I traveled throught the little town of Hunterstown, PA yesterday. This little hamlet played a role in the Battle of Gettysburg. There was actually some Cavalry fighting that took place here. Now, I am not an expert on Cavalry action by any means of the imagination. In fact, the only Cavalry that I can even pretend to understand is John Buford on July 1.
But Hunterstown is more than just Cavalry action (although my goal for the next month is to understand what happened there). One of the reasons I headed over there was to check out the Great Conewago Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Anyone who knows me that I LOVE cemeteries. I can't get enough of them. I am a firm believer that you can't get to know the history of an area without visiting the local cemetery. I actually have files in my computer just full of pictures of different cemeteries and the headstones of those who are buried in them. The older the cemetery, the more there is to learn!
At this particular one, I ran into the headstone of Major Robert Bell. Robert Bell was the commander of the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry, Co. B. which fought on June 26, 1863 in conjunction with the 26th PA Militia. This whole action is a complicated thing to understand and, again, one of my goals for the month of July. But to see his headstone was probably the coolest thing. I didn't have much time to hang out or I would have written down just what his heastone said. That's for my next trip. There is a plague in the cemetery with the names of all the Civil War soldiers that are buried there listed. There is also one for the Revolutionary War. My next trip will be to document all of this.
When visiting Hunterstown, you must stop to visit George Armstrong Custer's monument at the corner of Hunterstown Road and the main street through the town (boy, I wish I could remember what that road is called....but then, does it matter? Its the only road in town!) General Custer is my 5th cousin, twice removed! A fact that I'm not sure I'm proud of or not. Afterall, he may have been crazy (just ask all the guys at Little Bighorn). But, he did well at Gettysburg, so I'm sort of proud of him.
The tiny town of Hunterstown is so far off the beaten path, but it played a role in what we, here in Gettysburg, are commemorating this week...so it needs to be remembered along with the main battle itself.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Billy Bayly Pt. 2
I've been doing some additional reading up on Billy Bayly. One thing that I do much of the time is find a civilian or whoever and go through my books to see what I can learn about them. In this case, I learned so much that I don't think I could put it all into 2 or 3 posts.
I remember being introduced to Billy about 5 years or so ago. I know that it was definitely before I moved here that I first laid eyes on his name. Something about this boy intrigued me. Here was this thirteen year old boy who watched the battle firsthand while trying to stay hidden away. Firsthand accounts are fascinating.
Billy's whole name was William Hamilton Bayly. His uncle was William Hamilton and his cousin was John Hamilton. Now, John plays a role in what happened to Billy while he was trying to see just what war was all about.
Some of this information that I'm about to impart I got from the late Greg Coco's book "A Vast Sea of Misery" (which, if you do not have in your Gettysburg library, is a MUST have). Greg did much legwork on this topic so I am very thankful to him for all his work in this area.
Billy and his brother and cousin left the Seminary Ridge area and started to head home after the first cannons were fired. Some of the cannonballs were getting a little too close to them. The three boys headed up the Newville Road (Biglerville Road today) until they reached a blacksmith shop. According to Greg, this blacksmith shop was actually owned by his cousin John Hamilton. One of the things that I was going crazy trying to figure out...searching the Warren map....searching books, etc....was where exactly was this blacksmith shop. Once I figured this out, everything else just fell into place. The blacksmith shop was on the Newville Road at Keckler's Hill. For those not familiar with Keckler's Hill, its the hill at the intersection of Biglerville Road and Herr's Ridge Road.
Billy talks about how from the blacksmith's shop they watched the dust and then finally the emergence of Confederates from a hill. Well, after thinking about this, I figured that the troops who were coming from that direction had to be Rodes' Division. Rodes took his men down modern day Rt 34 and when they heard the sound of battle, they turned and followed the ridge to the fighting. The ridge that they followed was Herr's Ridge....which means that they turned down this road and advanced under the cover of the trees from the ridge. They kept advancing until they got to Oak Hill and this is where they set up for the fight. The troops he saw advancing up the hill HAD to be Rodes. Cool!
Billy also talks about a young Confederate soldier who came to stay with them for a while. This young soldier had had enough of the war and just left. He showed up at the Bayly's door in the middle of the night and asked for help. This young soldier was just a few years older than Billy and Billy says that he wasn't much taller than he was. They put him to bed and then gave him civilian clothes so that he would blend in. Funny thing, the boys were handing out branches from the cherry trees they had and giving them to the Confederates as they walked past. This young soldier helped them do this....and the Confederates never knew that he was one of them. I wish I knew who this boy was. The only thing that Billy says about him was that he was from North Carolina. I wonder what ever happened to him. Did he get home? Was he considered a coward by his friends and family? Did he have to leave home because of the stigma of desertion? Oh the questions I have and the answers I don't have!
