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

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

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.

The first full-scale biography in nearly a century of the man who gave his name to the Civil War's most famous charge is a rather slim volume. This is not due to any lapses on the part of Longacre, whose writing is impeccable and whose thorough research lays to rest many myths about the Confederate general that his worshipful widow promulgated. It is more due to the fact that Pickett, although not the witless playboy often portrayed, was an intelligent man who yet hated to study and a competent leader who was too mercurial to give his best much of the time. What he managed to accomplish in the 50 years allowed him Longacre sets down here with a thoroughness that will stand the test of time and deservedly put his book into most Civil War collections. Roland Green

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.