J. Johnston Pettigrew
| J. Johnston Pettigrew | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
July 4, 1828 Tyrrell County, North Carolina |
| Died | July 17, 1863 (aged 35) Bunker Hill, West Virginia |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1861–63 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General (CSA)
|
| Battles/wars | |
James Johnston Pettigrew (July 4, 1828 – July 17, 1863) was an author, lawyer, linguist, diplomat, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was one of three division commanders in the disastrous assault known as Pickett's Charge and was mortally wounded a few days after the Battle of Gettysburg during the Confederate retreat to Virginia.
Johnston Pettigrew was born to Ebenezer and Ann Sheppard Pettigrew in Tyrrell County, North Carolina. His father was of a wealthy family of French Huguenot background. His mother and the mother of Union general John Gibbon were first cousins, making Gibbon and Pettigrew second cousins. Pettigrew entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the age of 15. He excelled in mathematics and classical languages, and was a member of the Philanthropic Society. He also led his class in fencing and boxing. He earned praise for his achievements from President James K. Polk, who appointed him an assistant professor at the United States Naval Observatory. He then studied law in Baltimore and joined the firm of his father's first cousin, James Louis Petigru in Charleston, South Carolina, followed by a trip to Germany to study civil law. He traveled around Europe for seven years, where he learned to speak and write French, Spanish, German and Italian, and to read Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic. He wrote a travel book, Notes on Spain and the Spaniards, and spent time in the diplomatic service.
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