General George Pickett's Official Gettysburg Report

W. Richardson

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Over on Scott Mingus's Civil War blog, Cannonball http://www.yorkblog.com/cannonball/, he has posted that on January 21st, 2015 the York Civil War Round Table will host Randy Drais as he speaks to them on.....General George Pickett's Official Gettysburg Report. We all know that Pickett wrote one but it was sent back by General Lee and ordered him to destroy it, and for General Pickett resubmit another report. General Lee felt that the content of the report would cause divisiveness within the army.

No report from Pickett has surfaced, if he did resubmit a new one. Rumors to this day have persisted that the original copy or the resubmitted copy exist out there somewhere, Pickett's wife claimed to have one, but if so it has never surfaced, and she was less than credible.

Questions still remain - what was in that Official Report that would be harmful to the morale of the Army of Northern Virginia? Would be finger pointing and naming names as to the failure to support the charge? IIRC even Lee stated the charge was not supported as it should have been for reasons unexplained to him.

So what does the forum members think may have been in that report, and do you think a real copy of it will surface at some point?

Respectfully,

William
 
Yeah. Pretty much the feelings of the Virginians was that the North Carolinians from Powell Hill's Corps were responsible for the mess that is known as "Pickett's Charge" or was known as "The Longstreet Assault". Longstreet blamed Lee, but the rest blamed Pettigrew & Trimble.

As far as the "wife" myth: Pickett married his third wife, 20 year old and 18 years his junior, LaSalle (Sallie) Corbett on September 15, 1863. Very hard for her to have that report right after Gettysburg.
 
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Last year I had the pleasure of attending one of Randy's presentations about Picketts Lost Report. It was very informative and I recommend it to anyone who can attend.
 
As far as I can tell, much of the bitterness had to do with what happened later in the war rather than Gettysburg (although that no doubt played a role).

R
Here is what Col. Mosby recalls of a meeting he witnessed, between Lee and Pickett:

"In March 1870, I was walking across the bridge that connected the Ballard and Exchange Hotels in Richmond and, to my surprise, I met General Lee and his daughter. The general was pale and haggard, and did not look like the Apollo I had known in the army. After a while I went to his room; our conversation was on current topics. I felt oppressed by the great memories that his presence revived and while both of us were thinking about the war, neither of us referred to it.
After leaving his room I met General Pickett, and told him that I had just been with Lee. He remarked that if I would go with him he would call and pay his respects to the general, but he did not want to be alone with him. So I went back with Pickett: the interview was cold and formal, and evidently embarrassing to both commanders. It was their only meeting after the war.
In a few minutes, I rose and left the room, together with General Pickett. He then spoke to me very bitterly of General Lee, calling him "that old man."
"He had my division massacred at Gettysburg," Pickett said.
"Well, it made you immortal," I replied.
I rather suspect that Pickett gave a wrong reason for his unfriendly feelings. In May 1892 at the University of Virginia, I took breakfast with Professor Venable, who had been on Lee's staff. He told me that some days before the surrender at Appomattox General Lee ordered General Pickett under arrest, I suppose for the Five Forks affair. I think the professor said he carried the order. I remember very well his adding that on the retreat Pickett passed them, and that General Lee said, with deep feeling: "Is that man still with this army?"


From: http://www.pickettsociety.com/mosby.html
 
Here is what Col. Mosby recalls of a meeting he witnessed, between Lee and Pickett:

"In March 1870, I was walking across the bridge that connected the Ballard and Exchange Hotels in Richmond and, to my surprise, I met General Lee and his daughter. The general was pale and haggard, and did not look like the Apollo I had known in the army. After a while I went to his room; our conversation was on current topics. I felt oppressed by the great memories that his presence revived and while both of us were thinking about the war, neither of us referred to it.
After leaving his room I met General Pickett, and told him that I had just been with Lee. He remarked that if I would go with him he would call and pay his respects to the general, but he did not want to be alone with him. So I went back with Pickett: the interview was cold and formal, and evidently embarrassing to both commanders. It was their only meeting after the war.
In a few minutes, I rose and left the room, together with General Pickett. He then spoke to me very bitterly of General Lee, calling him "that old man."
"He had my division massacred at Gettysburg," Pickett said.
"Well, it made you immortal," I replied.
I rather suspect that Pickett gave a wrong reason for his unfriendly feelings. In May 1892 at the University of Virginia, I took breakfast with Professor Venable, who had been on Lee's staff. He told me that some days before the surrender at Appomattox General Lee ordered General Pickett under arrest, I suppose for the Five Forks affair. I think the professor said he carried the order. I remember very well his adding that on the retreat Pickett passed them, and that General Lee said, with deep feeling: "Is that man still with this army?"


