The National tribune., 1908-09-24

movements His mental characteristics
implied that there was an infusion of,
Scetch-Irish blood. At the time of the
war he was a powerfully built man of
five feet 10. with a progressive badness
and abundant flowing whiskers. He
graduated from West Point in 1S42,
along with Gems. Newton, Rosecrans,
Pope. r. W. Johnston, Seth Williams,
Doubleday, Dana and Sykes. of the
Union army, and Gems. G. w. Smith,
Lowell, A p Stewart, NJ. l.. Smith, d.
H Hill, r. II. Anderson. McLaws and
Earl Van DorE, of the Confederate
army. L. S. Grant was in the class
ahead of him, and the two became fast
friends for life
Longstreet distinguished himself in
Mexico. where he was severely wound
ed, and won three brevets. At Monte
rey Lieuts. James Longstreet and Geo.
C. Meade led the storming party.
Longstreet became a Captain, and
then transferred into the Pay Corps,
with the rank of Major, holding this
when he resigned to enter the Confed-
crate army, where he was made a Brig
adler. and cop1manded the troops
which repelled the Union soldiers at
Blackburn's Ford. and receiving promo
ton to Major-General. His troops
fought Eooker's, Kearnys and Han
cocks at Williamsburg. At Antietam
Longstreet commanded the Confederate
right, but was absent from ChancellorS-
vile in the siege of Suffolk.
Maj.-Gen. George e. Pickett.
One of the dramatic phases of this
most spectacular battle was that the
man chosen to lead this thunderbolt of
war had been started upon his military
career by President Abraham Lincoln.
Young George z. Pickett was the
nephew of one of Lincoln's associates
and warmest friends, Andrew Johnston,
of Virginia. Young Pickett was living
in Illinois, and his uncle was insistent
upon his entering the legal profession.
Lincoln got his confidence, sympathized
with his desire for a military career,
and succeeded in securing appointment
for him 10 the Military Academy. He
kept in touch with him during his
course, counseling and encours ging
him. and hoping that his future career
would be great credit to "our dear
Illinois" Pickett graduated with the
class of 1886, and was assigned to the
8th U. S. He stood quite low in his
studies, but was noted for a knightly
dash and gallantry. He was hand
some young fellow, who rode like a
centaur, and his physical manhood was
perfect. He went into the Mexican War
with enthusiasm, won brevets for Con-
treras, Churubusco and Chapultepec,
and was a Captain in the. 9th u. S. at
the outbreak of the war. He came into
prominence in 1855 by precipitating
troubles with Great Britain over the
Northwestern Boundary. Pickett, with
a company, seized San Juan Island, in
the Straits of Fuca, which was in dis
pute, and defied the British.
The British had a heavy force of
warships and troops at hand, and
threatened to land an overpowering
strength, but Pickett replied that he
would make another Bunker Hill and
then retire, fighting, to the woods.
This brought about crisis. Harvey,
his superior in command, was relieved,
and Gen. Scott sent to the country to
smooth over the situation. The island
remains in our possession, however.
Pickett felt his Virginia associations
stronger upon him than those of Illi-
nois. tho he did not resign until some
weeks after Virginia seeded. He be-
came Colonel of the 9Th Va, then was
promoted to Brigadier-General, did
some hard fighting on the Peninsula, in
command of a brigade. and Oct. IL
1862, was promoted to Major-General
and the command of q division in
Longstreets Corps.
Maj.-Gen. James J. Pettigrew.
Pickett's Division was almost wholly
Virginian in its composition. Heth's Di-
vision, which was to cooperate with
him. was largely North Carolinian, and
out of this has sprung a bitter contro-
Yersy between the two States. Heeh
being severely wounded on the first
day. the command of his division was
given TO Maj.-Gen. James Johnston Pet
tigrew, one of the very best examples
of all that was claimed for Southern
chivalry and culture. He belonged to a
well-known Huguenot family, which
had distinguished itself In South Caro-