27th Connecticut

Oh....my obsession with the Wheatfield at Gettysburg continues. One of these days, I will have this part of the battle down....maybe. They didn't call the fighting here "a whirlpool" for nothing.

But in the process of obsessing over this part of the battlefield, I frequently look to old newspapers for "the rest of the story". Old newspapers are a minefield of gems. They give you the little human interest stories that you don't read in the history books. They give you that tiny piece of information that seems to be the icing on the cake. Although, reporters back then, as today, were biased, you can still glean that little bit of information that satisfies the longing for more.

Today, I was scanning the New York Times archives for some information on the 27th Connecticut and what happened in the Wheatfield. Did you know that there are 5 monuments to the 27th Ct in/around the Wheatfield? And they only had 75 men present for the fighting. A little piece of info on them: At Chancellorsville, 8 companies of this regiment had been captured. At Gettysburg, they were able to piece together three companies to fight.

But what I found in today's scanning of the New York Times, was a little article on a monument dedication. Here is what the article said:

"In the Wheatfield"
A Gettysburg Monument Unveiled by Connecticut Veterans
Gettysburg, Penna., Oct. 22 -- This morning the Connecticut excursionists marched through Gettysburg, escorted by representatives of the Battlefield Association, and then proceeded by train on the Round Top to the site of the monument of the Twenty-Seventh Regiment. Connecticut Volunteers, which is situated in the centre of the wheat field. It is of St. Johnsbury granite, about 25 feet high, surmounted with a bronze eagle. On the shaft, in raised letters, is the inscription, "27th Conn". There is also a lengthy inscription giving a history of the regiment in this battle. A tablet has been erected at the edge of Wible's Woods, marking the advanced position of the regiment in its charge on the afternoon of July 2, 1863. At the monument prayer was delivered by the Rev. (late Lieutenant) Winthrop D. Sheldon. The monument was then presented to the regiment by Capt. Frank D. Sloat, it being unveiled by Miss Ruby Mervin Osbourne, niece of Lieut. Col. Henry C. Mervin, who was mortally wounded on the spot. It was accepted on the part of the regiment by S. J. Fox, Chairman. An oration was delivered by the Rev. James Brand, late color bearer, and a poem was read by Lieut. De Witt C. Sprague. The monument was then delivered to the keeping of the Gettysurg Battlefield Memorial Association by Gov. Henry B. Harrison, D. A. Buehler, Vice President of the association, receiving it. A message of warm greeting for the Massachusetts Veteran Excursion Association was received and answered in kind. In the afternoon the National Cemetery was visited, and the graves of the Connecticut dead were decorated with flowers, Gov. Harrison making an impressive speech. This evening the visitors attended a camp fire in the court house. The party will leave tomorrow.

Published: October 23, 1885

I love finding this sort of stuff and can't wait to scan more newspapers to learn more about the history of this battlefield.