A friend of mine recently turned me on to this little gem on George Pickett at Gettyburg. He found it on the Horse Soldiers website. Nice image of Pickett drawn on the spot at the battle in a slouch hat! Not the way we are used to seeing Pickett. I'm attaching the text from the site. You can own the original for only $50,000. I'm told he also did one of Jackson in 1862 wearing a slouch hat. I'm trying to find that one.
Enjoy!
MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE E. PICKETT "AWAITING THE SIGNAL":BATTLEFIELD PORTRAIT BY COLONEL A. R. BOTELER
Without question one of the most important pieces of eyewitness battlefield art to emerge from the American Civil War. Major General George E. Pickett, "Awaiting the Signal," signed and dated at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863 by Col. A. R. Boteler, executed within hours, or moments, of Pickett issuing the fateful order, "Up men and to your posts! Don't forget that you are from old Virginia!", that would result in one of the greatest and most tragic clashes in American military history, forever to be known as "Pickett's Charge."
Without question one of the most important pieces of eyewitness battlefield art to emerge from the American Civil War. Major General George E. Pickett, "Awaiting the Signal," signed and dated at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863 by Col. A. R. Boteler, executed within hours, or moments, of Pickett issuing the fateful order, "Up men and to your posts! Don't forget that you are from old Virginia!", that would result in one of the greatest and most tragic clashes in American military history, forever to be known as "Pickett's Charge."
Alexander Robinson Boteler was elected to the First Confederate Congress, but alternated his legislative work with military service. A descendant of Charles Wilson Peale, Boteler was, among other things, an accomplished artist. He was instrumental in the design of the Great Seal of the Confederacy and illustrated several books before and after the war. A large collection of his Civil War portrait work was purchased by the Military Historical Society of Boston in 1887. Boteler's Confederate military career began with his appointment, with the rank of Colonel, to the staff of Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, who was a personal friend. Subsequent to Jackson's death at Chancellorsville he was, for an interim period, including at Gettysburg, on Lee's staff, and served through 1864 on the staff of JEB Stuart. From November 1864 to the end of the war he was a member of the Military Court Department and was with Lee's army at Appomattox.
His penchant for sketching battlefield scenes is well documented and there is a well known incident of Jackson querying Boteler about the subjects of his work. Pickett is depicted in this 5.75" x 8.75" gouache leaning against a tree with his arms folded in front, in the midst of a grove of trees. A number of dismounted officers in various uniforms are visible in the background with their horses. Pickett wears a double breasted frock coat with general's insignia clearly visible on the collar. His sword is suspended from a belt with an unidentified rectangular buckle, and his boots, with spurs, extend well above his knees. The characteristic curls of his hair roll down to the collar of his coat. Most significantly he wears a wide brim slouch hat with a small unidentified insignia on the front, whereas tradition has previously held that he was wearing a general grade officer's kepi at Gettysburg. Additionally, unlike the traditional description of Pickett being "filled with excitement" at the prospect of beginning the assault, his demeanor is clearly that of a man steeped in thought, doubtless contemplating the importance of the drama that is about to unfold. "Awaiting the Signal Gettysburg July 3, 1863" in ink script at the bottom. Boteler's signature with A. R. inside the two loops of the letter B is at the lower right. Doubtless executed in the field by Boteler as a pencil sketch and subsequently finished by him as a gouache. The image is on an old archival mount with a further pencil script ID at the bottom of the mount, "No. 21 Gen. Pickett, by Col. A. R. Boteler, of Gen. Lee's staff."
An incredible piece of Civil War battlefield art.
His penchant for sketching battlefield scenes is well documented and there is a well known incident of Jackson querying Boteler about the subjects of his work. Pickett is depicted in this 5.75" x 8.75" gouache leaning against a tree with his arms folded in front, in the midst of a grove of trees. A number of dismounted officers in various uniforms are visible in the background with their horses. Pickett wears a double breasted frock coat with general's insignia clearly visible on the collar. His sword is suspended from a belt with an unidentified rectangular buckle, and his boots, with spurs, extend well above his knees. The characteristic curls of his hair roll down to the collar of his coat. Most significantly he wears a wide brim slouch hat with a small unidentified insignia on the front, whereas tradition has previously held that he was wearing a general grade officer's kepi at Gettysburg. Additionally, unlike the traditional description of Pickett being "filled with excitement" at the prospect of beginning the assault, his demeanor is clearly that of a man steeped in thought, doubtless contemplating the importance of the drama that is about to unfold. "Awaiting the Signal Gettysburg July 3, 1863" in ink script at the bottom. Boteler's signature with A. R. inside the two loops of the letter B is at the lower right. Doubtless executed in the field by Boteler as a pencil sketch and subsequently finished by him as a gouache. The image is on an old archival mount with a further pencil script ID at the bottom of the mount, "No. 21 Gen. Pickett, by Col. A. R. Boteler, of Gen. Lee's staff."
An incredible piece of Civil War battlefield art.
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