Pickett's Charge by Phillip Thomas Tucker

Author:Phillip Thomas Tucker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2016-07-25T16:00:00+00:00

Failures on the Right

Wilcox’s and Lang’s brigades, Anderson’s division, Hill’s 3rd Corps, had been early positioned in support of Alexander’s batteries to Armistead’s rear: the best position to advance to support Pickett’s right to deter any flanking movement from the south that threatened the southernmost flank of the assault. But with Pickett’s troops charging up the slope east of the Emmitsburg Road, these brigades were still unengaged, providing no support.129

From Alexander’s vantage point from the Peach Orchard’s high-ground, Pickett’s most important contribution (because of the Vermonters raking his right flank), although belatedly, came when “he was riding with his staff in rear of his division,” in the colonel’s words. Pickett ordered Captain Bright to ride back to Longstreet to order Wilcox’s brigade of five seasoned Alabama regiments forward to protect the exposed right flank. In total, Pickett had dispatched three couriers to prod the Alabamians into action. Therefore, a reluctant Wilcox only belatedly advanced, after the arrival of these “three staff officers in quick succession” and “support of Pickett’s division.” Wilcox received word from Pickett after 15–20 minutes had passed since the charge’s beginning, when the attackers neared the Emmitsburg Road or had just crossed it: far too late. Then, Wilcox committed the error of advancing straight ahead (directly east) and below the Vermont troops (whose left flank was temptingly exposed) who had enfiladed Pickett’s right flank. He had not compensated for the fact that Pickett’s division had moved northeast to gain a position before the clump of trees. And Pickett, Lee, and Longstreet failed to place Wilcox on the proper course northeast instead of pushing east—basically the wrong direction.

Like Longstreet, Wilcox was hesitant to go forward, because he “was not satisfied with having lost one-half his brigade the day before.” When “Old Billy Fixin” finally advanced, it was only a tentative movement so far to the right, or south, that it was “largely out of the zone of Pickett’s assault.” Colonel Alexander explained that by the time that “there came from the rear Wilcox’s fine Ala. brigade … but was not in the column [and] alone … It was at once both absurd and tragic.” Then, in the splitting of the overall assault effort instead of making an oblique left movement to become part of Pickett’s effort, Wilcox pushed straight ahead. Therefore, Wilcox left Pickett’s attackers on their own, especially on the right before the Vermonters. Without artillery support, Wilcox’s tentative effort was doomed to failure from converging fires of musketry and artillery coming from two directions, especially from the flank. “Too late, too small, and not aimed in the right direction,” Wilcox and Lang, consequently, never came close to supporting Pickett’s right to fulfill their urgent mission, especially with regard to hitting the Vermonters on their exposed left flank and pushing them aside.130

After having received Pickett’s urgent request, Longstreet had awakened from his seemingly comatose state to “belatedly” order Wilcox’s and Lang’s brigades, Anderson’s division, forward, but he shortly changed his mind. Longstreet then countermanded orders for the advance of Anderson’s other brigades, believing this effort “useless.

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