GDG- "Pickett's Charge" NOT a misnomer

[Norman Levitt]

Why don't we just call it "Lee's Blunder", which pretty much accurately 
fixes consequences and responsibiity?

NL


>From: "B. Ramsey" <ohauntieb at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: GDG <gettysburg at arthes.com>
>To: gettysburg at arthes.com
>Subject: GDG- "Pickett's Charge" NOT a misnomer Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 
>15:26:54 -0800 (PST)
>
>Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
>Sorry, I think "Pickett's Charge" IS a misnomer, but I don't think 
>Pettigrew-Pickett-Trimble will ever roll off anyone's tongue. BUT Names 
>matter because words affect people and their thoughts and attitudes.
>
>   I remember hearing about "Pickett's Charge" the first time when I was a 
>kid growing up in California. Meant nothing to me, but my impression was 
>that if it was named after him, Pickett must have been THE leader of the 
>gang and he must have been wonderfully heroic and porbably successful or it 
>wouldn't have his name. Boy was I surprised when I started studying a 
>little. Now after I hear or get into a discussion about the minutia of who 
>did what for the Confederate Army during this event, I always kinda feel 
>like saying, "Hey. Didn't the South get battered back after this charge aka 
>LOSE?" So why does it matter which of the losers you name it for?
>
>   Well, the name matters to people from NC who know history since NC paid 
>such a heavy price in casualties for this assault, never got much credit 
>for it until recent years and constantly heard nothing but the name of 
>Pickett, thanks to the Virginia press which immediately rushed to print the 
>exploits of George and the Virginia men he led.
>
>   If you wanna a quick example of how touchy who did what in this charge 
>WAS--check out the Confederate Memorial in Raleigh which is not talking 
>about Pickett (although taking a jibe at him) when it says "furthest at 
>Gettysburg."
>
>   As a quick example of how touchy who did what in this charge still IS 
>check out the 26th NC marker just in front of the wall where the battle 
>ended. That marker was not placed there in ancient history. Yep, still a 
>touchy subject with the Tar Heels.
>
>   Calling it "Pickett's Charge" is not okay with me personally, either, 
>since I am related to J. Johnston Pettigrew, who was in command of a 
>Division that day, even though he was not a Major General. (I will not get 
>into the twists and turns of that day prior to 1 p.m., particularly since I 
>"have a dog" in this fight. However, those who believe that Pettigrew was 
>merely "in support" of Pickett need to read the writings and speechs of 
>Pettigrew's adjutant, Louis Y. Young, who lived to tell the tale. If 
>Pettigrew was merely to support Pickett, Pettigrew didn't know it, and 
>didn't act like it.)
>
>   It's not Pickett's charge but neither was it Pettigrew's alone or 
>Trimble's. So rather than dump Pettigrew and Trimble for the sake of 
>brevity I think the more accurate method to name this event is to go with 
>rank. People who are in the know about the Civil War should call it the 
>"Longstreet Assault," or the "Longstreet Charge." That's as easy to say as 
>"Pickett's Charge" and puts the emphasis where it belongs as far as who was 
>responsible for the maneuver, its success or failure.
>
>   Since the North and South called battles by different names all the 
>time, maybe we ought to let the winner name this charge and simply call it 
>"The Union Stand" at Gettysburg. (Of course this reasoning  would make 
>"Custer's Last Stand" into "Sitting Bull's Charge" but I could live with 
>that too.) Surely we can call it something shorter without throwing over 
>the fact that Pettigrew's and Trimble's troops were right there along with 
>those Virginians, trying and dying to accomplish the impossible. (I have 
>lived in Virginia for 20+ years, by the way. I just have an affinity for 
>NC)
>   Beverley Ramsey
>
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
>Don't pick lemons.
>See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.
>                    
>----------------------------------------------------------------
>You may unsubscribe by going to 
>http://mailman.arthes.com/mailman/listinfo/gettysburg
>
>You can add yourself to the GDG map at: 
>http://www.frappr.com/gettysburgdiscussiongroup
>
>View archived posts from May 2004 -  present at 
>http://mailman.arthes.com/pipermail/gettysburg/

_________________________________________________________________
With tax season right around the corner, make sure to follow these few 
simple tips. 
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/PreparationTips/PreparationTips.aspx?icid=HMFebtagline