Friday, October 4, 2013

A Gettysburg photo album

A veteran stands before the monument of the 40th New York Infantry, known as the Mozart regiment. Its plaque is
diamond-shaped after the 3rd Corps badge. As you can see on the map here., the monument is near Devil's Den. The
official report of the regiment's action at Gettysburg is here. The monument was dedicated on July 2, 1888, the 25th
anniversary of the second day of the battle. The photos on this post are from the scrapbook of Charles Hale, a veteran of the 5th New Hampshire and a Gettysburg battlefield guide in the 1880s and '90s. 


Men of the 24th Michigan, a First Corps regiment, gather at its monument, which was dedicated on June 12, 1889, at the
base of Culp's Hill. A map is here, and the official report of the regiment's role in the battle is here.
A tour group in Devil's Den, then as now a popular picture-taking spot on the battlefield.
Veterans of the 61st New York infantry regiment stand beside their incomplete monument in the Wheatfield. Probably this is
during the 25th anniversary reunion of the battle in 1888. The monument was dedicated July 1, 1889. The 61st fought with
Col. Edward E. Cross's Second Corps brigade on July 2, 1863. Its lieutenant colonel's report of the battle is here.
Battlefield guide Charles A. Hale with the Maryland Monument Commission at Devil's Den.
Veterans at the 108th New York monument, which is in Zeigler's grove near Hancock Avenue (see map). Known as the
Rochester regiment,  the 108th guarded an artillery battery during Pickett's Charge, Of the 200 men engaged in battle,
more than half were killed, wounded or captured. The trefoil atop the monument is in the 2nd Corps badge. 
A group poses at the 148th Pennsylvania monument in the Wheatfield. The 148th was in Col. Cross's brigade. Its
colonel was James Beaver, the man on crutches in the middle here. Beaver had been wounded at Chancellorsville and was
still recuperating when his regiment fought beside the 5th New Hampshire at Gettysburg. It was near this spot that Charles
A. Hale, who was on Cross's staff on July 2, 1863, was guarding prisoners when he saw Cross disappear into Rose's Woods to order the 5th to charge. Beaver was Pennsylvania's governor at the time this photo was taken.   
[Once again my thanks to Andrew Harris and Dave Morin for sharing these photos from Hale's photo album at Gettysburg.]

2 comments:

  1. Hi, Mike,
    My name is Greg Ainsworth-love all things Gettysburg. I happen to be familiar with this pic, thus the correction. Wasn't trying to be critical in any way. Your blog is very interesting-thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Greg. I am glad you corrected the final caption in my post "A Gettysburg veteran who knew the battlefield by heart." I do not know it by heart! I haven't been up on Little Round Top for years. Recent walks in the Peach Orchard, Wheatfield and Rose's woods convinced me I knew what they looked like from the other direction. But your first comment was correct: I want to be accurate. I am thus grateful for readers like you who share with me a love of Gettysburg.

      Delete