HMGS (Historical Miniatures Gaming Society) East hold its fall convention in Gettysburg, PA in November every year so in 1999 I decided to go a day early and take time to visit the battlefield and take photos, particularly of areas I had not visited before. If you have not had the opportunity to visit the battlefield, and have any sort of interest in history, I highly recommend doing so.
Links to the photos I took will be mixed into the descriptions of our visit and I've separated the text by the three days of the battle. The photos were taken with a Canon autofocus camera and scanned on an HP 6250 scanner at 150dpi. I haven't shrunk the pictures any to leave as much of the detail as possible, though this means the photos are typically between 100kb and 150kb each. Many photos show a white streak on the lower left corner, this was caused by light getting in through a damaged seam in the camera. Also, several photos have blotches in the sky, this apparently came from the scanner as the blotches are not present on the photos themselves.
I had never been to the area of the first days fighting, up around the railroad cut and Barlow's Knoll. Unfortunately, the roads around Barlow's Knoll were under construction and we didn't get over there, maybe next year.
The first place we visited was the railroad cut. There are an incredible number of monuments at Gettysburg, you could take pictures for days going around to all of them. I never noticed before but there are even flank markers in the ground, showing how much of the battleline was covered by each regiment or battery.
This photo is from the bridge that crosses the railroad cut, looking southeast towards town. The marker is for the 95th New York Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps. The 95th was heavily involved in the fighting around the railroad cut and captured a large number of Confederate troops that charged into the cut and were surrounded.
This photo is from the bridge looking away from town, in the direction that the Confederate's attacked from. This shot gives a good idea of how steep the sides of the cut are in places. The geography of the cut was much the same in 1863, though the bridge was not there. We tried to locate the area that the skeleton was found a few years ago but couldn't spot it.
This last photo was taken from the point of ground sticking into the cut, visible on the left side of the previous photo (just above the white streak). Again, the steep sides of the cut are clearly visible. We did not climb down into the cut.
The Statue of General Reynolds, flanked by two cannon, mark where the opening shots of battle took place.
Reynolds commanded the 1st Corps which arrived on the field of battle to relieve Buford's cavalry. Reynolds was killed in action, which (for those who don't know) is signified by the statue itself. A horse with two legs raised means the officer was mortally wounded, one leg raised means the officer was wounded, and all four on the ground means the officer wasn't injured.
A cannon barrel marks the position of a horse battery of Buford's cavalry. The plate on the barrel reads in part:
This statue stands across the road from the Reynolds statue. Many of the monuments have casualty information and Regimental histories. It amazed me how much damage some Regiments took, 50% losses to units involved on the first day were commonplace. This particular unit, a Pennsylvania Regiment I think, lost 66 killed and mortally wounded, 159 wounded and 111 missing out of 450 men, or 74% casualties.
This barn stands in a field near the statue in the previous picture. We didn't walk over to the barn but it looks like it may have been standing in 1863. There is a plaque on it, but, unfortunately, it is not visible due to the shadow caused by the sunlight. It was a gorgeous day to walk the battlefield, slightly chilly but the sun was blazing as you can see clearly.
This monument is on the same side of road as the barn, back by the intersection of Baltimore Pike and Confederate Avenue. It is an interesting monument, different from most of the rest in design. Being a Pennsylvanian, I decided to get a picture of it. The unit is the 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps.
The next four pictures were taken as we went north along Confederate Avenue again, heading towards the Eternal Light Memorial, recrossing the bridge over the railroad cut.
This monument (picture 1, picture 2) is one of many lining the road. Visible in the lower left corner (under the white streak) is the right flank marker for this Regiment (which I can't remember now), the left flank marker is back up the road to the right, out of the picture. The Regiment would have been facing (and firing) at me.
This is a very unusual monument, a stand of muskets with a flag in the center. I wish I had made a note of the Regiment.
