Title: Pickett or Pettigrew?
First published: 1888
Description: W.R. Bond was a Confederate officer in a North Carolina regiment. He was present at the Battle of Gettysburg. His regiment was in neither the division of Pickett, nor  that of Pettigrew. His unit was nor involved in the 3rd day at Gettysbburg. His pamphlet makes the case that  the famous charge of the 3rd day at Gettysburg should be more appropriately called Pettigrew's Charge, not Pickett's Charge. This pamphlet was published after publication of the Official Records of the War. , thus Bond could draw on contemporary after action reports by both Northern and Southern participants to build his case. He blames the mis-naming of the attack on the prejudice of Virginia war correspondents who he states defamed participating troops from other Southern states. To Virginia war correspondents the only troops in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia were Virginians!  He points out that 2/3 of the attacking Confederate troops were from other then Virginia regiments and underscores his claim by relying on the great discrepancy in casualties between the Virginia regiments involved in the attack and those of other states, but particularly North Carolina. The regiments of Pickett's Division in fact showed the lowest number of fatalities per regiment in the attack.
Subjects: Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863, History, Regimental histories, United States Civil War, 1861-1865
Places: United States
People: George E. Pickett (1825-1875), James Johnston Pettigrew (1828-1863)
Time periods: 3 July 1863, Gettysburg, Pickett's Charge, Civil War, 1861-1865