I've been going through Billy's account word by word trying to determined the who's, what's, when's and where's of what Billy did. This is turning into a delightful journey into the life of a thirteen year old boy (something that I have never been....well, I was 13 once....but never a boy). While reading this, I've been wondering what I would have done if I had been Billy. I'm not sure, but I'm positive I would never have gone looking for the war.
I remember being introduced to Billy about 5 years or so ago. I know that it was definitely before I moved here that I first laid eyes on his name. Something about this boy intrigued me. Here was this thirteen year old boy who watched the battle firsthand while trying to stay hidden away. Firsthand accounts are fascinating.
Billy's whole name was William Hamilton Bayly. His uncle was William Hamilton and his cousin was John Hamilton. Now, John plays a role in what happened to Billy while he was trying to see just what war was all about.
Some of this information that I'm about to impart I got from the late Greg Coco's book "A Vast Sea of Misery" (which, if you do not have in your Gettysburg library, is a MUST have). Greg did much legwork on this topic so I am very thankful to him for all his work in this area.
Billy and his brother and cousin left the Seminary Ridge area and started to head home after the first cannons were fired. Some of the cannonballs were getting a little too close to them. The three boys headed up the Newville Road (Biglerville Road today) until they reached a blacksmith shop. According to Greg, this blacksmith shop was actually owned by his cousin John Hamilton. One of the things that I was going crazy trying to figure out...searching the Warren map....searching books, etc....was where exactly was this blacksmith shop. Once I figured this out, everything else just fell into place. The blacksmith shop was on the Newville Road at Keckler's Hill. For those not familiar with Keckler's Hill, its the hill at the intersection of Biglerville Road and Herr's Ridge Road.
Billy talks about how from the blacksmith's shop they watched the dust and then finally the emergence of Confederates from a hill. Well, after thinking about this, I figured that the troops who were coming from that direction had to be Rodes' Division. Rodes took his men down modern day Rt 34 and when they heard the sound of battle, they turned and followed the ridge to the fighting. The ridge that they followed was Herr's Ridge....which means that they turned down this road and advanced under the cover of the trees from the ridge. They kept advancing until they got to Oak Hill and this is where they set up for the fight. The troops he saw advancing up the hill HAD to be Rodes. Cool!
Billy also talks about a young Confederate soldier who came to stay with them for a while. This young soldier had had enough of the war and just left. He showed up at the Bayly's door in the middle of the night and asked for help. This young soldier was just a few years older than Billy and Billy says that he wasn't much taller than he was. They put him to bed and then gave him civilian clothes so that he would blend in. Funny thing, the boys were handing out branches from the cherry trees they had and giving them to the Confederates as they walked past. This young soldier helped them do this....and the Confederates never knew that he was one of them. I wish I knew who this boy was. The only thing that Billy says about him was that he was from North Carolina. I wonder what ever happened to him. Did he get home? Was he considered a coward by his friends and family? Did he have to leave home because of the stigma of desertion? Oh the questions I have and the answers I don't have!
I've been going through Billy's account word by word trying to determined the who's, what's, when's and where's of what Billy did. This is turning into a delightful journey into the life of a thirteen year old boy (something that I have never been....well, I was 13 once....but never a boy). While reading this, I've been wondering what I would have done if I had been Billy. I'm not sure, but I'm positive I would never have gone looking for the war.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Ball's Bluff...Big Little Battle
Ball's Bluff had some really significant action that played a role in what would happen for the remainder of the war. Some of these repercussions may have effected the outcome of the war....or at least the length of the war. Other results were that some careers were ruined....in more ways than one.
Result #1: Col. Edward D. Baker was killed. Now a Colonel being killed at a battle isn't big news....it happened in every battle that took place. The significance of Baker's death was that he was the only sitting Congressman to have ever been killed in battle. Edward Baker was a Congressman from Oregon. He had put together a brigade which he called the "California Brigade" because he wanted to bring California into the battle. However, most of the men in this brigade were actually from Philadelphia. After Baker's death, the brigade renamed itself and they became the Philadelphia Brigade. The regiments in the brigade had been known as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th California. They later became known as the 69th, 71st, 72nd, and 102nd Pennsylvania. We never had before...nor since....an acting Congressman being killed in a war.
