Pickett Story
William G. Davis
The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 12, 1999
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General's descendant wins a battle in court
A jury decided George E. Pickett 5th was swindled out of $800,000 when he
sold his ancestor's artifacts.
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A federal court jury yesterday awarded $800,000 in damages to a
great-great-grandson of celebrated Civil War Gen. George Edward Pickett,
finding that he was defrauded by a Bryn Mawr Civil War expert who bought a
trove of artifacts from him for $87,500 and then resold it for more than
$800,000.
The eight-member U.S. District Court jury deliberated about three hours
before returning the verdict in favor of George E. Pickett 5th in his civil
suit against appraiser Russell Pritchard 3d and his American Ordnance
Preservation Association.
The jury cleared the City of Harrisburg, which bought the Pickett relics
from Pritchard for its planned Civil War museum, of any liability.
Neither Pritchard, a respected Civil War expert and guest on PBS's Antiques
Roadshow, nor his attorney, Emanuel Kapelsohn, would comment after the
verdict.
At trial Pritchard contended that he was hired as the City of Harrisburg's
purchasing agent and was under no obligation to divulge the artifacts' true
value to Pickett, 37, a Wilmington, N.C., home remodeler.
Kapelsohn maintained that Pritchard spent more than $400,000 restoring the
items for resale and insisted it was Pickett's responsibility to have had
the items independently appraised before selling them.
Pickett said the verdict "sends a pretty clear signal to dealers of historic
artifacts. I just wish [ the jury ] had sent an equally strong signal to the
mayor of Harrisburg."
Pickett and attorney Gavin P. Lentz had hoped for a verdict against the City
of Harrisburg, which would have let Pickett recover the relics.
The artifacts include the general's original autographed map of Gettysburg,
his kepi hat with gold embroidered quatrefoil, parts of his uniforms, a
large pastel portrait, military commission papers, a lock of his hair, his
wife's wedding slippers, and numerous letters and documents.
Items associated with Pickett are coveted by collectors because they are
rare and because of the significance of "Pickett's Charge," the general's
pivotal and unsuccessful attempt to break the Union line at the Battle of
Gettysburg.
The Confederate charge on July 3, 1863, resulted in the deaths of 5,000
soldiers in just one hour.
According to trial testimony, Harrisburg hired Pritchard in 1995 to track
down Pickett heirs and buy the general's relics for the museum. Witnesses
said that despite Pickett's reluctance to even meet with Pritchard, the
expert wooed family members, spending time and money with them until Pickett
agreed to show him the contents of an old family suitcase kept in the attic.
Pritchard told Pickett the items were worth about $87,500 but sweetened the
deal with a 28-day surfing trip to Costa Rica, promises of a computer and
copier, and about $75,000 in cash.
It was only after a visit to Gettysburg last July that Pickett began to
suspect he had been swindled. There he met a Civil War expert who told him
that Harrisburg had paid $870,000 for his ancestor's artifacts and that the
kepi alone -- for which Pickett got $3,000 -- was worth more than $100,000.
The attorney who represented Harrisburg during the one-week trial, Jeffrey
B. McCarron, said the city is grateful it does not have to return the
artifacts. "Let's put 'em on display!" he said.
Although the relics remain the property of Harrisburg, the jury gave Pickett
another valuable asset: exclusive publication rights to the general's
letters and documents. Lentz said the rights are worth about $600,000 and
the correspondence is expected to shed new light on the Confederate
general's life.
Details on damages and other legal issues involving the verdict are to be
addressed at a hearing Monday before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle 3d.
Š 1998 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.
Tom
William G. Davis wrote in message
<7jti5f$5b0o$1...@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>...
>from today's Philadelphia Inquirer:
>
>The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 12, 1999
>
Thank you for that Mr. Davis. I haven't heard much about that lawsuit
lately. If I had been the Judge he would have gotten the artifacts back
however.
Tom
"Sure you can trust the government! Just ask the Indians"!