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Richmond - Saturday - August 1, 1863 Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett was born in the city of Richmond, State of Virginia, and is the eldest son of the late Col. Robert Pickett, of Turkey Island, in the county of Henrico. He entered West Point as a cadet in June, 1842, and graduated in June, 1846. In the fall of 1846 he entered the American army, then in Mexico, as a brevet second lieutenant. The celebrated battles of 1846 had been fought by Gen. Taylor previous to the arrival of the young lieutenant, and he consequently bore no part in them. In the winter following, the division of the army to which Lieutenant Pickett belonged was ordered to join the expedition, under Gen. Scott, against Vera Cruz. From Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico, Pickett served as second lieutenant in the Eighth Infantry (Gen. Worth's command), and was repeatedly noticed in the reports of General Scott for his gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras, Cherubusco, Molina del Rey and Chapultepec. For his gallantry at Contreras, he was brevetted first lieutenant, and "for gallant and meritorious" conduct at Chapultepec was complimented with the position of captain. From the end of the Mexican war, in 1848, until 1861, he continued almost constantly on duty upon the frontier -- in Texas, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington Territory -- his "leaves of absence" from his command being few and of short duration. In March, 1855, he was appointed captain of the Ninth Infantry, United States Army. In 1859, the American settlers in San Juan Island having complained to General Harney, who was in command of that department, of outrages suffered from the Indians and aggressions threatened by the British authorities, Captain Pickett was ordered to take military possession of the island, which order was promptly obeyed, and a camp formed with a force of about sixty men. In this situation he was found by three British men-of-war, sent by the British Governor Douglas, to enforce obedience to his authority. The three men-of-war anchored their broadsides commanding his camp, and Captain Pickett was "warned off" the island, and afterwards "summoned" before a British magistrate. Upon refusal to recognise either of these notices, the British officers proposed to land a force equal to his own and establish a joint military occupation of the island. Acting upon his orders, Captain Pickett refused to consent to this, and notwithstanding the disparity of force, declared that he would open fire upon them if a landing were attempted. A collision of arms seemed inevitable, when the British Admiral, Baynes, arrived upon the spot, and by his orders the commencement of hostilities was postponed. Shortly after, Lieutenant-Colonel Casey reached the island with reinforcements and took command of the post, which he named "Camp Pickett;" and in the course of a few months, the difficulty was settled by General Scott in person, who consented to joint military occupation proposed by the British officers. The conduct of Captain Pickett was pointedly approved by General Harney, and he was recommended by the same officer for a brevet for "the cool judgment; ability and gallantry" which he had displayed. President Buchanan, in the instructions to General Scott, directed that Captain Pickett should remain in command of the United States forces upon the island, and these instructions were at first complied with; but afterwards, at the instance of the British Governor, Douglas, General Scott thought fit to remove him. He was subsequently replaced in command by General Harney, and remained there until 1861, when he resigned his commission and returned to Virginia, not without difficulty, to offer his services to the Confederate States. He was immediately appointed to a colonelcy in the Provisional Army, and placed in command on the lower Rappahannock. In February, 1862, he was appointed to the command of a brigade, in Longstreet's Division, in the Army of the Potomac; (Note: At first glance, this would appear to be an error since The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theatre. However, that name was originally given to General Beauregard's army during the early stages of the war...and was eventually changed to the Army of Northern Virginia. The Union forces which were later known as The Army of the Potomac were originally called The Army of Northeastern Virginia.) and his brigade bore an honorable share in the campaign that year, at Williamsburg, at Seven Pines, at Gaines Mill, and the subsequent engagements. At Gaines Mill, General Pickett received a severe wound in the shoulder, which disabled him for several months, and he did not rejoin his command until after the return of the army from Maryland. Soon afterwards, he was made Major-General of Division in the Corps of Lieutenant-General Longstreet, which command he now holds. At the late battle of Gettysburg, Pickett's Division displayed courage, fortitude and discipline to a degree that has never been surpassed. Owing to the absence of two brigades, the division did not exceed five thousand in number. Yet this little body of men, advancing steadily over half a mile of broken ground, charged and carried the most formidable entrenchments and musketry, and would have maintained the position but for the failure of the supports which they should have received. A correspondent of the "Enquirer" thus describes the charge -- "It is due to Gen. Pickett and his division that the country should know and properly appreciate the service rendered by them in the terrible action of the 3d of July. The day preceding, the division had made a long and toilsome march. At three o'clock on the 3d, they moved forward to the field of battle, and were in position very early on the morning of that eventful day. During a considerable portion of the forenoon, the division were exposed to the burning rays of a July sun and the terrible shelling from the enemy's batteries. Thus, very much exhausted by the intense heat, and seriously crippled by the enemy's fire, about 3 o'clock they were ordered to charge the heights. An eye witness testifies that they formed into line-of-battle as cooly and deliberately as if forming for dress parade. Headed by their gallant officers, the column being led by Gen. Pickett himself, they moved forward to the charge across a plain, some 500 yards in width, subjected to the action of guns smoking like a hurricane of death all over the field. "The noble and gallant Pickett, commanding, then pressed up to the ugly ramparts of the enemy. It is believed that a more gallant and heroic charge was never made on this continent. Pickett's Division has been in the hardest fighting of this bloody war. The division have borne themselves well and nobly, always and everywhere. But the crowning glory of those patriotic heroes was achieved in the assault upon the iron-clad crest of Gettysburg. The list of casualties tells, in terms of truer eloquence the bravery and patriotism of that blood-stained and scar-honored division, than can any figures of rhetoric or poetry. Every brigadier fell, and a long catalogue of colonels and other officers. The division went in from five to six thousand strong. Three days after the battle but fifteen hundred reported for duty. Well done, noble heroes, officers and men; your country will cherish the memory of your deeds and sufferings with a gratitude and affection which time can never obliterate. Major-General Pickett has well earned and will no doubt receive the meed [sic] of his country's praise. Without meaning to disparage any other officer or division, it is, indeed, a high honor to have belonged to Pickett's Division and to have fought under that gallant general. Note: Pickett's Charge is perhaps the most famous charge of the Civil War, and probably the most foolhardy, given the superior position of General George Meade's forces. Later, General Robert E. Lee took full responsibility for the slaughter of Pickett's Division and offered to resign. His offer was not accepted. However, General Picket never forgave General Lee for ordering his men to their horrific fate on Cemetery Ridge, and later said, "That old man had my division slaughtered at Gettysburg." Pickett's Charge was one of the most tragic incidents of the Civil War |
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