Henry Heth | |
|---|---|
 General Heth | |
| Nickname(s) | "Harry", "Jack" (in youth & at West Point) |
| Born | December 16, 1825 Black Heath, Virginia |
| Died | September 27, 1899 (aged 73) Washington, D.C. |
| Resting place | |
| Allegiance |  United States Confederate States |
| Service |  United States Army Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1847–61 (USA) 1861–65 (CSA) |
| Rank |  Captain (USA) Major-General (CSA) |
| Battles / wars | Civil War Indian Wars |
| Relations | George Pickett (cousin) |
Henry Heth (/ˈhiːθ/ not /ˈhɛθ/) (December 16, 1825 – September 27, 1899) was a career United States Army officer who became a Confederate general in the American Civil War.
He came to the notice of 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.