{⋆★⋆} MG Pickett, George Edward

George Edward Pickett
General Pickett 1.jpg

:CSA1stNat: George Pickett
began his military career by attending the West Point Military Academy, he graduated last in his class of 59 cadets. He served in the U.S. Army in the Mexican-American War, and participated in the Pig War of 1859. When the Civil War began, he joined the Confederacy, and was promoted to brigadier general by January of 1862. He commanded a brigade that saw heavy action during the Peninsula Campaign. Pickett was promoted to major general later that year. Pickett is most frequently remembered for leading one of the divisions in the final, futile, bloody Confederate offensive on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Born: January 16, 1825

Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia

Father: Colonel Robert Pickett 1799 – 1856
(Buried: Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​

Mother: Mary Johnston 1805 – 1860
(Buried: Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​

1st​ Wife: Sally Harrison Minge 1829 – 1851
(Buried: Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​

Married: January 28, 1851 in Franklin Parish, Louisiana

2nd​ Wife: Morning Mist – 1858

Married: June 6, 1857 in Washington Territory

3rd​ Wife: LaSalle “Sallie” Corbell 1843 – 1931
(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​

Married: November 13, 1863 in Petersburg, Virginia

Children:

James Tilton Pickett 1857 – 1889​
(Buried: River View Cemetery, Portland, Oregon)​
Major George Edward Pickett Jr. 1864 – 1911​
(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​
David Corbell Pickett 1866 – 1874
Before war.jpg
(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​

Signature:
Pickett.jpg


Education:

1846: Graduated from West Point Military Academy (59th​ in class)​

Occupation:

1846 – 1861: Served in United States Army rising to Captain​

Civil War Career:

1861: Major of Confederate States Army, Artillery​
1861 – 1862: Colonel in the Confederate Army, Infantry​
1861 – 1862: Commander of Rappahannock Line Dept. Fredericksburg​
1862: Brigadier General of Confederate Army, Infantry
General Pickett.jpg
1862: Participated in the Peninsula Campaign​
1862: Wounded in Shoulder at Battle of Gaines Mill​
1862 – 1865: Major General of Confederate Army Infantry​
1862 – 1865: Division Commander in the Confederate Army​
1862: Lightly Engaged during the Battle of Fredericksburg​
1863: Participated in the Suffolk Virginia Campaign​
1863: Heavily Participated in the Battle of Gettysburg, third day​
1863: Commander of Department Southern Virginia – North Carolina​
1864: Participated in the Overland Campaign
After war 1.jpg
1864: Participated in the Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia​
1864 – 1865: Participated in the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia​
1865: Defeated during the Battle of Five Forks​
1865: Defeated during the Battle of Saylor's Creek​
1865: Commanded his remaining troops at Battle of Appomattox, VA.​
1865: Paroled at Appomattox Court House, Appomattox, Virginia
After war.jpg

Occupation after War:

1866 – 1875: Insurance Agent in Norfolk, Virginia​
1874: Received a Full Pardon from United States Government​

Died: July 30, 1875

Place of Death: Norfolk, Virginia

Cause of Death: Abscess of the liver

Age at time of Death: 50 years old

Burial Place: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
 
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I was just reading about Pickett's involvement in the pig war of 1859. Casuality...one pig.
 
When He made the comment "that old man ...had my division massacred" he was talking to John S. Mosby at a postwar meeting with Lee. Lee was dying and it was witnessed by Mosby. It was reported to be an icy affair.
 
In my opinion, Pickett's flamboyance was never matched by his ability as a combat leader. He was promoted beyond his station into command of a Division. In my view, his capabilities were restricted to Brigade command.
 
In my opinion, Pickett's flamboyance was never matched by his ability as a combat leader. He was promoted beyond his station into command of a Division. In my view, his capabilities were restricted to Brigade command.
Pickett's career in brigade command was certainly respectable, if not exceptional, but so was his early division command. He effectively handled his division during Day 3 at Gettysburg and the famous Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble assault but his intense mortification at the repulse of that attack may have left him too stunned to ever achieve anything afterwards. His later career is often diminished by two well-known incidents; the hanging at Kinston, NC of alleged Confederate deserters to the Union ranks, and his presence at the shad bake while hostilities were about to commence at Five Forks. Fairly or not, that and his romantic pre-occupation with Lasalle Corbett (who he then married), are what Pickett is best remembered for.
 
During the final retreat to Appomattox Lee relieved Pickett (as well as Richard Anderson and Bushrod Johnson). Pickett claims he never received the order and remained with the army. When Pickett was spotted by Lee sometime later Lee rather icily commented "I thought that man was no longer with the army."
 
When Pickett was spotted by Lee sometime later Lee rather icily commented "I thought that man was no longer with the army."
The friction between Lee and Pickett seemed to have developed after the failed assault at Gettysburg. Lee was initially solicitous towards Pickett in its aftermath and had asked Pickett about concentrating the remnants of his division; Pickett is said to have responded something to the effect that "I no longer have a Division." When Pickett submitted his written report on the battle, Lee refused to have it published, presumably because it contained harsh criticism. That seemed to set the future tone of relations between the two men that was never reconciled.
 
