RJ Hamster
TODAY’S PATRIOT
TODAY’S PATRIOT
People Who Made America Great
Lewis Armistead
Lewis Armistead (1817–1863) was a career soldier and a Confederate Brigadier General known for his bravery and his deep personal conflict during the Civil War. A veteran of the Mexican-American War, he was a close friend of Union General Winfield Scott Hancock. Armistead is best remembered as the man who led his brigade the furthest into the Union lines during the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg, representing the “High Water Mark of the Confederacy.”
The most iconic story of Armistead’s life is his role in Pickett’s Charge. On July 3, 1863, he led his men across a mile of open ground under devastating fire. To inspire his troops, he placed his black hat on the tip of his raised sword so they could see him through the smoke. He reached the “Angle” at the stone wall, placed his hand on a Union cannon, and yelled, “Give them the cold steel, boys!” Moments later, he was mortally wounded, dying with a request that his regrets be sent to his “old friend” Hancock, who was also wounded just yards away.
