Other names for Pickett's Charge.

[major bill]

I am sure we have discussed this before, but is the term "Pickett's Charge" the right term?

I have seen it called:
1. Pickett-Pentigrew-Trimble Assult
2. Pentigrow-Pickett Assult
3. Longstreet's Attack.

So is "Charge" the right term? Not sure if
"charge", "assult", or "attack" is the best term for what happened.

Next, who was in charge of the charge? Was Pickett in command of the assult? Can one say Pickett lead the charge?

To understand this better we might need to know when it became called Pickett's Charge. I am not sure when it became known as this.

 

[JOHN42768]

One could use "Kamikaze" , but Japan wasn't involved

 

[Irishtom29]

I am sure we have discussed this before, but is the term "Pickett's Charge" the right term?

It has the advantages of being simple and immediately understood.

 

[rpkennedy]

Personally, I call it Longstreet's Assault. That said, I agree with Kathy Georg and John Busey in that there were several different phases of this action. The Bombardment, the Advance, the Assault, and the Retreat which gives quite a bit of nuance for Longstreet's Assault.

Ryan

 

[Tom Elmore]

It is somewhat confusing. I prefer to call it the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble assault since it involved the divisions of Pickett (under Pickett), Heth (under Pettigrew) and a portion of Pender (under Trimble). Pickett commanded his own three brigades, while Pettigrew commanded four brigades, and Trimble only led two brigades. Pickett's men were in Longstreet's First Corps, while troops under Pettigrew and Trimble were from A. P. Hill's Third Corps. However, artillery batteries representing all three corps of Lee's army participated in the preliminary bombardment.

Pickett kept a distance behind his brigades when they closed on Cemetery Ridge and escaped unharmed, while Pettigrew and Trimble stayed right up at the very front. Pettigrew was wounded but made it off the field, while Trimble was wounded and taken captive. Pickett's three brigades were the pride of the Virginia aristocracy, and so Virginians tended to call it Pickett's charge, which has largely stuck to the present day. (They conveniently overlooked the Virginia brigade in Pettigrew's command, which was the first to break.)

 

[1mommimi]

LEE ORDERED THE CHARGE. WHILE OTHERS THOUGHT IT WAS A WRONG CHOICE

 

[infomanpa]

Personally, I call it Longstreet's Assault. That said, I agree with Kathy Georg and John Busey in that there were several different phases of this action. The Bombardment, the Advance, the Assault, and the Retreat which gives quite a bit of nuance for Longstreet's Assault.

Ryan

I agree...choice #3 is best because it's accurate and easy to remember, being not as unwieldy or wordy with too many names. Lee had given Longstreet the responsibility of the attack even though a couple of divisions were not normally under his command. I personally would like it to be called, "The Second Longstreet Assault" to distinguish it from the first assault which occurred the previous day.

 

[major bill]

So was it called Pickett's Charge right after the battle or did it take a few weeks or months to become know as such?

 

[Greywolf]

I prefer Longstreets reluctant assault or George "Shad Bake" Picketts charge

 

[archieclement]

Personally, I call it Longstreet's Assault. That said, I agree with Kathy Georg and John Busey in that there were several different phases of this action. The Bombardment, the Advance, the Assault, and the Retreat which gives quite a bit of nuance for Longstreet's Assault.

Ryan

Agree, Longstreet had been gave responsibility as Pickett had the freshest division to lead, and he gave the nod to Pickett when asked if he should attack

 

[Wallyfish]

Over the years, I have most commonly used either Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble assault (P.P.T.) or Longstreet's assault to describe the famous charge. However, I routinely take friends and former coworkers out to Gettysburg and when I use those phrases, I typically get this response - Oh you mean Pickett's Charge don't you?

When I worked in the steel industry, I had many fancy job titles. I used to tell coworkers, as long as the check clears, you can call me anything you want. Now when I take those people out to Gettysburg. I am not looking for much. Maybe a couple hot dogs from Sheetz or if I did really good, some Bangers and Mash from GaryOwen or some Onion soup and crab cakes from the Dobbin House. So as long as they pick up the tab, I'll call that assault anything they want me to call it.

 

[Scott Brown]

"There are those who would not call it by the usual term, maintaining that it is neither Pickett's nor a charge. Such double-dissenters usually prefer Longstreet's Assault, thus attaching it to the one man of all men who most thoroughly disowned it . But in the ordinary language of the time, by the men participating, it was known as a charge, no matter what restrictions the dictionaries and manuals may put on that word. As for Pickett, he was the senior officer who advanced (at least, part way) with troops, and it seems certain that he was entrusted with the command of all the brigades involved. "

George R. Stewart, 1959

 

[GwilymT]

How about "Lee's Folly"?

 

[chuckh]

Or "The Forlorn Hope".