General George E. Pickett in life & legend

George E. Pickett is among the most famous Confederate generals of the Civil War. But even today he remains imperfectly understood, a figure shrouded in Lost Cause mythology. In this carefully researched biography, Lesley Gordon moves beyond earlier studies of Pickett. By investigating the central role played by his wife LaSalle in controlling his historical image, Gordon illuminates Pickett's legend as well as his life. After exploring Pickett's prewar life as a professional army officer trained at West Point, battle-tested in Mexico, and seasoned on the western frontier, Gordon traces his return to the South in 1861 to fight for the Confederacy. She examines his experiences during the Civil War, including the famed, but failed, charge at the battle of Gettysburg, and charts the decline in his career that followed. Rather than celebrate or try to rehabilitate her subjects, Gordon asks critical questions about the Picketts and the deep and long-lasting effects the war had on men and women, marriage, and social status.

First sentence: On August 31, 1837, Andrew Johnston wrote a long and rambling letter to his sister, Mary Johnston Pickett.

Year

1998

Language

English

Publisher

The University of North Carolina Press

Editions

2

Pages

288

ISBN

9780807854273

Data source: Wikidata