Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, ed. 5, 1887,
Fayette Co.

JOSEPH DESHA PICKETT was born in Washington, Mason Co., Ky., January 6,
1822.  His grandparents, paternal and maternal, were pioneers of the State
and descendants of the French Huguenots.  At an early age he removed to
Washington City with his parents, where his father was engaged in public
service.  His father, a highly accomplished gentleman, for years
superintended the education of his sons.  His mother passed from earth in
the early youth of her children.  After her death Joseph B. entered upon
his collegiate education, attending Nassau Hall and Bethany.  Some time
after his course at the latter college was completed he traveled in Europe,
Asia and Africa, and on his return from this tour of more than two years,
various positions were offered him, and he finally accepted a professor's
chair in Bethany College, through whose halls he had passed as a student.
He remained there until after the opening of the war in 1861, at an early
period of which he was nominated as a candidate for the Virginia
convention.  This was done against his wish, in his absence, but with his
usual earnestness and directness he accepted the call, and zealously
entered upon his work, and has been known laughingly to remark that he was
nominated, that he accepted, that he completed his campaign and was beaten
all in one week.  He then returned to his post as professor for the session
and remained until it was dissolved, and then removed his family to
Kentucky.  He next started southward with the intention of finding a home
and returning to take his family South.  He believed it to be the honor and
duty of every Southerner to be upon the soil ready for the service of his
country.  A few weeks after he reached Richmond our troubles culminated
in Kentucky, and the army was established at Bowling Green.  This was the
beginning of a separation which lasted through the war.  Considering it
his duty to go where, in his judgment, he could do the most good, he
became a chaplain, for he desired to minister to the spiritual wants of
the thousands of sufferers with whom he knew he would come in contact, and
joined the army in this capacity.  Shortly after he went South Prof.
Pickett was elected by absent citizens to the convention at Richmond to
fill the vacancy which had been created in the county of Brooke.  He was a
member of that noted body, and was present at its dissolution.  After this,
however, his family being in his native State, he identified himself with
the Kentuckians, in field and in hospital.  The regard of the soldiers of
his brigade for Prof. Pickett was such that they nominated him to represent
them in Congress.  For certain reasons the nomination was declined, and,
finally, his health being broken by exposure, he was compelled to resign
his position and leave the field, but this he did not do until his brigade
was retired in order to be mounted.  He continued as president of the
Kentucky Relief Society (of which he was founder), and earnestly pleaded
the cause of the Kentucky soldier at Richmond.  The work accomplished by
this society the soldiers themselves will never forget.  Not until the
last soldier on Southern soil had been surrendered, did he cease his labor of
love.  At the conclusion of the war he returned to Kentucky.  He is now
president of the State Medical College at Lexington, Ky., where, in
peaceful pursuits young men, and among them many soldiers from different
sections, receive the evidence of deepest interest and most earnest care
of his hands.  He was elected superintendent of public instruction in 1879,
and was re-elected in 1883.

Pickett
=
Washington-Mason-KY VA Europe Asia Africa

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/fayette/pickett.jd.txt