The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-13

Editor Times. Some days ago saw
"a note in your paper from our friend Alr.
- nuehdn Cameron. OF North Carolina.
saying. that like AN \lrIiniaus. ! Hailed
To- 90 justice iu my recent work 10 The
North Car0linidns participating 10 the
charge ON she 81 of july. 1868, az AettyS-
burg, and, in addition. I have been sub
Jgrtcd to the structures ~ a portion Ot The
press OF the good ola North State
All such comments are based ON what
appeared I'm your paper and not in my
book. as You. very properly. publicly ac-
knOwledged aftcrWari The assault re-
ieued 10 was made. as D. known, 10y
Picketts and Helms divisions and TWO
brisddes of Peudcr's division. Pickett bee
longcd 10 Iougstreets corps. and mad
three brgades of his division engaged,
his Fourth brigade, under That fine old
officer. Corse had been left IN Virginia
feth and Ponder belonged 10 4. l.. Hills
corps. Tn former division cOnsist<i Of
four brigades. and with the TWO from
Pender made SIX brieades from Hil
corps. and only three from Longstreet ,,
ana, though Hill had been ordered to send
them as "a Support to LOugstreetS corps,
tney We're part Of the attacking force.
The operation OF "a detached force gen
orally taxes the name of the commanding
officer. Pickett was the senior officer in
rank, and hence the charge has generally
been written on the pages o history as
"PlckettS Charge" but il should be UNI
dersto0d that the appellati0n refers 20 the
whole body OF nine hrigades, and should
not be limited 10 the three Virginia bri-
gades which belonged 10 Picketts di-
vision.
Heth had been wounded the day before
ana mis- division was commanded 10y the
gallant Pettigrew; that splendid soldier
Fender, had been shot down, and General
Trimble Of Maryland. had been placed
temporarily IN command 4 two bril-
gades lHane's ana Scales SOTth Caro-
liniansl of his division. If either Heth OF
Fender had been present and had ranked
Pickett, the assault would have been
known a. Heth's or Penders charge as
the case might be. There We're two Ala
bama. three Tennessee. fifteen North
Carolina. and about eighteen Virginia
regiments engaged. and If anybody thinks
that the latter. however great the record
they made on that bloody field. did all the
fighting. he is vastly mistaken. There
was glory enough In that desperate. I'M
supported charge 10 be equally divided be
tween the regiments which participated.
and give 10 each one a full share. ana II
Garrett. kemper and Armisiead com
mandng the brigades IN Pickett division
proper; were shot. 50 was fettsreW +,
Trimble. Fry, Marshall and Lawrence. the
commanding officers OF other orsanlza-
tiOns. and II any one VIII take the trou-
BILE % read the reports OF the command
ing officers Of lieth's and Pender troops
they will see that their brave men went
up 10 AMI into the Federal works and over
portion Of these works their battle
hags flew VIGOROUSLY for some time be
fore they were hdnked upon every side
and forcel 70 abandon them.
Nine brigades started I'm this maglif-
cent charge with six i'm the first and
three in the second line; from the right
OF Pickctts division TO the left OF Petit
crews command was after all a short
distance compared with the distance be-
tween the TANKS OF the whole Federal
army. and II can be readily seen. that
without supports. a force so situated could
easily be overwhelmed and enveloped
upon from every side II the assault had
been made by L0ngStreet's whole corps OF
three divisions. supported by half OF Hills
corps as General Lee intended. ! am one
OF those who believe the Confederafes
would have won "A great and decisive VIC
tory. Very respectfully yours,
Ff1X LEE.