Tennessee at Gettysburg

The Tennessee monument at Gettysburg is one of my favorite monuments on the battlefield. I don't know why, but I really like the "feel" that I get for this particular monument. On the front are three Tennessee soldiers and this saying: "Valor and Courage were virtues of the three Tennessee Regiments." Also, the base is 16 feet long....Tennessee was the 16th state in the Union and the base is shaped like Tennessee. All....very cool.

On the back of the monument it says:

The Volunteer State

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the men who served in the 1st (PACS), 7th, and 14th Tennessee Infantry Regiment Archer's Brigade Heth's Division 3rd Army Corps Army of Northern Virginia. They fought and died for their convictions, performing their duty as they understood it.

It then goes on to give some statistics about the casualties. But I have a few questions about this monument. I've tried to find answers but so far....nothing. 1st....What is a PACS? All I've been able to find out is that the 1st Tennessee was a provisional regiment. Well, that would explain the "P"...but what does the rest of it mean? 2nd...."performing their duty as they understood it"....huh? I realized that this monument is a more recent monument...placed on the field in the last 20 years or so....but what is this supposed to mean. Performing their duty as they understood it????? Duty was VERY important to the men of the Civil War era. They did what they had to do for their country. But to supplement that with "as they understood it" makes no sense. They did what they HAD to do....whether it was understood or not. But why was that added? It almost makes it sound like they were wrong but didn't realize that they were wrong. These men did what THEY felt was right....regardless of how people feel today. These 7 words are really bothering me. Maybe I'm reading more into it than I should....but it just doesn't sit well with me and I need to find some answers.

Regardless of what the monument says, I will always admire the three regiments of the state of Tennessee. They can be proud of who they were and what they did.

Winter Encampment 1863-4

In studying the Civil War and the service of my Great Great Grandfather, Peter Stroup, I noticed that in 1863 a winter encampment was set up at Brandy Station. In June of 1863 the largest cavalry battle in the United States took place at Brandy Station....and this was the first engagement in the Gettysburg Campaign. But what about the winter encampment? It kind of reminds me of the winter encampment at Valley Forge. So I went straight to the wayside marker in Brandy Station, VA to find out just what happened. Here is what it says:

On the night of December 1, 1863, following its unsuccessful advance against Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Mine Run Campaign, a cold and tired Army of the Potomac withdrew across the Rapidan River and returned to Culpeper County.

On these fields and throughout most of Culpeper and part of Fauquier Counties, 100,000 Union soldiers set up a massive winter encampment that disrupted the lives of local residents.

Union commander Maj. Gen. George G. Meade ordered that the army establish its camps in an enormous oval-shaped configuration. As protection, an outer ring of cavalry pickets stretched around the army, backed up by an inner line of infantry.

Supplies from Alexandria, Virginia rolled down the Orange and Alexandria Railroad into Brandy Station, the army's principle supply depot, and to Ingalls Station, 1.2 miles to the north.

The encampment, which lasted from December 1, 1863 to May 4, 1864, was described by one soldier as a time "when the shattered regiments regained form and fair; when the new men learned the ways of the old, and caught the spirit of the organization they had entered....and the new body, thus composed, was to be thrown into one of the most furious campaigns of human history."

"A man could walk for miles and never leave the camps around Brandy Station." Anonymous Union Soldier

"A few weeks ago it was a wilderness; now it is a city of log huts, hardly a tree to be seen." 126th New York Soldier.

One thing that bothers me about this whole thing (although the army had to have an encampment for the winter) but it says that it "disrupted the lives of local residents. Living here in Gettysburg and understanding what the civilians had to put up with....just for a three day battle, I can't imagine what it must have been like for the people who lived in Brandy Station. Was there enough water, food, wood, space? Were the residents forced to "help" feed the soldiers? How many homes might have been broken into and ransacked? These are all questions that I would love an answer to....but may not actually receive. This was a tough time for everyone involved. It's a shame we don't hear more about these poor civilians.

Meade's Pipe Creek Plan

Anyone who has spent time studying the Battle Of Gettysburg, is well aware of the Pipe Creek Circular. This was the plan that George G. Meade had for the Union army. In essence, he planned to have the AoP fall make to the Pipe Creek (which is about 10 miles south of Gettysburg) and to use the natural defenses in the area for the battle. Unfortunately, for Meade, the plan never came into play.