Result #2: Because this was the 2nd major disaster for the Union, Congress decided that they needed to find out why the North was losing these battles (the first one was 1st Bull Run). So they put together a group and named themselves "The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War"....a group that would be looking over the shoulders of each and every Union commander for the remainder of the war. Now, what possible significance could this have? Well, these commanders were afraid to make a mistake and possibly slowed things down a bit because they certainly didn't want to end up arrested for a mistake. Could things have come to an end sooner if they weren't afraid of these men who were Monday Morning Quarterbacking back in Washington days later. Its hard to say, but that possibility does exist. And this is something to think about when studying each battle.
Result #3: Charles P. Stone. Charles Stone was an up and coming commander in the Union army. Its quite possible that if the battle at Ball's Bluff hadn't happened or ended the way it had, he might be one of the more highly respected commanders from the North. His name could be up there with the "BIG" names: Lee, Grant, Hancock, Meade, Longstreet, and Stone????. Here is why his life was changed. Because this battle was a huge fiasco, the Committee decided that they needed a scapegoat. Funny thing about this: Stone NEVER set foot on the battlefield at Ball's Bluff. The highest ranked commander on the battlefield at Ball's Bluff for the Union was Edward Baker. Well, Baker couldn't get blamed for the battle for three reasons: (1) he was killed in the battle, (2) he was really good friends with President Lincoln (after all, Lincoln named his second son after Baker) and (3) he was a Congressman. So, who do you blame? Well, you go up one rung on the ladder and that person happened to be Charles Stone. They went into his house early in the morning and arrested him. He was thrown into a prison which is no longer in existence, but it sits in the area of one of the bridges in New York Harbor. And he was left there for 6 months. No one told him why he was being arrested or what this was all about....NOTHING. Just as suddenly as he was arrested, he was left go. There was no evidence that he had done anything wrong. When he went to come back to the army, there was such a stigma attached to his name that he was forced to resign from the army. Stone didn't leave the world without leaving his own mark out there: he was the one who built the base that the Statue of Liberty sits on.
Ball's Bluff was such a tiny battle...4 regiments on either side. Maybe a total of 2500 men. But the repercussions of this battle were felt for years afterward. To this day, this battle has been long forgotten, except by the ones who really truly understand the Civil War, but it lived forever in the lives of those who fought there and those whose lives it effected. As a student of the Civil War, I find that its the minor battles that made a permanent scar on the large battles and how we know they were fought.
Result #1: Col. Edward D. Baker was killed. Now a Colonel being killed at a battle isn't big news....it happened in every battle that took place. The significance of Baker's death was that he was the only sitting Congressman to have ever been killed in battle. Edward Baker was a Congressman from Oregon. He had put together a brigade which he called the "California Brigade" because he wanted to bring California into the battle. However, most of the men in this brigade were actually from Philadelphia. After Baker's death, the brigade renamed itself and they became the Philadelphia Brigade. The regiments in the brigade had been known as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th California. They later became known as the 69th, 71st, 72nd, and 102nd Pennsylvania. We never had before...nor since....an acting Congressman being killed in a war.
Result #2: Because this was the 2nd major disaster for the Union, Congress decided that they needed to find out why the North was losing these battles (the first one was 1st Bull Run). So they put together a group and named themselves "The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War"....a group that would be looking over the shoulders of each and every Union commander for the remainder of the war. Now, what possible significance could this have? Well, these commanders were afraid to make a mistake and possibly slowed things down a bit because they certainly didn't want to end up arrested for a mistake. Could things have come to an end sooner if they weren't afraid of these men who were Monday Morning Quarterbacking back in Washington days later. Its hard to say, but that possibility does exist. And this is something to think about when studying each battle.
Result #3: Charles P. Stone. Charles Stone was an up and coming commander in the Union army. Its quite possible that if the battle at Ball's Bluff hadn't happened or ended the way it had, he might be one of the more highly respected commanders from the North. His name could be up there with the "BIG" names: Lee, Grant, Hancock, Meade, Longstreet, and Stone????. Here is why his life was changed. Because this battle was a huge fiasco, the Committee decided that they needed a scapegoat. Funny thing about this: Stone NEVER set foot on the battlefield at Ball's Bluff. The highest ranked commander on the battlefield at Ball's Bluff for the Union was Edward Baker. Well, Baker couldn't get blamed for the battle for three reasons: (1) he was killed in the battle, (2) he was really good friends with President Lincoln (after all, Lincoln named his second son after Baker) and (3) he was a Congressman. So, who do you blame? Well, you go up one rung on the ladder and that person happened to be Charles Stone. They went into his house early in the morning and arrested him. He was thrown into a prison which is no longer in existence, but it sits in the area of one of the bridges in New York Harbor. And he was left there for 6 months. No one told him why he was being arrested or what this was all about....NOTHING. Just as suddenly as he was arrested, he was left go. There was no evidence that he had done anything wrong. When he went to come back to the army, there was such a stigma attached to his name that he was forced to resign from the army. Stone didn't leave the world without leaving his own mark out there: he was the one who built the base that the Statue of Liberty sits on.
