James Johnson Pettigrew
As long' as Southerner*
1ои*
I heir seel ion
of the country, they will continue to honor
flic memory of the famous North Carolina
General who fought so valiantly at Gettys¬
burg.
MORE than eighty years have
passed since the soil of
Pennsylvania drank its fill
of Southern blood, and Carolina
now pays belated tribute to the
memory of a gallant son who im¬
mortalized both himself and his
state in the historic charge against
the flaming heights of Cemetery
Ridge at Gettysburg. Counties
have been named in honor of Gen¬
eral Pender, who found a hero's
grave in this same battle: and for
General Hoke who also served here
with conspicuous gallantry. Now.
in the land of his nativity. Petti¬
grew Park commemorates the valor
of the Paladin of that battle.
Born in Tyrrell in 1828 he was
graduated from the University in
1847. Licensed to practice law. he
settled at Charleston and upon the
outbreak of hostilities he became
Colonel of the 1st South Carolina
Rifles, and was in command at
Castle Pinckney and at Morris
Island. There was some confusion
necessarily attendant upon the
transfer of troops from the state
to the Confederate service. This
resulted in his losing his South
Carolina command, but he was
speedily elected as Colonel of the
22nd North Carolina Infantry, and
he was promoted to Brigadier in
the spring of 1862.
Wounded and Captured
His brigade was in the thickest
of the fight at Seven Pines, and
lost heavily. The General himself
was severely wounded, and while
lying on the field unconscious, was
captured. He was finally ex¬
changed. and in the spring of 1863
defended Richmond against the
raid of Stoneman's cavalry. His
brigade was then ordered to the
support of General Lee in his in¬
vasion of Pennsylvania, and was
attached to the division of Major
General Harry Heth.
It was the brigade of Pettigrew
which brought on the decisive bat¬
tle of Gettysburg. Under orders
from General Heth. on June 29.
1863. Pettigrew marched his troops
to Gettysburg to seize a supply of
shoes reported in that town. He
THE STATE April 5. 1947
By R. C. LAURENCE
found the place occupied by Bu¬
ford’s Federal cavalry, and not
knowing whether this force was
supported by infantry, did not at¬
tack. Each side then called up re¬
inforcements. and soon the entire
Southern army ( except Stuart's
cavalry) under Lee, and the entire
Northern army under Meade, faced
each other in battle array.
It was Heth’s division which
opened the three-day battle. When
the fight opened, only Buford’s
Federal cavalry stood between the
Confederates and Gettysburg, but
the corps of the Federal General
Reynolds soon arrived, and. while
troops were being deployed, that
General was killed. Pettigrew's
brigade was just south of the
Chambersburg Pike, facing Semi-
General Pettigrew
nary Ridge. He attacked the Fed¬
eral brigade of Biddle, driving it
back with heavy loss into its en¬
trenchments. Lieutenant General
Л.
P. Hill himself bore testimony
to the valor of Pettigrew’s men, in
whose command the 26th North
Carolina lost more than half its
numbers including its "boy Colo¬
nel" H.
К
Burgwyn killed, and its
Lieutenant Colonel. Lane, severely
wounded. Colonel * afterward Gen¬
eral
»
Collett Leventhorpe. of the
11th North Carolina, was wounded
and Major Ross was killed.
Pettigrew Assumes Command
General Heth was wounded dur¬
ing that clay's fighting, and Petti-
rew assumed command of his
ivision. retaining the command
during the ensuing battle. His divi¬
sion was not in the fight on the
second day. as it was too exhausted
from the severe losses sustained
during the first day's engagement.
The Gettysburg terrain is rug¬
ged. almost mountainous. There
are two high and roughly parallel
ridges, known as Seminary and
Cemetery ridges, between which
lies a beautiful valley approxi¬
mately a mile in width. Lee occu¬
pied Seminary ridge; Meade's op¬
posing troops occupied the crest of
the opposite heights. Formidable
artillery bristled on both ridges,
supported by all available troops
of each army, the position of the
Fedora Is being the highest in ele¬
vation. protected by stone walls,
breastworks and other artificial
obstructions, and manned by more
than twice the number of troops
mustered by the Confederates.
Notwithstanding the tremendous
odds against him. Lee determined
to attack the strong Federal posi¬
tion. for victory here would un¬
cover the rear of both Washington
and Baltimore, and would probably
bring recognition of the South as
a belligerent by Great Britain and
other foreign powers. Lee there¬
fore ordered an assault upon the
Federal position early on the morn¬
ing of the third day. and 115 Con¬
federate guns were massed on
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