Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-31
MRS. GEORGE e. p1cRETr ILL.
Frustrated Over the Report That Sh'
Christened the Kentucky With Whlskey


Mrs. George E. Pickett, widow Of
the late Confederate general, is pros
trated over the report tina: she sma shed
a bottle of whiskey on the prov Of the
battleship Kentucky at the launching OF
rae ship here last Thursday.
Nus. Pickett denies that she in any
way interfeied with the Successful
authorized We'll KNOWN F,sderal officer
to write to Governor Bradley and
brand the Whole story as a fabrication.
This same Federal officer. writing to
the Louisville Courier-Journal, has this
to say:
Mrs. Pickett, who lives in Washing
ton and supports herself. is very mod
est, gentle lady, who shunS all publici-
ty beyond what is inseparable from the
fame of her husband, who led one of
the most famous charges in the history
| of the war. l had the honor of making
| her acquaintance ON the Gettysburg
| battli e-field ten years ago, and we De-
| came good friends. She was invited by
Governor Tyler, of Virginia, to accom-
pany him and Mrs. Tyler to witness the
launching OF the Kea. sarge and Ken
lucky, but. stunning publicity. she had
decrined the invitation, when Mrs. Ty-
Ter was taken suddenly i'll and tele-
| graphed Mrs. Pickett to please come
and be her ne prs sentative. ...
| The room on the boat that was re-
| served for President and Mrs. Mckn-
| ley was placed at her service, and she
came to Old Point with her son. who is
| an aide to Governor Tyler. The kear-
| sarge was the first laune h-d u, and then
the Kentucky party, the Kearsarge
party and Governor Tyler. Mrs. Pickett
and the staff With others walked over
| to the christening stage under the bow
Of the Kentucky. The stage. besides
bly, accommodated about thrte hun-
died persons. but for the Governor Of
| Kentucky, Mrs. Bradley, Miss Bradley
| and her maids OF honor there was pro-
vfded a small inclosed space, elevated
| above the nest of the stuSe. The Gov
e,nor, with Mrs. and Miss Bradley: en-
tered the inclosed space first and were
| followed by the maids Of honor. This
party nearly filled all of the space.
/ II then saw Cove rnor Tyler come for
J watd and station himself at the right of
| the enclosure where he could easily con-
Verse with the young ihdies and then, AS
Mrs. Pickett was detained somewhere
IN the crowd, he sent one Of his staff to
| bring her forward. She may have en-
tered the enclosure and so have been on
from him by the railing and elevated
foot or two above THE stage.
AT this time ! l-ft the christening
stage because I wished to get a full
length view of the ship as she glded
into the water, and what occurred later
| will tell as Mrs. Pickett told it to me
at her house in Washington last even
ing. only l may say that / know it
| would not have been possible fur Mrs.
| Pickett to have 'elbowed Mrs. Bradley,
for they We're too far apart and rhe
crowd vas dense. 1t took just one hour
and a half to get the Kentucky ready
| for launching, and during the wait Mrs.
| Pickett tells ME that some one in the
Kentucky crowd handed a small bottle
| of whiskey to Miss Castleman. with the
| pink badge wriul by kentucky eNcur-
sionists pinned to the cork of the bottle
Miss Alice handed it to Mrs Pickett,
who slipped it into her pocket, think
ing 1T a pretty souvenir of the occa-
| sion. She never for Il moment Thought
! Of breaking the bottle against the ship.
She carried it home With her, and
sh'-We it to ME at her house yesterday
| There were great many of these min
!atute bottles of whiskey on the ground.
but Whtther they We're given away for
advertising purposes or We're sold do
| not know.
Il saw a number OF them flung at the
| ship as she was Sliding off the ways
but 1t was ell in fun and goodwill as
ships We're launched the guests invited
| to the banquet at Old Point went on
board the stea amer Newport News, but
Governor Tyler and his party had their
own boat, and did not see Mrs Pick
eft until we formed to march into the
banquet room. She was PLACID at the
table with the maids of h nor, and /
sat at the right, hand. as Governor Ty-
Ter was placed at the speakers table.
she did not mention the incident have
above rtlnted, but after the banouel
She asked ME TO present her to Gov
srnor and Mrs. Bradley and, Miss Brad
ley. which T did.
Mrs. Pickett has just finish writ
ing book on the war and wished thar
! might read the chapter on Gettys-
ours. She therefore invited me to dine
AZ her house Saturday at O'Clock,
Nhen ! Went to fulfill the enga cement t.
| FOUND that she had been since her re-
turn from Old Point Friday morning
ma 'e Ill by the report printed i'm a New
YORK paper that she had done such a
thIng as to interfere with the manner
ADOPTED for christening the Kentucky.
fier modification and distress were .x-
irene She authorized me to write IL
home" 10y eou'a