I was in Middleburg, MD the other day and saw a wayside marker (so I had to stop and take some pictures of it). I transcribed what the marker said and thought I would share it here:

Meade's Pipe Creek Plan

On June 29, 1863, Union General George G. Meade ordered the Army of the Potomac to Pipe Creek to counter any move toward Washington or Baltimore by General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and to engage it in battle. Meade was uncertain of Lee's strength or location.

The Federal left flank rested here at Middleburg, the center at Union Mills and the right at Manchester. From Westminster, located 6 miles south of Pipe Creek, roads fanned out to every important point along Meade's line: through Middleburg; through Frizzellburg and Taneytown; through Union Mills and then forking with one leading to Littlestown and Gettysburg and the other to Hanover and to Manchester. Although Meade had studied the area on maps, on the ground he had only examined the western portion from Taneytown to Middleburg.

On July 1, General Henry J. Hunt, Meade's Chief of Artillery, reconnoitered the entire line, the only general officer to do so. He was very favorably impressed with its possibilities as an "offensive-defensive" position. Events that day at Gettysburg, however, would preclude it ever being used.

One thing that I noticed in this was that Westminster almost sounds like Gettysburg. The road network that led into Westminster is almost like the 11 major roads that led into Gettysburg. I thought that was an interesting point. I'm not a huge fan of Gen. Hunt's, but I did find that his being impressed with the line meant something to Meade and it sort of means something to me. Meade used his men for guidance and it seems that he was making some good decisions....too bad that circumstances seemed to get in his way. Well....that's what makes a good general....adjusting plans according to the circumstances.

Middleburg is a nice little town. I also drove quickly through New Windsor, MD that day. They have a little park in the center of town that had a wayside marker....but absolutely no parking. One of these days, I'm going to get back down there and read that marker. I would love to know what New Windsor had to do with the Civil War!

William's Avenue Tree Cutting

Here in Gettysburg, the National Park Service is in the process of trying to restore the landscape to the way it was in 1863. In doing this, they are cutting down wood lots that weren't here at the time of the battle and replanting wood lots that were here. For those of us who are students of the battle, this has been an eye opening experience. It's bringing the battle ground back for us to study intensely.

The area that is being cut right now is along Williams' Avenue on Culp's Hill. From what I have been able to see, this has been a major cut. BUT the park has the area blocked off....not from just vehicular traffic, but also from foot traffic. So trying to get back there to see just what is happening is almost impossible.

I started to wonder why no one could be back there. Here are a few thoughts that I have had. 1) its dangerous. With trees falling down, I'm sure they want to make sure that no one gets caught under one of those large trees. 2) relic hunters. Relic Hunting is strictly prohibited in the park. With the trees being uprooted and the ground disturbed, I'm sure that relics are popping up all over the place. Culp's Hill was the scene of some of the most horrific fighting. I'm sure there are tons of relics out there.

This view will be great....except for one small problem. Private property between where the tree cuttings are taking place and the Baltimore Pike. All those trees in between are not coming down. So that leaves this question: What's the point? There are other areas that should be done....but aren't getting done. I'm not sure. But I do know that what has been done (as far as one can see) looks great and I can't wait for the roadway to open up so that I can see just what has been done.

The Morning

Yesterday morning, I was out of the house by 5:45 am with my goal of being on the battlefield as it opened at 6. Well, because I literally live right down the road from the battlefield, I arrived about 10 minutes early....but I was there. So at 6am, I parked my car at the parking lot for Little Round Top and as it was still dark out, I made my way, very slowly to the top.

Just as I arrived at the top of the hill....which isn't a very far walk, but in the darkness, it seemed like forever, the first rays of the sun were starting to flicker in the sky. One thing that I did notice in the darkness was that it was going to be a very foggy morning. I love the fog.

So, as the first rays were appearing and the ground was starting to lighten up, I pulled up a rock and sat to enjoy the show. From the top of Little Round Top, you can't see the actual sunrise, but you can see the affects of it on the valley below....which was my goal for the morning.

As I sat there, I was able to listen to the birds, who seem to be louder right before the sun comes up (I wonder if its true or if it just seems that way). Occasionally a wild animal (gophers, rabbits, etc) would run from bush to bush....but nothing that I could really see. There's something about being on hallowed ground all alone in the early morning light.