The friction between Lee and Pickett seemed to have developed after the failed assault at Gettysburg. Lee was initially solicitous towards Pickett in its aftermath and had asked Pickett about concentrating the remnants of his division; Pickett is said to have responded something to the effect that "I no longer have a Division." When Pickett submitted his written report on the battle, Lee refused to have it published, presumably because it contained harsh criticism. That seemed to set the future tone of relations between the two men that was never reconciled.
Just before Lee's death in 1870 Pickett said "That old man butchered my division at Gettysburg,"

Which shows the tension that still existed even a few years after the war ended.
 
Pickett is certainly the odd duck of the Army of Northern Virginia. His name is forever associated with the infamous charge orchestrated by Lee, and which his division performed admirably under the circumstances (well, as admirably as it could under heavy artillery fire and musketry from prepared enemy positions).
I wouldn't call him a great general though. His actions in North Carolina were abysmal, and so was his actions at Five Forks, which resulted in his reinforced division being overrun without leadership and ended the Petersburg Campaign.
 
Pickett's career in brigade command was certainly respectable, if not exceptional, but so was his early division command. He effectively handled his division during Day 3 at Gettysburg and the famous Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble assault but his intense mortification at the repulse of that attack may have left him too stunned to ever achieve anything afterwards. His later career is often diminished by two well-known incidents; the hanging at Kinston, NC of alleged Confederate deserters to the Union ranks, and his presence at the shad bake while hostilities were about to commence at Five Forks. Fairly or not, that and his romantic pre-occupation with Lasalle Corbett (who he then married), are what Pickett is best remembered for.

I do not believe that Pickett was ever an able Division commander.

Pickett finished last in his class of 59 cadets at West Point, in the class of 1846. Although this does not necessarily by itself indicate his abilities as a military leader in the field, (for example, look at Custer), it suggests to me that he probably lacked focus and was distracted easily which would likely be pervasive in all of his conduct.

Pickett did competently lead a Brigade (not a Division) during the Peninsula Campaign. Afterwards, he was promoted to Divisional command. Prior to Gettysburg, his Division was only lightly engaged at Fredericksburg and in the minor inconclusive action at Suffolk; so his abilities as a Division commander could not be properly assessed during this period.

At Gettysburg, he followed orders that resulted in his Division being decimated in the assault on July 3. The consequences of this dramatic event seemed to impact upon Pickett's mindset thereafter (he remained embittered).

After Gettysburg, Pickett and his Division, were sent to recapture New Bern. However, he was defeated by a Brigade-size Union garrison that was stationed there.

Following this failure, Pickett commanded a Division in the defensive positions around Richmond. His Division was also used in a supporting role during Grant's Overland Campaign and then in the defenses in the Siege of Petersburg. In these defensive functions, Pickett performed without distinction.

Near the end of the war, Pickett commanded a small force that was overwhelmed at Five Forks. Pickett failed to carry out Lee's orders of holding this important position at all costs. (Pickett chose a poor defensive position here to deploy his force). Apparently, Lee later issued an order (never received) to relieve Pickett of his command.

In my view, there is no basis to regard Pickett as a capable and competent Division commander; in fact his consistent failures provide evidence to the contrary. Pickett was much more of a show pony – flamboyant, flashy and boisterous. His demeanor was not matched by command abilities (at least at Division level). But the Confederacy was short of senior commanders.

My description of his performance as a Division commander can be encapsulated as:

'He promised much; and delivered little'.
 
Just after his parole at Appomattox Pickett fled to Canada because he feared prosecution for the 22 North Carolinians that he had hanged.They were in Blue Federal uniforms and he ordered them hung as deserters. It was with the help of Grant's intercession that Pickett returned to Virginia in 1866.
 
At Gettysburg, he followed orders that resulted in his Division being decimated in the assault on July 3. The consequences of this dramatic event seemed to impact upon Pickett's mindset thereafter (he remained embittered).
The attack orders at Gettysburg were those of Lee and Pickett's direct superior, Longstreet. There is nothing to indicate that Pickett's actions in commanding his Division during that assault led to its failure; in fact, despite Pickett's retaining only 3 brigades (2 brigades led by Corse and Jenkins had been previously detached by the authorities in Richmond), they effectively fulfilled their objectives. The failure of the assault, which is a topic for another thread, is not attributed to Pickett. That being said, I did acknowledge that Pickett undoubtedly suffered a long-standing trauma from that defeat, which probably resulted in his less effective Division command to the end of the war.
 
Just after his parole at Appomattox Pickett fled to Canada because he feared prosecution for the 22 North Carolinians that he had hanged.They were in Blue Federal uniforms and he ordered them hung as deserters. It was with the help of Grant's intercession that Pickett returned to Virginia in 1866.
Could be that Grant was also thinking of retaliatory hangings committed by Union forces, particularly in Sheridan's Valley command. Grant didn't want to establish any post-war precedents that involved re-opening that sad chapter.
 
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