Ball's Bluff was such a tiny battle...4 regiments on either side. Maybe a total of 2500 men. But the repercussions of this battle were felt for years afterward. To this day, this battle has been long forgotten, except by the ones who really truly understand the Civil War, but it lived forever in the lives of those who fought there and those whose lives it effected. As a student of the Civil War, I find that its the minor battles that made a permanent scar on the large battles and how we know they were fought.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Council of War on July 2, 1863
The Council of War that took place at Lydia Leister's house in Gettysburg has always interested me. I found a neat little quote from John Gibbon about the Council of War that I am going to put here. It's pretty much self explanatory. Enjoy!
"A staff officer from army headquarters met General Hancock and myself and summoned us both to General Meade's headquarters where a council of war was to be held. We at once proceeded there and soon after our arrival all the corps commanders were assembled in the little front room of the Leister house-- Newton who had been assigned to the command of Doubleday, his senior; Hancock, Second; Birney, Third; Sykes, Fifth; Sedgwick, who had arrived during the day with the Sixth, after a long march from Manchester; Howard, Eleventh, and Slocum, Twelfth Corps; and myself, Second. IT will be seen that two corps were doubly represented, the Second by Hancock and myself and the Twelfth by Slocum and Williams. These twelve were all assembled in a little room not more than ten or twelve feet square, with a bed in one corner, a small table on one side, and a chair or two. Of course, all could not sit down; some did, some lounged on the bed and some stood up, while Warren, tired out and suffering from a wound in the neck, where a piece of shell had struck him, lay down in a corner of the room and went fast asleep and I don't think heard any of the proceedings.
The discussion was at first very informal and...each one made comments on the fight and told what he knew of the condition of affairs. In the course of this discussion Newton expressed the opinion that "this was no place to fight a battle in." General Newton was an officer of engineers (since chief engineer of the army) and was rated by me, and I suppose most others, most highly as a soldier. The assertion, coming from such a source, rather startled me and I eagerly asked what his objections to the position were. The objections he stated, as I recollect them, related to some minor details of the line of which I knew nothing except so far as my own front was concerned, and with those I was satisfied; but the prevailing impression seemed to be that the place for the battle had been selected for us. Here we are; now what is the best thing to do? It soon became evident that everybody was in favor of staying where we were and giving battle there. General Meade himself said very little excepting now and then to make some comment, but I cannot recall that he had any decided opinion on any point, preferring apparently to listen to the conversation. After the discussion had lasted some time, Butterfield suggested it would perhaps be well to formulate the question to be asked, and, General Meade assenting, he took a piece of paper on which he had made some memoranda and wrote down a question; when he had done this he read it off and formally proposed it to the council.
I had never been a member of a council of war before (nor have I been since) and did not feel very confident I was properly a member of this one; but I was engaged in the discussion and found myself (Warren being asleep) the junior member in it. By the customs of war the junior member votes first, as on courts-martial; and when Butterfield read off his question, the substance of which was "Should the army remain in its present position of take up some other?" he addressed himself first to me for an answer. To say "Stay and fight" would be to ignore the objections made by General Newton, and I therefore answered somewhat in this way: "Remain here, and make such correction in our position as may be deemed necessary, but take no step which even looks like retreat." The question was put to each member and his answer taken down, and when it came to Newton who was first in rank, he voted pretty much the same way I did, and we had some playful sparring as to whether he agreed with me or I with him; the rest voted to remain.
The next question put by Butterfield was: "Should the army attack or await the attack of the enemy?" I voted not to attack, and all the others voted substantially the same way; and on the third question, "How long shall we wait?" I voted "Until Lee moves". The answer to this last question showed the only material variation in the opinion of the members.
When the meeting was over, General Mead said, quietly but decidedly, "Such then is the decision" and certainly he said nothing which produced a doubt in my mind as to his being in accord with the members of the council."
I took this from my book "Gettysburg" by Earl Schenck Miers and Richard A. Brown but it was originally taken from "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War.
"A staff officer from army headquarters met General Hancock and myself and summoned us both to General Meade's headquarters where a council of war was to be held. We at once proceeded there and soon after our arrival all the corps commanders were assembled in the little front room of the Leister house-- Newton who had been assigned to the command of Doubleday, his senior; Hancock, Second; Birney, Third; Sykes, Fifth; Sedgwick, who had arrived during the day with the Sixth, after a long march from Manchester; Howard, Eleventh, and Slocum, Twelfth Corps; and myself, Second. IT will be seen that two corps were doubly represented, the Second by Hancock and myself and the Twelfth by Slocum and Williams. These twelve were all assembled in a little room not more than ten or twelve feet square, with a bed in one corner, a small table on one side, and a chair or two. Of course, all could not sit down; some did, some lounged on the bed and some stood up, while Warren, tired out and suffering from a wound in the neck, where a piece of shell had struck him, lay down in a corner of the room and went fast asleep and I don't think heard any of the proceedings.