From: http://www.pickettsociety.com/mosby.html

Honestly, I think a lot of that was an after the fact reading of things. There doesn't appear to be much bitterness until immediately after the war and how he was treated at the end of the war would have clouded his perception of earlier experiences.

R
 
Great info...thanks all! What's the best book on the subject? I haven't run into a Pickett bio that was well reviewed.
 
Here is what Col. Mosby recalls of a meeting he witnessed, between Lee and Pickett:

"In March 1870, I was walking across the bridge that connected the Ballard and Exchange Hotels in Richmond and, to my surprise, I met General Lee and his daughter. The general was pale and haggard, and did not look like the Apollo I had known in the army. After a while I went to his room; our conversation was on current topics. I felt oppressed by the great memories that his presence revived and while both of us were thinking about the war, neither of us referred to it.
After leaving his room I met General Pickett, and told him that I had just been with Lee. He remarked that if I would go with him he would call and pay his respects to the general, but he did not want to be alone with him. So I went back with Pickett: the interview was cold and formal, and evidently embarrassing to both commanders. It was their only meeting after the war.
In a few minutes, I rose and left the room, together with General Pickett. He then spoke to me very bitterly of General Lee, calling him "that old man."
"He had my division massacred at Gettysburg," Pickett said.
"Well, it made you immortal," I replied.
I rather suspect that Pickett gave a wrong reason for his unfriendly feelings. In May 1892 at the University of Virginia, I took breakfast with Professor Venable, who had been on Lee's staff. He told me that some days before the surrender at Appomattox General Lee ordered General Pickett under arrest, I suppose for the Five Forks affair. I think the professor said he carried the order. I remember very well his adding that on the retreat Pickett passed them, and that General Lee said, with deep feeling: "Is that man still with this army?"


From: http://www.pickettsociety.com/mosby.html

Interesting to read the rebuttals to this. Seems like some were angry at Mosby for being a traitor to the 'Lost Cause'.

Did Mosby have a reputation for embellishing the truth? Putting his own spin on things that were later proven to be less than factual?
 
Interesting to read the rebuttals to this. Seems like some were angry at Mosby for being a traitor to the 'Lost Cause'.

Did Mosby have a reputation for embellishing the truth? Putting his own spin on things that were later proven to be less than factual?
I think Mosby's defense of Stuart's performance at Gettysburg shows that, though he was a pains to defend his friend's memory, his data is accurate.
 
Interesting! Please Share what you find Mr.Richardson, I will look forward to it.
 
Here is what Col. Mosby recalls of a meeting he witnessed, between Lee and Pickett:

"In March 1870, I was walking across the bridge that connected the Ballard and Exchange Hotels in Richmond and, to my surprise, I met General Lee and his daughter. The general was pale and haggard, and did not look like the Apollo I had known in the army. After a while I went to his room; our conversation was on current topics. I felt oppressed by the great memories that his presence revived and while both of us were thinking about the war, neither of us referred to it.
After leaving his room I met General Pickett, and told him that I had just been with Lee. He remarked that if I would go with him he would call and pay his respects to the general, but he did not want to be alone with him. So I went back with Pickett: the interview was cold and formal, and evidently embarrassing to both commanders. It was their only meeting after the war.
In a few minutes, I rose and left the room, together with General Pickett. He then spoke to me very bitterly of General Lee, calling him "that old man."
"He had my division massacred at Gettysburg," Pickett said.
"Well, it made you immortal," I replied.
I rather suspect that Pickett gave a wrong reason for his unfriendly feelings. In May 1892 at the University of Virginia, I took breakfast with Professor Venable, who had been on Lee's staff. He told me that some days before the surrender at Appomattox General Lee ordered General Pickett under arrest, I suppose for the Five Forks affair. I think the professor said he carried the order. I remember very well his adding that on the retreat Pickett passed them, and that General Lee said, with deep feeling: "Is that man still with this army?"


From: http://www.pickettsociety.com/mosby.html

Most Historians find this encounter unlikely,

when George Pickett asked, why his charge (which he was 1/3 of) failed he said "I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it"

which is exactly why it failed.
 
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