Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-02
THE DYNAMITE CASE.
LEE AND PICKETT.
An Unauthenticated Statement About
Their Alleged Estrangement.

ABINGDON, Va, May so, 1891.
To 1,e Editor of the Dispatch;
Is there any truth in tho enclosed state
ment which / clipped from the 81. Louis
Globe Democrat? 10 IL thing ! never
heard of before. and doubt its truthful
ness. Please answer through the columns
Of your paper and very much oblige yours
very truly. >. u. l.
COLONEL ROBERT sTRIBL1EG, MARKHAM, VA
Isaw Pickett when no returned from his
desperate charge on the Federal Centre on
the heights Of Gettysburg: He was my
cousin. and knew him well. Ny battery
supported him IN the charge among others.
As he rode up he wrung my hand violently
and said "Bob. my heart is broken My
command il Destroyed The more he
contemplated the destruction OF his men
the wilder grew his demonstrations. lie
laid the whole matter on Lee, ana never
up TO the moment of his death
did he forgive Lee. After the war Lee,
Pickett, and myself were at the White Sui
phur Springs. Lee held grand reception
nearly every evening. but Pickett Kept
aloof from him. Ono day Lee walked over
to where Pickett was CHARTERED. sent in
his card. and was received. Lee knew
what was uppermost in Picketts mind,
and said: General. let US be friends.
Perhaps l was wrong in ordering your
division TO charge at Gettysburg. My
Judgment NAV have been at fault.
1t was O noble and magnanimous act
on the part of General Lee. but Pickett
was implacable. l can even now see
him az he drew his stout, stocky inquire
TO its full height, his wayy coal-black HAIR
falling on his shoulders, while his coal black
eyes grew stern as he replied; General
Lee, when / recall to mind that on that
4. 4, u % I,ta NtrgfTrfa
infantry, and that you sent them TO use
less slaughter, | can never forgive you
Lee colored, bowed in his usual dlgnlfed
manner, and quietly withdrew; Pickett
died prematurely. He was a high liver
and loved strong drink. His abnormal
appetite caused his death. Yes, L have
heard of the charge made by Gen.
eral Malone that Pickett was drunk
at Gettysburg, and lay under a
tree drunk while his division maze
that immortal charge, But IL so hap
pens that / saw the charge and ! know
George Pickett was " in it," as the saying
goes. Now. as o matter of fact, while
Pickett shrunk from no personal danger on
the field of battle, he was opposed 10
making this particular charge, because he
thought il would prove useless slaughter
of men. He rode up at tho last minute 20
Longstreet. who was sitting on, rail-
fence cogitatlng, and said: General,
shall I order my troops TO mover" The
terrible cannonadn had Just about stopped
at this moment. Longstreet replied:
Those are General Lees orders,
sir" When Pickett said Very well,
SIR" turned his horse, rode to the
head of his division, drew his
sword. and the gallant division moved on
fine enemy. All this saw and heard and
part of which was. Twenty-eight. years
nearly have passed since those stirring
events. The scene Is reproduced IN my
imagination as talk. / have never been
able to drive it from my memory. | dream
of II nearly every night of my life and
frirhten my wife as in a nightmare l sit
up in bed and give the old orders to my
battery. If | had committed murder my
mind could not bemore troubled thanit has
been over what | witnessed ut the battle OF
Gettysburg.
We referred the foregoing TO Colonel
Stribling and his answer Is as follows:
There IA no truth whatever in the inter-
view as published. To my knowledge |
never saw reporter of the 81. Louis Globe
Democrat.
Though I, In common with the command,
saw General Pickett during the battle OF
Gettysburg he did not speak 10 me or L
TO him during the whole dry, nor can re-
member that Re ever spoke TO me about
the Gettysburg campaign frUIn that time
TO the close of the war.
never was at the WhlteSulphur Springs
| in my life.
l never, before / read this interview,
heard that General Malone ever at any
time brought such charge against Gene
| raj Pickett as my statement represents me
as asserting. -
Except very early In the morning, whilst
| he was riding In front of the lines, did
| not see General Longstreet during tho day
of the battle, and then did not hear him
| speak q word.
When received a copy Of tho interview
| sent 10 me by some unknown person, with
marks TO attract my notice to it, OF
course felt indignant, but being. in the
| dark as to who was the writer and his mo-
tives in writing, concluded that the OK
trayagant mode of expression would stamp
II with all who read IL as ridiculous, and
felt that needn't stUop TO make public
denial.
General Lee lowered so high IN the esti-
mate of all soldiers and true people, and
General Pickett was one of his division
commanders so distinguished for loyalty,
skill, and gallantry, and so beloved by bis
immediate command, that | would not os
worthy of association with them had
made such o statement or authorized Its
publication. Yours truly.
RoBERr N. STRBLNo.