The rays of sunlight showed just what I thought, a thick layer of fog right over the battlefield....but only over in the fields where Pickett's Charge took place. Directly in front of me it was just "ribbons" on fog laying over the field.

As I sat there taking in the beauty of the morning, I started thinking about the men who fought here. I wonder what their morning was like? Was it peaceful? Did they have fog? Then I thought about what it must have been like for them to fight out there: the heat of the day, the sun beating down on them, the noise, the sights of the dead and dying, the smoke. In the coolness of this particular morning, I wasn't able to feel what they felt or see what they saw, but the feeling of dread was something that started to build up inside of me. How did they do what they did? I really don't know if I could have done it. I don't know how they did it.

Looking down on Houck's Ridge, I thought about Smith and his battery trying to climb the hill to stop the Confederate advance. The hill they climbed looked so small and innocent. But once down on that hill, it proves to be steep and rocky. How did they ever get those guns up there? In the early morning, I could almost hear the men shouting as they pushed those guns up that hill.....the sounds of the cannons blasting.....the muskets shooting.....the wounded yelling.

I sat and thought these thoughts for a good 45 minutes before someone else showed up on the hill. I knew at that point that it was time to move on. The magic of the morning had ended. But to sit and almost feel as if transported back in time was a powerful thing for me to experience. I look forward to my next travel back in time.

Waynesboro, PA

I went on another excursion today. This time I ended up in Waynesboro....looking for more signs of the Civil War. The signs I was looking for was either literal signs or something, anything, that would say "The Civil War came here". Well, in the process, the only sign I found had this on it:

General Jubal Early's Confederate troops occupied Waynesboro June 23, 1863. Next day they marched by Mont Alto to Greenwood, or Black Gap, where, June 25, they were ordered by General Ewell to march to York.

That was quite the walk.....Greenwood to York. It had to be about 35 miles. I feel so sorry for these guys who had to walk from place to place....their poor feet!

In wondering around Waynesboro (which was named for General Anthony Wayne from the Revolutionary War), this was the only sign that I had located. I really thought that there might be more. Robert E. Lee passed through this town during the retreat from Gettysburg. There was nothing around that would signify this. Even though Waynesboro was more or less on the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland (much like Gettysburg), this town was very much Pro-Union (much like Gettysburg). This is all that I've been able to find out about this town. Its a shame....a town full of history and very little out there.

I picked up a map of the "Civil War Trails" in Maryland from a Visitors Center in Maryland. This map has listed on it every Civil War marker in Maryland. So in the next few weeks, months, and/or years, I plan to see each and every one of these markers. As I locate these markers, I plan to post what the markers say and what the terrain (if it played an important part) was like or whatever I notice in these spots.

6th Wisconsin on July 1, 1863

I love to read first hand accounts of the battle (any battle) because you get a real feel for the intensity and emotions involved in the fighting. Besides which, they also tell you the little things that the history books don't tell us. Below is a bit of what Rufus Dawes had to say about the fighting on July 1, 1863 in Gettysburg.

"I marched by the right flank double-quick toward the point indicated. Before reaching a position where I could be of service, the enemy had succeeded in turning the flank, and, flushed with victory was pressing rapidly in pursuit of our retreating line, threatening the rear of....Meredith's Iron Brigade, engaged in the woods on the left. I filed to the right and read, to throw my line in front of the enemy, and moved by the left flank forward in line of battle upon his advancing line. My men kept up a steady double-quick, never faltering or breaking under the fire, which had become vary falling. When my line had reached a fence on the Chambersburg turnpike, about 40 rods from the line of the enemy. I ordered a fire by file. This checked the advance of the rebels, who took refuge in a railroad cut. The Ninety fifth New York and Fourteenth Brooklyn [which had withdrawn from their original position between Hall's Battery and the woods] here joined on my left....

The men of the whole line moved forward upon a double-quick, well closed, in face of a terribly destructive fire from the enemy. When our line reached the edge of the cut, the rebels began throwing down their arms in token of surrender. Adjt. Ed. P. Brooks, with promptness and foresight, moved a detachment of 20 men in position to enfilade the cut from the right, when the entire regiment in m front, after some murderous skirmishing by the most desperate, threw down their arms....

The loss sustained by my command in this charge was not less than 160 men killed or wounded.

[O.R., XXVII, Part 1, pp. 275-6]