The discussion was at first very informal and...each one made comments on the fight and told what he knew of the condition of affairs. In the course of this discussion Newton expressed the opinion that "this was no place to fight a battle in." General Newton was an officer of engineers (since chief engineer of the army) and was rated by me, and I suppose most others, most highly as a soldier. The assertion, coming from such a source, rather startled me and I eagerly asked what his objections to the position were. The objections he stated, as I recollect them, related to some minor details of the line of which I knew nothing except so far as my own front was concerned, and with those I was satisfied; but the prevailing impression seemed to be that the place for the battle had been selected for us. Here we are; now what is the best thing to do? It soon became evident that everybody was in favor of staying where we were and giving battle there. General Meade himself said very little excepting now and then to make some comment, but I cannot recall that he had any decided opinion on any point, preferring apparently to listen to the conversation. After the discussion had lasted some time, Butterfield suggested it would perhaps be well to formulate the question to be asked, and, General Meade assenting, he took a piece of paper on which he had made some memoranda and wrote down a question; when he had done this he read it off and formally proposed it to the council.
I had never been a member of a council of war before (nor have I been since) and did not feel very confident I was properly a member of this one; but I was engaged in the discussion and found myself (Warren being asleep) the junior member in it. By the customs of war the junior member votes first, as on courts-martial; and when Butterfield read off his question, the substance of which was "Should the army remain in its present position of take up some other?" he addressed himself first to me for an answer. To say "Stay and fight" would be to ignore the objections made by General Newton, and I therefore answered somewhat in this way: "Remain here, and make such correction in our position as may be deemed necessary, but take no step which even looks like retreat." The question was put to each member and his answer taken down, and when it came to Newton who was first in rank, he voted pretty much the same way I did, and we had some playful sparring as to whether he agreed with me or I with him; the rest voted to remain.
The next question put by Butterfield was: "Should the army attack or await the attack of the enemy?" I voted not to attack, and all the others voted substantially the same way; and on the third question, "How long shall we wait?" I voted "Until Lee moves". The answer to this last question showed the only material variation in the opinion of the members.
When the meeting was over, General Mead said, quietly but decidedly, "Such then is the decision" and certainly he said nothing which produced a doubt in my mind as to his being in accord with the members of the council."
I took this from my book "Gettysburg" by Earl Schenck Miers and Richard A. Brown but it was originally taken from "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Travels in Southeast Pennsylvania
I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time in Southeast Pennsylvania this past weekend. I took a sidetrip to Mongomery Cemetery and a bigger trip to Valley Forge park. I want to talk about Valley Forge a bit....but its a Revolutionary War park....what's it got to do with the Civil War???? Well, there is quite a bit of Civil War history that can be taken from Valley Forge. Let me explain....
First, I want to tell a bit about heading to Montgomery Cemetery. This is the cemetery where Civil War generals Winfield Scott Hancock, Samuel K. Zook, and John F. Hartranft are buried. I visited all three of them. I took my 9 year old brother with me and I got to give him a lesson on the Civil War. It was very exciting (for me, anyway). The cemetery has added a large kiosk full of pictures and paragraphs about the history of the cemetery. Both sides of this board is just full of pictures. That was really cool. And it talked about all the "famous" people buried there. Most are of local lore, but there are a few that those of us familiar with the Civil War would recognize. The cemetery is being taken care of....evidently someone had recently mowed (not an easy task considering its 70+ acres) and the grass is growing in places I hadn't seen grass in recently. I was happy with what I saw there.
Then we moved on to Valley Forge. Now, one of the houses on the field is the house where Samuel K. Zook grew up. He was born Samuel Kurtz Zook but changed his middle name to Kosciuszko in memory of Thaddeus Kosciuszko who was a general at the Valley Forge encampment. Samuel Zook was killed in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg on July 2, 1963.
