The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-14
The messenqer.
RETTIGREW,S SLANDERED BRIG
AIDE.

The Charleston News and Courier is
so popular in this office we not infre-
quently miss seeing an issue. 1t was
so with the number containing a recent
reference to Pickett and Pettigrew at
Gettysburg. We find it copied in the
Raleigh Post. The News and Courier
wrote:
I'm 1870 Walter Harrison, adjutant
general of Pickett's division, publish
ed a work entitled 'Picketts Men
There has just been issued from the
press a volume with very much the
same Title CPickett and His Men),
writer by the widow of n great Vir-
ginia aoldier. In the story of the ia
NOUS charge of Pickett's division at
Gettysburg, which Mrs. Pickett ex-
pressly states was written by her hus-
band, occurs the following paragraph:
'Pettigrew was trying to reach the
post of death and honor, but he was
far away, and valor could not nnihi
late space. His troops had suffered Sc
verely in the battle of the day before,
and their commander had been wound-
ed. They were now led by an officer
ardent and brave, but to them I'M
known Will DR.. Kingsbury, Of the
Wilmington Messenger, who is jealous
of the fame of Pettigrew's grigade, re-
concile this statement of Gen. Pickett
with the claims of the gallant North
CaroIinianS at Gettysburg"
We believe that nothing could be far
ther from the truth and more unjust
and slanderous tina thai statement.
Gen. Pettigrew led in person the divis-
ion he was COMMUNICATIVE of Gen.
Harry Heth, who was wounded. We
have it on the authority Of a northern
writer, and of a distinguished Virgin
ian who had the best opportunities for
knowing, that Gen. Pickett was not in
the charge. If our able contemporary
will consult the following authorities it
will earn a great deal of the third
days battle and understand why not
only this writer, but every true and
informed North Carolinian, lis jealous
of the fame of Pettigrew's brigade"
and also of the division he commanded
with such splendid dash and ability on
that fateful day: Write to Capt. w. E.
Bond, Scotland Neck, N. c., for his
valuable pamphlet, "Pettigrew or Pick
ett;;" write to Prof. d. H. Hill. son of
that very brave South Carolinian, Gen.
d. H. Hill, for a copy of his recent ar
ticle on the Battle of Gettysburg"
You can see from his clear account the
great service rendered and the magnifi-
cent fighting lone by North Cardinals
troops during the three days great
battle. Consult also in MOore's History
of North Carolina the testimonies pub
Iished as to the third day. Immediate
Iy after the terrible fight we saw mis-
and Pollard followed it up with mis-
representations. Capt. Young, a gal
LAM and able Charlestonian, who serv-
ed on Pettigrew's staff, wrote a correc-
tion of the lies after the battle by re-
quest of Pettigrew's brigade. He lives
we think, in Savannah, and can be
communicated with. We nave a dozen
times gone into particulars of the bat
tie. Pettigrew's North Carolinians
were found dead on the field of glory
farther in the lines of the enemy tina
any Virginians were found. See Col.
Batchelder's marvellous map of the
battle, and a recent plan Of the third
LILY - light ny ill OLlLCcI II Tie u. =.
Corps of Engineers. You can better
understand then the third days fight.
Read what we IA suggested and you
will see how utterly baseless is the
Pickett's Islander of Heth's division and
Pettigrew's own brigade. In the divis-
ion of Heth, commanded by Pettigrew
as senior Brigadier there were four
brigades-one from Virginia, one from
North Carolina, and one each from two
other states. The only troops that be-
haved badly in that division were from
Virginia. We would like for our able
and discriminating contemporary to
make a study of the third day and give
it's candid conclusions. Pettigrew's
own brigade lost more heavily at Get
-~tysburg than any other in that battle.
it is a great shame that such brave,
self-sacrificing soldiers should have
been ~slandered so ~grievously. We have
not gone into the proofs, but refer to
the publications named.