american history. >> i am on side of pickett's charge. >> hundreds of main that made him immortal. >> a suitcase full of heirlooms left. >> a fast talking conman comes to down. >> he dressed well, he was glib of tongue. >> forcing general's heir into battle over his "strange inheritance." >> what was your reaction? >> i was pisd. >> it donned on me i was ripped off.

>> i am jamie colby, today i am in wilmington, north carolina, known for the gorgeous beach, great surfing, it was also last confederate part city to fall during the civil war, i am here to meet an heir whose a ancestor became famous at high watermark. >> i am george pickett ir irk *. i. >> george, who goes by his name ed, has invited me to his home. >> high, ed. >> you must be jamie. >> i am. >> when 59-year-old is not work ofing as a surfing instructor oden joys doing yoga, playing guitar, a far cry from his

famous great-great grandfather who fought in gettings gettysburg. gettysburg. >> i yo knew about it. i was not that interested as a little kid. >> some people said, didn't he lose, wasn't he a loser? that is the way a lot of history books talked about, pickett's charge. >> did you bury your head. >> i did that one time, i didn't know enough to defend him. >> someone that knows a lot about general pickett, civil iar historian earl earl coats, i mem on the battle feel. >> you are one of the icon excites of the civil war.

>> what was pickett's contribution? >> general pickett to that time was known as a confederate commander, but after the charge he was known world over. >> pickett's under james long street in july 1 1863 in gettysburg. commanded by general robert elee. >> he was looking for a great victory on union soil. >> federal army holds high ground, lee orders a controversial attack, an assault on center of the union line, general pickett's troops are assigned to brake through the middle. >> quit right now we're on the confederate side. >> on the ground that pickett's division came across, you see how ground slopes away here, then you start off, steady slope up to where the trees are.

union ca cannons on the ridgeli. >> they have the edge. >> and they use it. >> pickett's men advance to heavy fire, union guns now down the rebels. >> what did the scene look like after. >> this seal was -- field was littered with dead, a scene of devastation. >> earl reads first hand accounts of bloodshed. >> on be on part of the field,ed dead lay as thick as they could. men with head shots off, and men shot in two, and in to pieces. >> a turning point in the war, never would the south mount an invasion of union territory. >> what was the high watermark?

>> from that point on, fortunes of confederacy started to wayne. >> knowing that pickett's charge as a disaster was enough for ed, while growing up in north carolina in 1960s. >> i had other interests that seemed more important to me at the time. >> he has no interest in this old suitcase of family heirlooms that his father inheret ited. when his parents divorce, he passes this case to his mother to give to ed. >> this is the actual case. >> it is. >> do you want to take a look. >> i would. >> as far as young ed could tell it contains boring old military looking knickknacks. a cap, part of a uniform, old documents, whatever. >> my mother would say, there is his legacy you have and it will be yours one day, i was like

okay. sure. can i go out and play? >> whether he appreciates it or not, ed takes possession of suitcase in early 90s, his by family tradition as first born pickett male, after his mother moved into an assisted living facility, she warns her son to move it from the family home before someone steals it. >> i got it out of closet, i did not take time right away to to look through it i opened it, said okay, and closed it moved on. >> it was tucked, a again, at ed's house. he has no time to play curator. >> i spent time with my own children, that was more important to me than looking through stuff. >> ed may not take much interest but certainty. in the civil war collecting world do, rumor spread a metal case full of general pickett artifacts is still in the family

possession in north carolina. in september 1995, ed gets a call from a guy names russell pritchard in philadelphia, saying he is antique appraiser looking for artifacts to buy. >> i was standoffish, i did not believe him. >> a few weeks later, a letter arrived. >> i had a letter from mayor of harrisburg. >> saying that pritchard is official representative of national civil iar museum in city of harrisburg. >> did you get a letter from mayor because you asked for credentials? >> no. >> it just arrived. >> right. >> next thing you know russ pritchard arrives uninvited in williams twilliamsen to. >> he wanting to be my newer best friend, followed me around

like a puppy. he kept asking, can i see the artifacts. >> ed agrees to show pritchard what is in the old family suitcase, next few hours, are a revelation for ed. that old cap is called a capy, warn by general pickett at gettysburg, and his bloodstained uniform sleeve, and photos, and hand drawn map of the gettysburg battlefield. >> he was very knowledgeable. >> tell me about the reaction on russ pritchard's face. >> he was delighted. like high found a goal mine, he said, i'm prepareed on behalf of the mayor to make you an offer. >> who did you feel he represented? your interest or the museum? >> as i understood it he was an

appraiser standing in the middle. that is what he said, he could not over estimate or underestimate the value of it. >> russ comes up with an offer to buy most of the contents of the case, $87,500, now ed thinks he struck gold. >> i thought wow, that say lot of money to me. >> it did look fair. >> it seemed fair to me, that is more money than i had ever gotten in my life. >> he accepts and a check and signs away the item, pitchard departs with the pikit artifacts, but general pickett's grand-great grandson is in for the shock of his life, he finds out what happened to his family heirloom. >> all lies, he lied to me. >> this is next. >> first our "strange inheritance" quiz question, how many generals were killed or

mortally wounded at gettysburg? answer i

>> how many generals were killed or mortally wounded at gettysburg? a. 9. 5 confederate, 4 union. no other battle claims as many

general officers. jamie: george pickett is thrilled to complete the sale. the antique appraiser and buyer russ pritchard. >> total amount was $87500. that seemed like a lot. jamie: items had been in family for generation, now artifacts, the cap, and sleeve, and map of the gattithe -- gettysburg battl are to be showcaseed in a civil war museum in harrisburg, pennsylvania. jamie: did you talk to at least one dealer to get a sense of what you had. >> he told me, he was working for the city, and his job was to appraise it accurate. accurate. jamie: 3 years later in 1998, ed

accepts a invitation to speak at the gettysburg. >> i asked him, how much would that be worth. >> he stunned me, i said the general's, he said yes. woe. >> >> that that moment the room got vie libsilent, he said it coulde worse a lot of money, 250. >> thousand? >> yes. i said, that is more than i got for everything. >> ed does not want to believe he was swindled, he considers russ preufrpar pritchard a frie. you trusted him so much, you let him baby sit your infant. >> correct. jamie: he discovers how much museum paid pritchard. how much? >> over $800,000.