But the one thing that I really liked about my time at Valley Forge was something that I think more parks should do. They have these "storytelling" stations throughout the park. I think there were five of them. It had a circular bench that everyone could sit on (I think it only sat about 8 people) and a person who would stand and tell stories. Now, when I first saw it, I thought...."oh brother, what is this?" But my little brother wanted to hear a story....so we sat and listened. The man who told us the story checked the ages of the kids and then told a story based on their ages. He actually gave us a choice of 3 stories and took a vote. So we heard a story about the tallest man in the Continental Army. It was only a few minutes long. I don't think we were there for more than 10 minutes, but he told us this story about a man named Peter. The kids LOVED it. I liked it, too. This is something that could really get the kids attention at any park....Revolutionary War, Civil War, or whatever. This is a tool that could really reel the kids into history. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the other stations due to time constraints. But I really like this idea.
The park has also changed tremendously. They have taken away some of the roads, taken away parking lots and reconfigured other roads. I was sort of impressed. I understand getting rid of some of the roads and parking lots....they weren't used much and it adds to the history of the park by not having them there....but it really confused me. I knew that park like the back of my hand and now, I'm not so sure where I was or what I was doing.
The deer population at Valley Forge is horrible. You can drive that park at any time of the day and see hundreds of deer. Gettysburg is taking steps to control the deer population. I like how I've lived here for 4 years and have only seen 6 deer in the park....EVER. We don't have to worry about driving for fear of hitting Bambi.
There are parallels between National Parks....be it historic or natural or whatever. In some ways, the parks can learn from each other. There are lessons that Valley Forge can learn from Gettysburg and lessons that Gettysburg can learn from Valley Forge. But each park is different...with a different goal....and different lessons to be learned. I for one enjoy traveling to the different parks to see what I can glean from each one.....because learning helps me become a better me.
First, I want to tell a bit about heading to Montgomery Cemetery. This is the cemetery where Civil War generals Winfield Scott Hancock, Samuel K. Zook, and John F. Hartranft are buried. I visited all three of them. I took my 9 year old brother with me and I got to give him a lesson on the Civil War. It was very exciting (for me, anyway). The cemetery has added a large kiosk full of pictures and paragraphs about the history of the cemetery. Both sides of this board is just full of pictures. That was really cool. And it talked about all the "famous" people buried there. Most are of local lore, but there are a few that those of us familiar with the Civil War would recognize. The cemetery is being taken care of....evidently someone had recently mowed (not an easy task considering its 70+ acres) and the grass is growing in places I hadn't seen grass in recently. I was happy with what I saw there.
Then we moved on to Valley Forge. Now, one of the houses on the field is the house where Samuel K. Zook grew up. He was born Samuel Kurtz Zook but changed his middle name to Kosciuszko in memory of Thaddeus Kosciuszko who was a general at the Valley Forge encampment. Samuel Zook was killed in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg on July 2, 1963.
But the one thing that I really liked about my time at Valley Forge was something that I think more parks should do. They have these "storytelling" stations throughout the park. I think there were five of them. It had a circular bench that everyone could sit on (I think it only sat about 8 people) and a person who would stand and tell stories. Now, when I first saw it, I thought...."oh brother, what is this?" But my little brother wanted to hear a story....so we sat and listened. The man who told us the story checked the ages of the kids and then told a story based on their ages. He actually gave us a choice of 3 stories and took a vote. So we heard a story about the tallest man in the Continental Army. It was only a few minutes long. I don't think we were there for more than 10 minutes, but he told us this story about a man named Peter. The kids LOVED it. I liked it, too. This is something that could really get the kids attention at any park....Revolutionary War, Civil War, or whatever. This is a tool that could really reel the kids into history. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the other stations due to time constraints. But I really like this idea.
The park has also changed tremendously. They have taken away some of the roads, taken away parking lots and reconfigured other roads. I was sort of impressed. I understand getting rid of some of the roads and parking lots....they weren't used much and it adds to the history of the park by not having them there....but it really confused me. I knew that park like the back of my hand and now, I'm not so sure where I was or what I was doing.
The deer population at Valley Forge is horrible. You can drive that park at any time of the day and see hundreds of deer. Gettysburg is taking steps to control the deer population. I like how I've lived here for 4 years and have only seen 6 deer in the park....EVER. We don't have to worry about driving for fear of hitting Bambi.
There are parallels between National Parks....be it historic or natural or whatever. In some ways, the parks can learn from each other. There are lessons that Valley Forge can learn from Gettysburg and lessons that Gettysburg can learn from Valley Forge. But each park is different...with a different goal....and different lessons to be learned. I for one enjoy traveling to the different parks to see what I can glean from each one.....because learning helps me become a better me.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg
One of my favorite monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield is the Pennsylvania Memorial. The size in and of itself is monumental. Its the largest monument on the battlefield. But what I like the most about this particular monument is the artwork on it. Now, I'm not an artist and I don't have an artist's eye, but there are some things on this monument that have really caught my eye.
