George E. Pickett’s Crucifix

This crucifix, which measures approximately 6 x 3.5 centimeters, was a gift to George E. Pickett in 1847 from an old Roman Catholic priest who had been mortally wounded in the fighting around Chapultepec during the Mexican War. The priest had cherished the crucifix, which had been presented to him at his ordination by an uncle, a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. Pickett wore it on his person for the rest of his life, and his grandson, George E. Pickett II, passed it on to Charles Pickett III, who gave it to his son in 1956.