Biography of General Henry Heth

Henry Heth, a boyhood friend of A.P. Hill, was born on December 16, 1825 in Chesterfield County, Virginia. A distant kinsman of Robert E. Lee, it is said Heth is the only officer Lee called by his first name.

Heth graduated as the anchorman, or "goat," in the class of 1847. Among his classmates were A.P. Hill and Ambrose Burnside, two of his closest friends at the Academy. Heth also struck up a friendship with future Union general Winfield Scott Hancock that survived the Civil War and lasted until Hancock's death. Heth rose to the rank of captain during the antebellum period, authoring a book on rifles. He resigned from the army in 1861 and cast his lot with the Southern Confederacy.

Heth became the colonel of the 45th Virginia Infantry. He saw service under Floyd in West Virginia. He was subsequently promoted to general on January 6, 1862 and took command of a part of Kirby Smith's column in Kentucky. Heth was nominated by the Senate as a major general on October 10, 1862, but the nomination never officially went through.

He joined the Army of Northern Virginia in January 1863, commanding the Virginia brigade in the Light Division that had belonged to Charles Field, who was badly wounded at Second Manassas. Heth led the brigade at Chancellorsville. Subsequently, as senior brigade commander, Heth was promoted to major general May 24, 1863 (although it was not confirmed until Feb. 17, 1864).

Heth's troops began the battle at Gettysburg. Late on the first day, he was severely wounded in the head by a musket ball. Luckily for Heth, he had obtained a hat a few days before that was too large and his aides had stuffed newspaper in it. Heth believed that the newspaper inside the hat saved him from being killed. Heth was a bystander to the rest of the battle, remaining on the field, but probably suffering from a concussion, he did not actually command his division in the ill-fated July 3 attack; command devolved upon General J.J. Pettigrew who was killed on the retreat back to Virginia.

Heth served in all the subsequent battles of the Army of Northern Virginia. He served ably, but never rose to any feats of greatness. As Hill's senior commander, the Corps should have gone to him after Hill's death, but General Lee could not easily locate Heth at the time and simply assigned what remained of the Third Corps to Longstreet. Heth was with Lee at the surrender.

After the war, Heth engaged in insurance business. He remained friends with Winfield Scott Hancock, chastising Hancock to not "mash his potatoes" a reference to a most humorous pre-war incident that deserves to be retold. Heth came down very sick dysentery, his case becoming so hopeless that eventually the army decided to send him home from Cincinnati to Richmond to die. His friend Hancock accompanied him. Hancock and Heth had struck up a friendship in Mexico chasing women, with the suave and handsome Hancock having much better luck than Heth. After a setback in Cleveland (Cleveland of course not being on any direct line between Richmond and Cincinnati) where Hancock's "prompt attention" saved Heth's life, Heth got much better and the two went to the Astor Opera House in New York City to see a noted English actor named William McCready. Unfortunately, a dispute broke out and then a riot resulting in 22 deaths, though Heth and Hancock survived unscathed.

The two then decided to pay a call to General Winfield Scott and ended up being invited to a dinner, which meant having to forego meeting a couple of young ladies. But one did not turn down invitations from Scott. Scott was a giant of a man and considered himself a great gourmet. He served the two young officers shad and potatoes, "the finest potatoes in the United States, sent to me by a friend residing in New Jersey where they are raised."

Scott may have been a great gourmet; his namesake, however, when hungry knew never "whether he was eating fish, flesh, or fowl." When Hancock got his special potatoes, he began to mash him with a fork. Scott was aghast. "My God, my young man, do you mash your potatoes? You can't tell the taste of a potato when mashed."

Hancock responded, crestfallen, "I like my potatoes mashed."

Heth was careful to follow Scott's lead and eat his potatoes exactly as Scott did, and Scott noticed and commented approvingly. Heth answered, "Yes General, I cannot tell the taste of a potato when mashed." Hancock shot Heth a murderous glance.

After a great many years and many bloody battles, many where Heth and Hancock were on opposite sides of the very same field as enemies trying to kill one another, it happened that Hancock was nominated to run for president as the 1880 democratic nominee. Heth paid Hancock a visit. Heth asked Hancock if he would make Heth a promise.

"Heth," Hancock replied, "I have made it a rule, by which I shall be governed, to make no promises." Hancock then told of a general in his old Second Corps who wanted to be an ambassador stating, "I will not do it, for I do not think he would fill creditably the position he asks, and I am determined to appoint no man to office that I do not believe qualified to fill it. But, I have told you that I intended to look out for you and I shall do so."

Heth replied, "I am not after an appointment; the promise I wish you to make me is something personal to yourself. When you become President of the United States, you will have a great deal of entertaining to do. You will have to entertain crowned heads possibly ... the Justices of the Supreme Court, Senators, and distinguished people. I want you to promise me at these functions NOT TO MASH YOUR POTATOES!"

To which Hancock replied with an uproarious laugh,

"TO DEVIL WITH YOU AND YOUR POTATOES!"

Heth outlived his friend Hancock, who lost the election to another Civil War general, James Garfield. Heth died in Washington D.C. on September 27, 1899 and was buried in the Confederacy's "Place of Heroes," Hollywood Cemetery, in Richmond.