Just below the dome and above the arches, on all four sides, are bas relief carvings of the four Corps that were here at Gettysburg. One the first side it the Infantry Corps, then the Cavalry Corps, then the Artillery Corps, and last but not least (and the one people seem to forget about the most) is the Signal Corps. Each scene shows an "average" scene of each Corps in battle. Take a good look at each one....they are pretty cool.
Then on either side of the arches are statues of folks from Pennsylvania who played a role in the battle. The only exception to this is that there is a statue of President Lincoln and as far as I know, he never lived in Pennsylvania. Governor Andrew Curtain (the governor of PA at the time of the battle) is also represented up there. He played a major role in the forming of the National Cemetery. There are also statues of different generals up there as well. Now, sitting here, I can't name them all, but let's see who I can remember: Gregg, Hancock, Meade, Birney....that's it....I'm drawing a blank. Oh well.
On one of the pillars, you can see a doorway. Go through that door and head up the steps. The stairs are circular and VERY narrow but once you get to the top, I promise, it will be worth the trouble. This brings you to an observation deck that is right below the dome. From up there you can see most of the battlefield. Thankfully, there are signs on the walls that show you exactly which direction to look for what landmark. I know that you can see Oak Hill, Culp's Hill, both Round Tops, and most importantly, the field that Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble's men crossed on July 3. This field is actually the easiest to see. The view from up there lets you make out some of the undulations of the ground the men crossed. Now, its easier to experience on the field, but from up there you can sort of see it.
On the bottom of the monument are bronze plaques. These are a listing of every single soldier who was on the roles from Pennsylvania at the time of the battle. Now, there are mistakes....it can't be perfect, but they have done the best job that they can to make sure that every name that belongs up there IS up there. Its neat to be able to walk around the base and see the names of the Pennsylvanians who fought here. There were SOOOO many of them. And each name represents an actual person....a person who had family, and a life, and hopes and dreams. There are markers behind each person that was mortally wounded or killed. Its so sad to see these names. So many people come to the monument to find the names of their ancestors. I often see people rubbing over the names of their family members who fought here. What an awesome thing to be able to do and see.
This monument is one of the few that is REALLY identifiable on the battlefield. When you see a picture of it, you know exactly what it is that you are looking at. I find it one of the more fascinating monuments on the field because I really like the art on it!
Just below the dome and above the arches, on all four sides, are bas relief carvings of the four Corps that were here at Gettysburg. One the first side it the Infantry Corps, then the Cavalry Corps, then the Artillery Corps, and last but not least (and the one people seem to forget about the most) is the Signal Corps. Each scene shows an "average" scene of each Corps in battle. Take a good look at each one....they are pretty cool.
Then on either side of the arches are statues of folks from Pennsylvania who played a role in the battle. The only exception to this is that there is a statue of President Lincoln and as far as I know, he never lived in Pennsylvania. Governor Andrew Curtain (the governor of PA at the time of the battle) is also represented up there. He played a major role in the forming of the National Cemetery. There are also statues of different generals up there as well. Now, sitting here, I can't name them all, but let's see who I can remember: Gregg, Hancock, Meade, Birney....that's it....I'm drawing a blank. Oh well.
On one of the pillars, you can see a doorway. Go through that door and head up the steps. The stairs are circular and VERY narrow but once you get to the top, I promise, it will be worth the trouble. This brings you to an observation deck that is right below the dome. From up there you can see most of the battlefield. Thankfully, there are signs on the walls that show you exactly which direction to look for what landmark. I know that you can see Oak Hill, Culp's Hill, both Round Tops, and most importantly, the field that Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble's men crossed on July 3. This field is actually the easiest to see. The view from up there lets you make out some of the undulations of the ground the men crossed. Now, its easier to experience on the field, but from up there you can sort of see it.
On the bottom of the monument are bronze plaques. These are a listing of every single soldier who was on the roles from Pennsylvania at the time of the battle. Now, there are mistakes....it can't be perfect, but they have done the best job that they can to make sure that every name that belongs up there IS up there. Its neat to be able to walk around the base and see the names of the Pennsylvanians who fought here. There were SOOOO many of them. And each name represents an actual person....a person who had family, and a life, and hopes and dreams. There are markers behind each person that was mortally wounded or killed. Its so sad to see these names. So many people come to the monument to find the names of their ancestors. I often see people rubbing over the names of their family members who fought here. What an awesome thing to be able to do and see.
This monument is one of the few that is REALLY identifiable on the battlefield. When you see a picture of it, you know exactly what it is that you are looking at. I find it one of the more fascinating monuments on the field because I really like the art on it!
