The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-28
HE SLANDERED TAR HEELS.
Mr.. BlacknaiI Answers a Recent AS
persion of Pettigrew's Brigade.

To the Editor: The Richmond Times
Dispatch Of Sunday, Feb. 7th, contains
a Islander of Pettigrews brigade that
oytrtops them all. 1t is written by Capt.
Br:ght of Gen. Picketts staff. Captain
Bright affirms that Pettigrews brigade
while 500 yards from the Federal line
on Cemetery Ridge, broke and Tell back,
leaving Col. Marshall, who commanded
it that day, to ride forward to his death
virtually unfollowed. The only credit
that he comedies to Pettigrew's brigade
is in the following words. Some OF
the man OF Carrots brigade told me that
they saw up at the stone wall fighting
with them, some men and officers. mostly
the latter, of two other states. and in
answer to my question as to numbers
and organization. answered. numbering in
all less than sixty, and without formation
OF any military kind, Alabamians and
North Carolnians
In a word Capt. Bright admits that
while some North Carolinians, presuma-
bly, of Pettigrew's brigade. resisted the
Federal line along with Pickett's men,
they were two few to consider.
While no accounts of reports of the
charge that / have ever seen state what
The stone wall. behind which the Federals
lay, Capt. Bright's statement is mani
testify wrong and slanderous.
1t is the paramount duty Of all sur
wing North Caroliians who saw the
movements of Pettigrew's brigade in the
charge on the third day at Gettysburg,
TO now speak, stating clearly and can
diGly just what the three regiments of
%, = . ifrso I,r.fro 40 Il
co and did not do.
AS l have before stated in these col
umns, the part assigned to Heth's divis
ION (then commanded by Pettigrew) was
for several reasons more difficult than
the part assigned to Plckett's. The
tolmer command had further to march, it
was less protected by the contour OF
the field; no Federal guns had been 81
fenced in its front by the Confederates
as they had IN front OF Pickett; and last
bur most important OF all the enfladng
fire from their left was far heavier and
at shorter range than Pickett sustained
on his right flank from the guns ON Lit
tie Round Top. Then Picketts regi-
Elents were fresh and full, not having
Deen engaged in the two previous days
nghting. PettigreWs brigade in the first
days lighting had had a desperate hand
TO hand fight with the Iron Brigade, the
most famous for pluck in Meade's army
and had whipped and almost annihilated
them, suffering terribly itself
1t would be no discredit to this shat
tered brigade of North Carolinians,
weakened as they were and exposed to
tce hottest fire, if they did not in a
Lody go as far as the less sorely smitten
irgnians The exact truth OF The mat
ter is all we wish or need.
The animus OF Capt. Bright's article
and his eagerness to asperse Pcttigrew's
command, is clearly shown in the follow
ing statement he makes. He says THAI
after the dispositions had been made
for the assault on Cemetery Ridge and
while the troops awaited the order to
go forward, an Englishman, Colonel
Gordon. against whom Gen. Pickett had
when a captain in the old United States
army been opposed in the San Juan al
fairs on the Pacific coast, came up to
Gen Pickett and said:
pickett, my men are not going up
today"
but, Gordon, they must go up. You
must make them go up, said Gen.
Pickett.
You know, Pickett, that I will go
with you as far as any other man, II
IcIly for old acquaintance sake replied
! Col. Gordon, but my men have until
| shortly been down at the seashore, only
under the fire of heavy guns from ships,
but for the last day or two they have
! lost heavily under infantry fire and are
very sore and they will not go up to-
day"
Capt. Bright says that this officer was
on foot, that there was no horse in
sight and that he must have come from
lPottigrew's brigade which was only about