This monument for the 6th New York Cavalry (Ira Harris Guard) is simply immense, probably around 20 feet tall. The rest of the inscription reads: "2d Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps". I noticed that most of the big monuments are either for Pennsylvania Regiments or for New York Regiments (look for the 44th NY monument in the second day photos).
This unusual monument is near the Eternal Light Memorial and the observation tower northwest of town. The plaque isn't readable unfortunately. The bird's nest and ivy on the monument are bronze also.
This monument for the 12th Massachusetts Volunteers is just across the road from the tree shaped monument in the previous picture. As my brother lives in Massachusetts, I had to get a shot of this one. The rest of the inscription on the bottom reads: "2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps". The head reminds me of statues I've seen of Lenin.
As I said before, the roads around Barlow's Knoll were under construction so we couldn't get up to it easily. So we decided to go back down Confederate Avenue and then around to the Round Tops, the Wheat Field and the Peach Orchard.
Little Round Top
It was getting to be late afternoon when we got to the Round Tops and I got some spectacular shots in the sunset.
The statue of General Warren is beautifully executed, showing him looking out over the valley before Little Round Top. The plaque just visible in the lower left corner contains a detailed account of what General Warren did on Little Round Top.
Moving up along the edge of Little Round Top, I took these two shots (picture 1, picture 2) looking generally North along the ridgeline. The Pennsylvania Memorial (the white building at the right edge of picture 1) and Cemetary Ridge are just visible in the distance. The colors of the trees in the setting sun were absolutely stunning, the camera doesn't do justice for the view from up there. I can conjure up in my mind an image of the valley below filled with Confederate infantry.
I was standing with this monument to my back when I took the previous two pictures, another impressive Pennsylvania Regimental marker. The cross on top of the monument is the symbol for 5th Corps. The sunken plaques contain information about the Regiment, the one facing me has casualty and recruiting information, though I can't make out all the details.
Now looking south along the ridgeline of Little Round Top. At first I thought, "This must be the 20th Maine's monument!" I didn't remember this monument from my other visits to Gettysburg many years before. Turns out that it is the monument for the 44th New York. You don't quite realize just how big Little Round Top is until you're standing on it. This shot (and the people in it) helps give a good indication of its size.
Now I am standing in front of the 44th monument, looking North towards the Pennsylvania monument and General Warren (just to the left of the Pennsylvania monument). Again, the Pennsylvania Memorial is visible in the middle distance. A battery is on the right at the woodline. The small monument in the middle foreground is a flank marker for the 44th. The concrete paths make for relatively easy walking but it must have been treacherous for the soldiers in 1863.
This shot is looking down the slope from the 44th monument. I tried to block the sun with my hand but didn't do a good enough job. The slope is also spotted with monuments, though to which side they belong, I'm not sure. I tried to enhance the image by adjusting the contrast to bring out the details and was somewhat successful. There is a monument in the middle there.
The facade of the 44th New York monument. This monument is one of the most impressive at Gettysburg. The tower easily stands 35 or 40 feet tall. You can climb the spiral stairway up to the observation deck and look out over the general area. Inside the monument is a full Regimental roster for all its companies (8 or 9 if I remember right). Other plaques detail the Regimental history, recruiting info and casualty returns. The full inscription on the arch is: "44th N.Y. Infantry, 3rd Brig., 1st Div., Fifth Corps".
After visiting the 20th Maine monument (somewhat of a disappointment after the 44th, I must admit), I took this picture of the 44th from the road that runs behind the ridgeline of Little Round Top.
I like this shot better than the previous one. This is the Pennsylvania Monument and battery as seen from the road with the setting sun lighting the cannon up nicely.
The Wheatfield
We went to the Wheatfield next, but unfortunately the setting sun was behind the trees and the pictures I took did not turn out very well. I want to go back to this area next year and get better pictures.