98th PA
Ok....its taken me awhile, but I have finally gotten around to writting about the 98th PA....my great great grandfathers regiment. Peter Stroup was born and lived his entire life in and around the Germantown section of Philadelphia. His daughters, daughter was my grandmother on my dad's side of the family. In 1861, the 17th PA was being pulled together, and for whatever reason, he decided to join up. This was a three month regiment, so after 3 months he was mustered out and he rejoined with the 21st PA. Again, this was a three month regiment and at the end of the three months, he again was mustered out. Then he joined up again and this regiment became the 98th PA. I'm not sure but I believe the 17th PA just turned into the 21st and the 21st turned into the 98th....but I don't know that for sure. Its just that a lot of the names are the same in each of the regiments.
The 98th PA seems to have participated in most of the major battles. Although it seems that they were held in reserve in quite a few....or that's what my research has found. I know that they were at Chancellorsville (although they technically fought at Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg) and they were also at Antietam (although they were following Darius Couch on a mission of wandering the valley and never actually made it into the fight). I do know that they DID participate in the Battle at Gettysburg. And here is what they did at Gettysburg.
The Sixth Corps made an incredible march of 26 miles from Manchester, Md all the way to Gettysburg in about 24 hours, arriving on July 2. As they arrived, they were to go to the middle part of the battlefield and be held in reserve. The 98th was the lead regiment in this march and as they approached Gettysburg, somehow they missed the message of where they were supposed to go. They ended up on Little Round Top....on the northern slope of the hill.
As the battle was progressing, the fighting in the Wheatfield was heating up. General Samuel Wylie Crawford decided that he had had enough and he grabbed the colors from the color-bearer, who refused to let him have them, and he grabbed some troops that he found in the area (mostly the U.S. Reserve troops of Day and Burbank), including the "lost" 98th PA, and off they went to end the fighting in the Wheatfield. From the slopes of Little Round Top, they went down, through the Valley of Death (Plum Run Valley) and up Day's Hill to the edge of the Wheatfield. They weren't able to regain the Wheatfield (which had changed hands at least 6 times) but they were able to push the Confederates back so that at the end of the fighting, the Wheatfield was considered No-Man's Land.
After this fight, the 98th PA was reunited with its brigade, who happened to be on the farm lane that led up to the Althoff farm (or the John Weikert Farm....depending on which farmer you choose to name the farm after). Today, there are two monuments to the 98th PA: one on the northern slope of Little Round Top and one back by the Weikert/Althoff house.
My great great grandfather may not have been one of the "big" heroes of the Civil War, but because he actually stood and fought, reenlisted when he could have just gone home, and was wounded twice and still went on, he will always be my hero. Each one of the guys who fought at Gettysburg or any of the other battles will always be the greatest men who ever lived!
The 98th PA seems to have participated in most of the major battles. Although it seems that they were held in reserve in quite a few....or that's what my research has found. I know that they were at Chancellorsville (although they technically fought at Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg) and they were also at Antietam (although they were following Darius Couch on a mission of wandering the valley and never actually made it into the fight). I do know that they DID participate in the Battle at Gettysburg. And here is what they did at Gettysburg.
The Sixth Corps made an incredible march of 26 miles from Manchester, Md all the way to Gettysburg in about 24 hours, arriving on July 2. As they arrived, they were to go to the middle part of the battlefield and be held in reserve. The 98th was the lead regiment in this march and as they approached Gettysburg, somehow they missed the message of where they were supposed to go. They ended up on Little Round Top....on the northern slope of the hill.
As the battle was progressing, the fighting in the Wheatfield was heating up. General Samuel Wylie Crawford decided that he had had enough and he grabbed the colors from the color-bearer, who refused to let him have them, and he grabbed some troops that he found in the area (mostly the U.S. Reserve troops of Day and Burbank), including the "lost" 98th PA, and off they went to end the fighting in the Wheatfield. From the slopes of Little Round Top, they went down, through the Valley of Death (Plum Run Valley) and up Day's Hill to the edge of the Wheatfield. They weren't able to regain the Wheatfield (which had changed hands at least 6 times) but they were able to push the Confederates back so that at the end of the fighting, the Wheatfield was considered No-Man's Land.
After this fight, the 98th PA was reunited with its brigade, who happened to be on the farm lane that led up to the Althoff farm (or the John Weikert Farm....depending on which farmer you choose to name the farm after). Today, there are two monuments to the 98th PA: one on the northern slope of Little Round Top and one back by the Weikert/Althoff house.
My great great grandfather may not have been one of the "big" heroes of the Civil War, but because he actually stood and fought, reenlisted when he could have just gone home, and was wounded twice and still went on, he will always be my hero. Each one of the guys who fought at Gettysburg or any of the other battles will always be the greatest men who ever lived!
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