Henry Heth

Henry Heth
Henry Heth
	Heth in uniform, c. 1862
Nickname(s)	"Harry", "Jack"
Born	December 16, 1825; Black Heath, Virginia, U.S.
Died	September 27, 1899 (aged 73); Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried	Hollywood Cemetery,; Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Allegiance	United States; Confederate States;
Branch	United States Army; Confederate States Army;
Years of service	1847–1861 (U.S.); 1861–1865 (C.S.);
Rank	Captain (U.S.); Major-General (C.S.);
Commands	Heth's Division, Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Battles	American Indian Wars Battle of Ash Hollow; ; Utah War; American Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville; Battle of Gettysburg; Siege of Petersburg; ;
Relations	George Pickett (cousin)

Henry Heth (/ˈhiːθ/ not /ˈhɛθ/) (December 16, 1825 – September 27, 1899) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.

He came to the notice of General Robert E. Lee while serving briefly as his quartermaster, and was given a brigade in the Third Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by A. P. Hill, whose division he commanded when the latter was wounded at Chancellorsville. He is generally blamed for accidentally starting the Battle of Gettysburg by sending half his division into the town before the rest of the army was fully prepared. Later in the day, Confederate troops succeeded in routing two Union corps, but at a heavy cost in casualties. Heth continued to command his division during the remainder of the war and briefly took command of the Third Corps in April 1865 after the death of General Hill. Heth surrendered with the rest of Lee's army on April 9.