What did the 29th Ohio do at Gettysburg?

I went up to Culp's Hill today and sat under a tree to read Harry Pfanz's Culps' Hill and Cemetery Hill book. Harry Pfanz has a way of making you feel like you CAN understand what took place....no matter which part of the battlefield you happen to be studying at the time. Now, I love Culp's Hill. I don't know why....I don't completely understand what took place there....but I'm learning.

So, while sitting under that tree and contemplating the battle, I happened to see the monument to the 29th Ohio. Its a larger monument but nothing really eye catching. And I started to wonder just what those men did on this hill. So I went straight to Harry Pfanz and checked it out.

Now before I get into just what they did, I need to write out exactly what is on that monument. There are four sides to it....so I will write out each side starting with the front and working my way around the monument from right to left (yeah, I know, I'm backwards!)

Side 1

29th Ohio Infantry

1st Brig, 2nd Div, 12th Corps

This memorial is erected by the

State of Ohio

Side 2

Gettysburg

July 2d and 3d 1863

engaged 332 killed 7

wounded 31 2 mortally

total loss 38

Side 3

Principal

Battles

Winchester

1862

Port Republic

June 9, 1862

Cedar Mountain

Chancellorsville

Gettysburg

Lookout Mountain

Dug Gap in Rocky Face

Resaca

New Hope Church

Pine Mountain

Kenesaw Mountain

Peach Tree Creek

Atlanta

Savannah

Carolina Campaign

The 29th Ohio Infantry

Commanded by Capt. Edward Hayes - J.B. Storer Adjutant

Occupied several positions in this vicinity both in the

intrenchments and in Reserve July2 and 3 1863

Side 4

Mustered in for 3 Years

Aug to Dec 1861

Reenlisted as Veterans

Dec 10, 1863

Mustered out July 8-13 1865

OK....so I looked in Pfanz to see just what these guys did and here is what I figured out. They initially were in a "hollow" behind the breastworks. Well, after looking around, the only "hollow" that they could have been in is along current day Williams Avenue. It seems that this area was used to hold reserve units. When the regiment who was fighting ran out of ammunition, the reserve unit would run up, cover the other regiments retreat and keep on fighting. The first regiment then would go to the back, pick up more ammunition, clean their guns, or whatever they needed to do. It seems that the 29th Ohio ran up and relieved the 137th New York. For those who are not familiar with the 137th NY....this regiment was the "20th Me" of the extreme RIGHT of the Union army. They did almost the exact same thing that the 20th ME did on Little Round Top....but they aren't getting the recognition that Chamberlain and his men got. So the 29th Ohio relieves them. But after awhile they get relieved by the 28th Pennsylvania. Until all was said and done, 5 Confederates personally surrendered to these men.

So, when I head up to Culp's Hill and I see the monument to the 29th Ohio, I have a whole new respect for them. They got some of the most intense fighting up there and yet only lost 38 men....that comes out to 11% casualty rate. For this battle, that's fairly low! Go Buckeyes!