The area of the Wheatfield is interesting. I expected it to be in plain view of the Round Tops but when I walked around, I was amazed at the sense of isolation I felt. I could not see anything beyond the immediate area, trees and the roll of the ground blocked line of sight in all directions, even towards the Peach Orchard. If this is how the ground was in 1863, Sickles (?) men must have felt very much alone as they advanced toward the "better ground", away from the Round Tops. Judging by the flank markers, the Union position would have been particularly exposed, where other areas of the battlefield have some natural defensive spots, this area was relatively flat. . Narrow dirt paths from one monument to another crisscrossed the low ground vegetation, certainly nowhere near as tall as the wheat would have been in the summer of 1863.
Its hard to see, but there is a monument in the middle of this photo flanked by a pair of cannon.
This picture is standing behind one of the cannon in the previous photo, looking southwest across the open ground. Some of the Confederate assaults would have come from this direction.
This monument is similar in design to the 143rd Pennsylvania monument back in the first day section. It is close to the monument and cannon pictured above.
These two photos (1, 2) are very badly lit and basically only the skyline is visible.
This last photo is odd. The sun was to my back when I took it so I have no idea why it turned out like this. That is a slender monument with an eagle on it.
We drove by the Peach Orchard but I was out of film and any photos would not have turned out in the dim light so we didn't stop. Next year.
As my next trip to Gettysburg is tomorrow(!), I figured I should finish this up.
After visiting the first day action, we made some stops along Confederate Avenue on our way to the Round Tops. I didn't recall seeing so many batteries lined up along the Avenue the last time I was at Gettysburg so I was a bit amazed at the number of cannon.
This first shot is looking over the barrel of one battery towards Cemetary Ridge. Little Round Top is just visible on the right side and the tower (now demolished I understand) is on the left. The gun is a Napoleon I think, the bronze barrel has tarnished.
This next shot is left division of the same battery. The plaque is between the 2nd and 3rd guns and reads:
It details what the battery did during the three days of combat.
This picture is looking south along Confederate Avenue with another battery visible on the left side of the road and a division marker on the right. The sun hitting the lens of the camera had a nice effect and the beams filtering through the trees are very visible.
Further down the line now (not to the Virginia monument yet), another view of Cemetary Ridge as a Confederate gunner would have seen it. I believe this is a Parrot gun, though I'm not certain.
Again, looking down the line of the battery with the sun coming through the trees and hitting the lens. Whether the Confederates mixed their batteries like they are presently shown along Confederate Avenue is a good question. This battery was three Napoleons and a Parrot.
A view I would not have wanted to see in 1863. The muzzle of this Napoleon is inscribed:
Most guns bear some sort of manufacturers marking. I suppose someone has actually tried to figure out if the guns currently on the battlefield were there in 1863 if records that detailed exist.
After passing more batteries than I can remember, we arrived at the Virginia Memorial. Along with the 44th NY (see Day 2), this is one of the msot impressive monuments at Gettysburg. The full size tour bus just visible behind the monument in this photo should give a good indication of the monuments size.
Another view of the monument.
There is a path leading away from the road at the Virginia Memorial. It leads partway across the field towards Cemetary Ridge to a marker that talks about the charge on July 3rd. The next three shots I tried to take as a panorama as I stood by the marker. The first two overlap between the brick building and the Pennsylvania Monument and the left edge of the third shot lines up with the right edge of the second one.
This first picture is looking towards the north end of Cemetary Ridge. The tower is visible on the left, with the Visitor's Center to the right of it. The path in the middle looks like it leads directly to the High Water Mark, the small copse of trees just to the right of center.
The second picture shows the High Water Mark on the left, the Pennsylvania Monument to the right of center and the ground rising to the Round Tops on the right side.
The last photo is looking toward the Round Tops.
The next day, we had time to go to the visitors center and stand on top of the building looking back at the Virginia Memorial from the Union side of the line. I wish I had had more film with me. There are markers on the building that say how far it is to the Virginia Memorial and other landmarks. It is nearly two miles away. As I stood there looking over the field, I tried to imagine more than 12,000 soldiers advancing into the waiting guns at the stone walls below me. The courage that must have taken amazed me. I don't know that I could have done that.
Last Modified November 1, 2000
