What was general picketts division?

Answer 1

A division is a military formation. It is usually commanded by a two-star, major general. In the Civil War, a division had several brigades in it - there was no set number. Pickett's Division had three Brigades. Each brigade had several regiments in it - again, there was no set number, but usually four or five regiments together made a brigade. A brigade was commanded by a one-star brigadier general, and regiments were commanded by colonels. A regiment was supposed to have one thousand men, but by the time of Gettysburg most had less than 500, some quite a few less than 500. At Gettysburg Pickett's Division had about 4000 men, somewhre between one third and one fourth of what the total would have been if all the regiments were full.

Southern units - Divisions and Brigades, were usually known by their commanders name. Pickett's Division was commanded by George Pickett.

All Pickett's men were from Virginia, and Pickett was too. Virgininans were very prominent in writing the history of the Confederate side of the Civil War in the decades after the guns fell silent, and romanticized and emphasized Pickett's Division at Gettysburg, while ignoring those from other states.