repeatedly attacked Union forces on McPherson's Ridge, eventually driving off the Union brigade of Colonel Roy Stone. As his first attack on that position failed, and his men began retreating, Daniel heroically galloped after his men, rallied them and launched another assault.
Daniel's men suffered the greatest loss of any brigade in the 2nd Corps on the first day at Gettysburg.
--Old Secesh
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