124 NortH Caroittna Troops, 1861-’65.

been formed, but its composition was not on the scale contem-
plated by General Lee. Instead of its being the entire First
Corps with the Third to support it, Longstreet had selected
only Pickett’s Division from his corps, to which were added
from Hill’s Corps Heth’s Division, two brigades from Pen-
der’s and one from Anderson’s. Pickett’s Division of three
brigades was posted in two lines behind a rise on which
runs the Emmettsburg road, its right supported by Wilcox’s
Brigade. Heth’s Division to the left of Pickett’s, and fully
one hundred yards further back, was in one line behind the
erest of Seminary Ridge, with Lane’s and Scales’ Brigades
under Trimble in rear of its right.

When Pettigrew, commanding Heth’s Division, reported
to Longstreet he was instructed to form in rear of Pickett
as a support to his division, but before the order could be ex-
ecuted it was countermanded, and directions given to place
the division under the nearest cover to the left of Pickett’s
Division, with which it would advance in line. The align-
ment of the divisions from right to left, was, Archer’s Bri-
gade of Tennesseeans under Colonel B. D. Fry; Pettigrew’s
North Carolinians under Colonel James K. Marshall; Davis’
Mississippians under General Joseph Davis, and Brockenbo-
rough’s Virginians under Colonel Robert Mayo. Pickett’s
was the directing division; when it moved, Heth’s Division
was to move and as soon as possible overtake Pickett and
continue the advance in line with it on its left. After much
delay and uncertainty as to whether the attack would be made
at all, Longstreet at last, with a nod of the head, started Pick-
ett, and immediately Archer’s and Pettigrew’s Brigades
moved forward. Pettigrew had taken every precaution to
insure concert of action in the division; but this was no easy
matter, for the woods which concealed us from view of the
enemy, and to some extent sheltered us from his shells, con-
tained other troops seeking the same shelter, and it 50 hap-
pened that General Davis, who afterwards told me that he
had been indignant with General Pettigrew for cautioning
him so frequently to conform promptly to the movement of
Pettigrew’s Brigade on his right, mistook other troops for
Pettigrew’s and did not discover his mistake until the two

PETTIGREW’s BRIGADE AT GETTYSBURG. 125

right brigades had advanced some distance. When we
emerged from the wood into the plain, the absence of the two
left brigades was discovered, and General Pettigrew instruct-
ed me to go for them with all speed, but I had scarcely turned
to do so, when out came Davis from the woods with a rush,
but not Brockenborough’s Brigade, and I asked General Pet-
tigrew if I should go for it. He replied, “No,” that it might
follow, and if it failed to do so it would not matter. This
was a small brigade that had suffered from frequent change
of commanders, and had been so badly handled that it was in
a chronic state of demoralization, and was not to be relied
upon; it was virtually of no value in a fight. Afterward it
advanced to the protection of some rifle pits in front of Sem-
inary Ridge, but it took no part in the charge.

The day was beautifully clear; the smoke from the guns
of the artillery, which was to have concealed our start, had
been blown away. Before us lay bright fields, and a fair
landscape, embracing hill and dale and mountain; and be-
yond, fully three-fourths of a mile away loomed up Ceme-
tery Ridge, for two miles, its heights capped with cannon,
and behind them the whole Army of the Potomac waiting
for our little band. Davis’ Brigade with its impetuous rush
soon caught up with the two brigades of Heth’s Division
which had preceded it, and then the three, pushing forward
together, caught up with Pickett’s Division, making one line
of the two divisions, which first through shot and shell, then
grape and canister, then a hail of bullets from the musketry,
marched over the plain, surmounted every obstacle, and
reached the enemy’s position, the strength of which was all he
could desire. From the crest upon which he was entrenched
the hill sloped gradually, forming a natural glacis and the
configuration of the ground was such that when the left of
our line approached his line it must come within the arc of a
cirele, from which an oblique and the enfilade fire could be,
and was, concentrated upon it. On the right Pickett’s Divis-
ion, Archer’s and a part of Pettigrew’s Brigade had pene-
trated the works, and so would all of it have done, but in the
advance the pressure had been from right to left, and when
the line reached the ridge, it was slightly oblique; consequent-