>> your reaction. >> i was astounded, something was wrong. jamie: another shocker. he learned that pritchard stole some items, including family photos he offered to restore for ed. >> russ pritchard said he would be glad to frame them, and send them back, no charge. jamie: no charge. >> just doing it because he was a nice guy. jamie: wondering what they could be worth, ed takes them to gettysburg antique store. the owner looks the and says. >> these are not real photographs these are laser copys, i said are, you sure. jamie: even ed can see lines from laser printer, pritchard had reframeed his photos with fakes, ed's embarrassment over a bad deal is replaced with a new emotion, anger.

jamie: your reaction? >> i was pissed. it dawned on me, i was really ripped off. >> ed decides it is time to take the fight totten me, that is next on "strange inheritance." >> a quiz question, 3903 confederate soldiers were killed in gettysburg? how many are b

>> how many confederate soldiers are buried in the national systemtary at gettysburg? b, 7, all solderns were originally buried on

battlefield. all confederates killed in action were reburied in the south. 7 remained by mistake. jamie: in fall of 1998, ed pickett is stunned to learn that civil war artifacts he sold to appraiser russ pritchard are later resold by pritchard for $880,000. >> i was pissed. it is not just me that had been ripped off but my children, that is when i got a lawyer. jamie: family heirlooms belonged to his great-great grandfather, confederate general george e pictureet. e pickett. >> in 1999, ed heads into battle in the courtroom, a civil jury awards him $800,000, giv differe

between who museum paid the conman, and the conman paid him, ed was thrilled at first. >> i received the jury verdict against the pritchard for $800,000, of which i did not receive 800,000, he had. empty pockets i got 250,000 of my attorney took his cut of the cash. jamie: how much? >> close to 100. jamie: the law is not done with pritchard, fbi agent robert whitman is paying close attention. >> very smooth, he dressed well. he was glib of tongue. jamie: pritchard and his partners were running same scan on others with civil war artifacts. >> usually, 10 times is what thethey sold material for after appraiseing it for a 10th of te value. >> they held a criminal case.

jamie: ther.>> there was a supeg criminal indictment with other than 20 counts in it. jamie: faced with a mountain of evidence, pritchard strikes a deal with pro prosecutors, needs guilty, and a year in prison, and restitution fees. >> pritchard does not seem to have money. i have received a total of first,000. jamie: are you feuerious. >> i am upset. >> i would like russ pritchard to pay the restitution, and the national civil war museum do the right thing, and return my items to me. jamie: what about that? ed janet? cough if you can hear me. don't even think about it. i took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. yeah...but what about mike? (cough!) it works on his cough too.

mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours. let's end this.

>>

jamie: in 2001 ticket wins the second legal battle over his artifacts. passed down from his great great grandfather confederate general george ticket. but it's it is a hollow victory as the artifacts go on display at the newly opened international civil war museum in paris for pennsylvania who the mayor endorsed the koch man who swindled him. >> what is most unfortunate is the serious of ashley city of harrisburg is willing to take items by fraud and keep them. >> fbi agent investigating the case to the medical to believe they paid $880,000 so they paid but they were supposed to. >> i think a better result could have been the city and the national civil war museum to say i am so sorry.

but me give you your items back every will sue ticket for - - pritchard for defrauding a. >> the ceo believes they are best suited at their current home still wreck a think it is regrettable and unfortunate of what happened to mr. pick it but it has been well taken care of here, it has been preserved and exhibited for the joy of thousands of people. jamie: civil war historian all the hopes that ticket takes comfort to know that the enormous value placed on his gray great-grandfather's things reflects the the verdict of his courage in gettysburg. >> would he be thinking what have i just done? [laughter] >> there we're told to go a.m. they went.

>> they failed and so did the cause but then gettysburg from north and south returned to the spot to play their part to blind of the wound. jamie: take comfort in knowing general pickett was the soldier to do as he was told even if he believed it was wrong. >> absolutely. it cost him hundreds of men but made him the immortal. jamie: wow. it made ticket better appreciate the airlines that remain in the old suitcase. >> this is the copy of the copy of williamsburg 1862. it is a lost art with the handwriting. that is georgy pickett. jamie: would you ever sell that? >> this? right here? no.

jamie: quite a section of family history. what will you do with it now? >> i will probably give it to my children. we don't get to choose our names when we are bored and we have to do with whatever we can and live up to it. i have talked that legacy but have also wondered it in the same way. >> not done fighting the balustrades inheritance for one thing he thinks there should be a statue at gettysburg honoring the great great grandfather and his men. another way is to watch edward pickett feel that it's time to move on with his own son was born they chose the name dug. perhaps some names need to rest in peace. thanks for watching "strange inheritance". and remember,

you can't take it with you. . >> from dusty boxes in the attic. emerge military artifacts handed down across 5 generations. >> writing is unbelievable. >> an heirloom that may be a long lot o lost piece of histor. >> i had never seen one before. >> value is rising with everybody fold. >> a war, a map, a mystery. >> i had a momenttary roller coaster there. >> will it lead to a family's hidden treasure?