Lee ordered a general concentration of forces
in the vicinity of Gettysburg, an important
road junction. Heth’s division was in the ad-
vance but under strict orders not to precipi-
tate an action until the rest of the army had
concentrated. On the morning of July 1, 1863,
Heth ordered a brigade under James John-
ston Pettigrewinto Gettysburg to acquire
shoes for his barefoot soldiers. En route, this
force encountered a brigade of dismounted
Union cavalry under Gen. John Buford and
was summarily pushed back. Disregarding or-
ders, Heth brought up the balance of his divi-
sion and renewed the contest. Anxious for a
victory, he attacked recklessly without proper
reconnaissance and was checked a second
time. The increasing din of conflict led other
units to congregate in the vicinity, and a major
confrontation began unfolding. By the end of
the day Lee had won a solid tactical victory,
having pushed Union forces out of the town,
but they simply retreated to the nearby
heights and dug in. Thus, the Confederates
were committed to fighting an enemy on the
ground of their own choosing. This unhappy
circumstance was the direct result of Heth’s
impetuosity, which resulted in heavy losses
for his division and a serious head wound for
Heth. Reputedly, the general survived only be-
cause he had stuffed his hat, which was too
large, with paper to make it fit. Heth recov-
ered two days later and helped cover the Con-
federate withdrawal back to Virginia.
Despite Heth’s mishandling of affairs, he
was still a popular leader and was closely en-
gaged at Bristoe Station on October 14, 1863.
The following summer he rendered useful ser-
vice at the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and in
the trenches of Petersburg, Virginia. Heth
won a surprising victory against the ailing
Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock at Ream’s Sta-
tion on August 24, 1864, capturing 2,000 pris-
oners. He remained with Lee right to the very
end, surrendering along with the rest of the
army at Appomattox in April 1865.
After the war Heth settled in Richmond,
Virginia, to pursue business. He was largely
unsuccessful and eventually found employ-
ment with the government. He was also active
in veterans’ affairs, giving speeches, writing
articles, and penning extensive memoirs
about the war years. Heth died in Washington,
D.C., on September 27, 1899, and was buried
in Richmond. His tombstone was engraved
with an appropriate epitaph—“In Action
Faithful and In Honor Clear.”See also
Davis, Jefferson; Jackson, Thomas J. “Stonewall”; Lee,
Robert E.Bibliography
Gallagher, Gary W., ed. First Day at Gettysburg: Essays
on Confederate and Union Military Leadership.
Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1992; Gragg,
Rod. Covered with Glory: The 26th North Carolina
Infantry at Gettysburg.New York: HarperCollins,
2000; Hassler, William W. “Lee’s Hard Luck General.”
Civil War Times Illustrated5, no. 4 (1966): 12–20;
Lowery, Terry. September Blood: The Battle of
Carnifex Ferry.Charleston, WV: Pictorial Histories,
1988; Maney, R. Wayne. Marching to Cold Harbor:
Victory and Failure.Shippensburg, PA: White Mane,
1995; McWhiney, Grady, ed. Battle in the Wilderness.
Fort Worth, TX: Ryan Place, 1995; Morrison, James
L., ed. The Memoirs of Henry Heth.Westport, CT:
Greenwood Press, 1974; Pfannes, Harry W. Gettys-
burg—The First Day.Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 2001; Weinert, Richard P. The
Confederate Regular Army. Shippensburg, PA:
White Mane, 1991.HETH, HENRY