George Pickett

George Pickett. He was a Confederate States Army officer best known for leading the disastrous infantry assault at the Battle of Gettysburg, an attack forever memorialized as "Pickett's Charge." A flamboyant and controversial figure, his military career spanned the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War, where he served under General Robert E. Lee in the Army of Northern Virginia. His post-war life was marked by business failures and a struggle to reconcile with the Union.

Early life and education

Born into a prominent Virginia family in Richmond, he was the first cousin of future Confederate general Henry Heth. After receiving an appointment to the United States Military Academy from Congressman John T. Stuart, he graduated last in the Class of 1846, a group that included future Union commander George B. McClellan and Confederate general Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. His academic performance at West Point belied a charismatic personality and a strong sense of personal honor.

Military career before the Civil War

Commissioned into the United States Army, he served with distinction in the Mexican–American War under General Winfield Scott, receiving a brevet promotion to captain for his actions at the Battle of Chapultepec. His subsequent postings included frontier duty with the 8th Infantry Regiment in Texas and command of Fort Bellingham in the Washington Territory, where he was involved in the Pig War dispute with Great Britain. He resigned his commission in June 1861 after Virginia seceded.

Civil War service

Initially commanding the 1st Virginia Infantry at the Battle of Williamsburg, he was promoted to major general in October 1862 after recovering from a wound received at the Battle of Gaines's Mill. He commanded a division in James Longstreet's First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Fredericksburg. His defining moment came on July 3, 1863, at Gettysburg, when his division, alongside those of James Johnston Pettigrew and Isaac R. Trimble, spearheaded the massive frontal assault on the Union center at Cemetery Ridge during the Battle of Gettysburg. The repulse of "Pickett's Charge" resulted in catastrophic casualties and became a symbol of the Confederacy's fading fortunes. Later in the war, his performance at the Battle of Five Forks was criticized by General Lee, and his division was shattered at the Battle of Sayler's Creek during the Appomattox campaign.

Postbellum life and death

Fleeing to Canada briefly after the war to avoid potential prosecution, he later returned to the United States and worked as an insurance agent in Norfolk, Virginia. He struggled financially and was largely unrepentant about his service to the Confederate States of America. He died in Norfolk in 1875 from complications of a liver abscess, and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

Legacy and memorials

His name is inextricably linked to the failed assault at Gettysburg, a subject of extensive study in military history and popular culture. A monumental Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery features his image among other Southern generals. His likeness is also carved into the massive Stone Mountain monument in Georgia. The eponymous charge remains a central feature of the Gettysburg National Military Park, and his former home in Richmond, the General George Pickett House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Category:1825 births Category:1875 deaths Category:Confederate States Army major generals Category:People of the American Civil War