“There lived a knight, when knighthood was in flow’r,
Who charm’d alike the tilt-yard and the bower.”
The family of Johnston Pettigrew was one of the oldest, wealthiest
and most influential of Eastern Carolina. His grandfather, Rev. Chas.
Pettigrew, was the first Bishop-elect of the Diocese of North Carolina.
Be was born upon his father’s estate, Bonarva, Lake Scuppernong,
Tyrrell county, North Carolina, on July 4th, 1828, and died near
Bunker’s Hill, Va., July 17th, 1863, having been wounded three days
before in a skirmish at Falling Waters. He graduated with the first
distinction at the University of North Carolina in 1847. A few months
after graduation, at the request of Commodore Maury, principal of the
Naval Observatory at Washington, he accepted a professorship in that
institution. Having remained thereabout eight months he resigned and
went to Charleston, South Carolina, and became a student of law, in the
office of his distinguished relative, Hon. Jas. L. Pettigru, obtaining
a license in 1849. In 1850 he went to Europe to study the civil law in
the German Universities. There also he became thoroughly acquainted
with the German, French, Italian and Spanish languages. He became so
well acquainted with Arabic as to read and appreciate it; also with
Hebrew. He then traveled over the various countries of the Continent,
also England, Scotland and Ireland. In 1852 he became Secretary of
Legation to the U. S. Minister at the Court of Madrid. In the winter of
1861 he had printed in Charleston, for private circulation, an octavo
volume of 430 pages, entitled “Spain and the Spaniards,” which has been
very much admired by every one who has read it, for its learning, its
research and the elegance of its style. Having remained in Madrid only
a few months he returned to Charleston and entered upon the practice
of law with Mr. James L. Pettigru. In December, 1856, and December,
1857, he was chosen a member of the Legislature from the city of
Charleston. He rose to great distinction in that body, by his speech
on the organization of the Supreme Court, and his report against the
re-opening of the African Slave Trade. He failed to be re-elected in
1858. Again in 1859 he went to Europe with the intention of taking
part in the war then in progress between Sardinia and Austria. His
application to Count Cavour for a position in the Sardinian Army, under
Gen’l Marmora, was favorably received. His rank would have been at
least that of Colonel; but in consequence of the results of the battle
of Solferino, which took place just before his arrival in Sardinia, the
war was closed and he was thereby prevented from experiencing active
military service and learning its lessons. In 1859 he became Colonel
of a rifle regiment that was formed and that acted a conspicuous
part around Charleston in the winter of 1860–61. With his regiment
he took possession of Castle Pinkney, and was afterwards transferred
to Morris Island, where he erected formidable batteries. He held
himself in readiness to storm Fort Sumpter in case it had not been
surrendered after bombardment. In the spring of 1861, his regiment
growing impatient because it could not just then be incorporated in
the Confederate Army, disbanded; Col. Pettigrew then joined Hampton’s
Legion as a private, and went with that body to Virginia, where
active service was to be met with. A few days afterwards, without
any solicitation on his part, he was elected Colonel of the 22d
North Carolina Troops. While at Evansport, he was offered promotion,
but declined it, upon the ground, that it would separate him from
his regiment. Late in the spring of 1862 an arrangement was made by
which his regiment was embraced in the brigade. He then accepted the
commission. He and his brigade were with Gen. Johnston at Yorktown
and in the retreat up the peninsula. He was with his brigade in the
sanguinary battle of Seven Pines, or Fair Oaks, where he was severely
wounded, and left insensible upon the field and captured. He was in
prison only about two months, and on being exchanged he returned to
find that in his absence his beloved brigade had been given to General
Pender. A new brigade was then made up for him. How well this body was
disciplined and of what material it was made this essay has attempted
to show. In the autumn of 1862, he was ordered with his brigade to
Eastern North Carolina, where he was engaged in several affairs, which
though brilliant have been overshadowed by the greater battles of the
war. In May, 1863, his brigade was again ordered to Virginia, and ever
after formed a part of the Army of Northern Virginia. While commanding
Heth’s division, in Longstreet’s Assault, though his horse had been
killed, and he had received a painful wound--a grapeshot shattering his
left hand--he was within a few feet of his own brigade when the final
repulse came. On his regaining our lines, his remark to Gen. Lee that
he was responsible for his brigade, but not for the division, shows
that he was satisfied with the conduct of a part, but not with that of
all the troops under his command.
As to one of the two brigades that gave way before the rest of the
line, he labored under a very great misapprehension. He did not know
then, and the reading world has been slow to realize since, how very
great had been its loss before retreating. As to the fact that in
proportion to the number carried into the assault its loss had been
more than twice as great as that of any of Pickett’s brigades, there is
not the slightest doubt. The highest praise and not censure should be
its reward.
At Falling Waters, on the 14th, he had just been placed in command of
the rear guard, which consisted of his own and Archer’s brigade, when
a skirmish occurred in which he was mortally wounded. He died on the
17th, and his remains were taken to his old home, Bonarva, and there he
lies buried near the beautiful lake, whose sandy shores his youthful
feet were wont to tread. May he rest in peace!