New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-13
GENERAL PICKETT.
SOME INTERESTING RECoLLEcT1oNs BY
HIS WIDOW.

p1cKrTT AND HIS MEN. BY La Sale Coroeil
pickett Mrs G. L. PicketD. Syo, PIP KIN
tse Atlanta Ca: The Foote DAVIS Com-
pany. -. a..
treatment for which we look TO the historian
h,, that which is naturally to be expected from
a woman whose observations of the civil war
were colored by personal anxiety for her nus
nard IN tho field The narrative Is intormai
and dscursiye 1t is not for that reason uhh-
tercstlng. On the contrary we can never nave
roo many Of those impressions of the great con-
eict which revive for us the atmosphere OF
tragedy and suspense in which those VINO ala
not fight. but watched. lived from day TO Day
Mrs Pickett was married In the midst OF war
II was only few days after her graduation
from school that her fance carried her photo-
graph to General Longstreet at Cuipeper
Court House saying: Il am going TO be mar
ried and want fuTlough. This little girl says
she is ready and willing TO marry me al any
minute. In spite Of the risks of war. and VIII go
with me to the furthest end of the earth
need be-" Longstreet could not grant the fur-
Tough but ne said. with twinkle in MS eye
Il might detail you for special duty ana OF
course. YOU could stop off by the way and be
married" This done. and the marriage
took place shortly after
which Mrs. Pickett showed throughout all that
dreary time Her brave spirit lends to her text
its principal charm She, too passed through
hardshjps. not the least Of which was the burn
ing Of her old home on the James by General
putler She writes to-day with old enmities
softened almost out Of existence but in the neat
OF ;he conflict her devotion to the COnfederacy
was fiery in the extreme. She tells smusngy
O: how. Just at the end OF the war, she found
herself on her journey from Richmond In COM
pany with General ingalls, and other opponents
of the Southern cause. They were friends OF
her husband and the latter adapted hlmseH
with good humor 10 the situation. but MIS-.
Pickett fed from the deck OF the steamboat 10
her statcroom and buried her head in her pill
low. weeping Presently ingalls, and her hus-
bard stood over her. and the former with smiles
and kindness patted her on the head and ex-
pressed his sympathy and understanding But
the greenback which he thrust in her babys
hands was cold comfort. and 1t grudgingly
that she added the Generals name to the list
OF Yankees for her baby not to hate.
one Of Mrs Pcketts most interesting pas
sages relates to the fact that her husband was
appointed to West Point through the friendship
and political influence Of Lincoln himself 1t
seems that at that time, in the early forties,
with Picketts uncle. The latter wanted his
nephew to devote himself to legal studies, but
the military bent was imperative. and uti-
mately the cadetshp was secured. Some OF
Lincoln's letters to his young friend yield some
striking quotations He was extremely anxious
that the young man should not study so hard
as to hurt himself physically, and therefore
fall short of being the perfect soldier which
Lincoln wanted TO he credited in him TO dear
old Illinois" Shortly after Pickett entered
West Point Lincoln wrote him: Il have just
told the folks here in Springfield on this 111th
anniversary of the birth of him whose name.
mightiest in the cause OF civil liberty, still
mightiest in the cause OF moral reformation,
we mention in solemn awe in naked. deathess
splendor, that the one victory we can ever call
complete will be that one which proclaims that
there Is not one slave or one drunkard on the
face OF Gods green earth. Recruit for this
victory" At the close OF the same letter he
says: NOW boy. on your march, don't you go
and forget the old maxim that One drop of
honey catches more flies than half gallon of
gall Load your musket with this maxim and
smoke 1t in your pipe" Mrs. Pickett observes
that her husband remembered since there was
not drop Of gall in his whole life, and it is in
deed, gallant and lovable personality which
Pickett service in Mexico, and bre-
vetted first lieutenant for gallant and meri-
torious conduct in the battles OF Contreras and
Churubusco" in August, 1871 Early in the fol-
lowing month he was brevetted captain for his
conduct AT Chapultepec. He stationed at
San Juan Island. w. T.. when he resigned in
June, 1861. In the Civil War his name was
honorably identified with some OF the prn-
cipal actions. Seven Pines. Gaines's Mills An
tetam, Fredericksburg Charlottesville and
Gettysburg are all traversed by Mrs. Pickett in
her record. The somewhat confused arrange
ment Of her narrative makes IL impossible to
summarize it here with any continuity, but as
we have limited before the military events
treated by the author interesting chiefly as
they are reflected in her personal experiences
and emotions. IL her descriptions of matters
or magnitude are not very weighty additions TO
the literature of the war her glimpses OF per-
sonalities and her little sketches of minor in
cidents are decidedly sympathetic and valua-
bic. We should add that she has well sue
ceeded in her purpose Of paying tribute not
only TO her husband but to the men Of Pickett's
division the latter figuring constantly in her
narrative.