Leader of the Charge: A Biography of General George E. Pickett, C.S.A - Hardcover

Longacre, Edward G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1572490063 ISBN 13: 9781572490062

Publisher: White Mane Pub, 1995

Synopsis

Profiles the Confederate general who led the suicidal charge at Gettysburg.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

This first modern biography of the man who led the final Confederate attack at Gettysburg depicts neither an archetypical cavalier nor a shallow incompetent. Though Pickett's promotion owed something to the patronage of his superior Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, he had an excellent record of brigade command and did as well on July 3, 1863, as anyone was likely to have done in the circumstances. Nevertheless, Pickett lost the confidence of Robert E. Lee and spent most of the rest of the war on peripheral assignments in North Carolina and southern Virginia. Performing adequately under direct supervision, Pickett showed no aptitude for independent command despite some successes, notably in organizing the defenses of Petersburg in 1864. Longacre's sympathy for his subject leads him both to overestimate Pickett's military capacities and to understate Gettysburg's impact on a man who in its aftermath arguably suffered from what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder. This work is still a useful addition to the literature on Confederate command in the Civil War. Illustrations.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The name of General George Pickett is readily recognizable owing to his role in the Battle of Gettysburg, yet this is the first biography of him since 1899. Longacre (Mounted Raids of the Civil War, Univ. of Nebraska., 1994) has written an excellent account of a gallant leader who risked his life in earlier battles but did not accompany his troops into the battle that still bears his name. Longacre depicts in a well-rounded manner Pickett's life and actions, from his days at West Point through the Mexican War, and details his leadership in the Civil War. The author also draws on Pickett's personal life to show how it affected his military life. Overall, Longacre's well-written study refutes most of the earlier accounts written about Pickett, yet gives a clear picture of his life and military exploits. Recommended for all libraries.
W. Walter Wicker, Louisiana Technical Univ., Ruston
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: White Mane Pub
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 1572490063
• ISBN 13: 9781572490062
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 242