The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-27
LET THE GIANT LIARS DIE
OF SHAME AND CONFUSION"
''Co Venable, Says DR.. Kingsbury, "Distinctly De-
cIares That Gen. Pickett the Great Hero
on Paper, Was Not i'm the Charge

commanded b8tGeA peterborough, was
giving way, Genera. Lee ordered me to
guide him to the spot. Accompanied by
his personal staff, he galloped rapidly for
ward to the position from which Pickett
had started. .. The next group We
came upon consisted OF Pickett and a
number of his staff officers at the foot
Of wooded hill, little to the left of
the point from which his troops had start
ed on the charge.
''The General stopped moment or two
and spoke to Pickett, who was weeping,
then galloped up the HILL"
In a letter written a few years ago to
Capt. Nets of this city, and which 1
have handled and read Col. Venable dis
tinctly declares that General Pickett, the
great hero on paper, was not IN the
charge at all. l make another informing
extract:
'Halting but a moment we rode rapidly
to the top of the hill which was swept by
the enemy's artillery fire, and there found
Pettigrew wounded, and On foot, but still
looking after his men. He said. General
Lee, I am responsible for my Brigade, but
not for the Division. General Lee, stoop-
ing from his saddle grasped his hand
warmly and replied, General Pettigrew, it
part in rallying and reforming the scat
tered troops which had returned from the
charge. I do not believe that any men
ever fought more heroically than did Pet
tigrew's Brigade of North Carolinians on
the LIST. and 3rd Of July at Gettysburg
AS you know well, they fought on that
first day against tremendous odds, and
suffered very heavy losses. Heths Divi-
sion being the first to arrive on the field
1 must make one other extract. sad and
yet glorious:
Il cannot close this letter without
speaking of the last interview which Gen
eral Lee had with General Pettigrew after
he was wounded at Failing Waters. Rid
ing along the line of march from the Po-
tomac he overlook the ambulance in
which Pettigrew lay, and spoke to him,
with all the affection of a comrade, words
of cheer and hope. Pettigrew replied:
The doctors say 1 must die, General, but
think l shall fool them
''Alasl this wound was fatal. There was
indeed no knightlier gentleman, no more
brilliant or accomplished soldier in the
Confederate Armies than General John
ston Pettlgrew.'
Take the Goth Regiment of Pettigrew's
own Brigade, and behold their losses. They
entered the battle, says Col. John r.
Lane, one of the very bravest of the
brave, and the third Colonel of this great
regiment with 500 officers and men. He
says, and he knows whereof he afirms,
and the record is simply magnificent:
Company r on the left of the flag, lost
every one of its 81 men. 81 being killed
ana 60 wounded Company E, to the right
OF the flag, suffered nearly as badly. It
carried 50 men into the fight, had IS kill
ed and 50 wounded, and brought out only
two untouched. Our total loss on that
day was 5S4-greater in number and great
er in per cent. than that suffered by any
other regiment on either side during the
war.
I'VE came out with only 216 men. The
officers of the regiment were killed or
wounded, but its spirit and discipline
were not broken On the third day the
remnant with colors flying stepped out,
with hearts of oak, to take part in that
memorable third days charge. / call the
world to witness that they never falter-
ed"
The total was so per cent Col. Lane
says:
Search the records OF the world and
loss more terrible. Let no man think that
these losses crushed the spirit of the re-
giment. 1t was made of sterner stuff
This regiment, lost heavily again in the
Battle of the Wilderness where it had 760
men. It was in every important engage
ment from me Wilderness to Appomattox,
surrendering there 12O more muskets than
any of the North Carolina regiments but
one, the 18th. Such was the regiment
that crushed the line of the best troops
in the Federal army on the first of July,
1853, says Col Lane.
Of the 2,7O0 Federal and Confederate
regiments the Twenty-sixth North Caro-
lima lost mere men killed and wounded
than any one of the whole number.
It may be mentioned here as illustrative
of the magnificent courage and devotion
of the 26th regiment that fourteen times
were the color bearers shot down, nearly
all killed. The courage and dash of the
men were absolutely undaunted to the
last. 1 quote once more from Col. John
R. Lanes admirable, most graphic and
interesting address delivered at the Get
sysburg Battle Ground Celebration in July
last. He tells of the destruction of his re-
giment. the 26th North Carolina, and
their steady advance, driving the enemy
gradually before them. He says:
Several lines of the enemy have given
away, but a most formidable line yet re-
mains, which seems determined to hold
its position. Volleys of musketry are fast
thinning out those left; only a skeleton
line now remains. To add to the horrors
of the scene, the battle smoke has settled
down over the combatants making 1T al
most as dark as night. But these men are
1ndauntcd They never tire. their muscles
are made of iron. With a cheer they
greet every order to advance; they rush
IN and upward now they reach the
summit of the hill: the last line OF the
,nemy gives way and suddenly retires."
He was fearfully wounded at the close.
In the war he was five times wounded,
think No soldier could possibly show
more perfect, more conspicuous valor. In
many battles the North Carolina soldiers
suffered mere than any other-in the Sew
an Days Battles Around Richmond. at
Sharpsburg, in tie wilderness, at Get
tysburg and others. Why this? Col Fox,
If Albany, New York, in his book al
ready cited, say that "a study of regi-
A