Did Gouverner Warren join in the fighting at LRT

[gary]

I've read that he picked up a gun and shot back. Did he and if so, what type of gun? One account says it was a sharpshooter's rifle and others say it was a common rifle musket.

[whitworth]

Unfortunately, Warren is over-rated at Gettysburg. Not for something he did not do, but because of some well-meaning statue "builders", who wanted to do good.

He did good service at Gettysburg, as part of Meade's staff. He played his part, but a statue was unnecessary.

Warren did not discover the movement of Confederate troops, for which he is credited. That was discovered by those assigned that task, the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army, who signaled that information by flag, back to Meade's headquarters. Warren was the higher ranking conduit, for getting troops onto Little Round Top.

The statue of Warren is at Gettysburg because of his later firing as a corps commander late in the war. Done to "make up for wronged action" against Warren.

Warren had a connection with the AoP Signal Corps before and after the Battle of Gettysburg. He took charge of certain equipment traveling north through Maryland before the battle. After the battle he travelled with the Signal Corps, as it was going south, following Lee on his retreat.

Warren was not a regimental commander. He was a staff officer, with no line duties. He went to Little Round Top, because the signal corps had sent a message to Meade's headquarters about Confederate movements on July 2nd. Warren did his job as a staff officer. However he was not the sole person on LRT, discovering the movement of Longstreet's Corps. Ranking officers make decisions; signal corps soldiers report.

[cw1865]

He gets wounded. I suppose if you're directing troops and are in the line of fire, that's good enough for me.

[J_Man0507]

I can vaguely remember hearing stories about it, but I am not sure if they are true or if they are apochryphal. I do know that Warren was grazed across the throat, most likely from a Confederate in the vicinity of Devils Den. Its lucky that that is all that happened to him. I will have to do some more looking on whether he picked up a gun or not.

[Lefty]

Warren never picked up a rifle.

Warren helped to manhandle one of Hazlett's 10 lber Parrott tubes up the eastern slope of LRT.

Warren also personally intercepted O'Rourke and was instrumental in getting the 140th NY into action at exactly the right place and exactly the right time.

He certainly merits his statue.

[J_Man0507]

Lefty, you make a good point. I do think that Warren did play an instrumental part in the second day of Gettysburg. He didn't really "discover" the movement of Longstreet to the left, but he was crucial in getting troops to a spot that he recognized as being the point of attack and if it was not covered, there would be a collapse of the line. He definitely merits recognition.

A statue is up for debate. Not saying you are wrong or anything. My one problem with Gettysburg today is the fact that it has become a shrine, so to speak. Sure, it was an important battle. But I think all of the monuments kind of detract from the battlefield myself. Some are ok, and I can understand a battle such as Gettysburg as having more than a few. But some of the monuments are just ostentatious. Like the Pennsylvania memorial. I look to where the Second Corps would have been positioned, and it is just there, and it detracts from the imagination a little. I am not saying take them down, but I just don't like a lot of monuments on my field. Spotsylvania is kind of my ideal for that. It has a few monuments, but not so many that it detracts from one trying to see the field as it was and picture everything occuring as it did.

Sorry, didn't mean to preach there. Kind of a pet peeve of mine. Might have to start a thread on this subject, if one hasn't already been started. Hmmmm.......

[ole]

Believe the first book I read including Gettysburg has Gouvenor Warren saving the day by dragging troops to LRT.
That understanding has been called into question and I'm following the trend, but I still get the feelings that he played an important part in that first- and second-day setup. Old perceptions die hard.

ole

[J_Man0507]

I have been hearing rumblings of the same ole. Its something I have been seeing a little more in some of the new scholarly works coming out. I know Pfanz gives Warren alot of credit, and he probably knows the battlefield better than most people out there today. I don't think he is the savior of Gettysburg, but I still think he played an important part in the battle and had a key role in saving the Union line. He got the men to come, and even led some of them there, but the men still had to fight and hold the hill. Seeing the problem is only half the battle. Protecting the flank fell to Vincent's, Weed's and Hazlett's men. And they did an excellent job defending LRT.

[gary]

I contacted Gettysburg National Battlefield and Ranger John Heiser responded negatively. Warren was too busy trying to contact folks and personally got O' Rorke's 140 NY to go up that hill (in time to push back the Texans who flanked the 16th Michigan).

[whitworth]

Gouverneur Kemble Warren (January 8, 1830 – August 8, 1882) was a civil engineer and prominent general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is best remembered for arranging the last-minute defense of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg and is often referred to as the "Hero of Little Round Top." His subsequent service as a corps commander and his remaining military career were ruined during the Battle of Five Forks, when he was relieved of command by Philip Sheridan.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





I disagree with the above sentiment. First, Warren did his job as an engineer and former brigade commander, to get troops onto Little Round Top. I would not consider this "hero" work but the work of a competent officer. What else would we expect of a staff general who saw Confederate regiments headed in the direction of an undefended hill. The hill was important, because the signal corps used it to watch the movement of Confederate regiments and corps at the lower elevations.


"Warren was the chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac. In the afternoon of the second day of the battle, Warren arrived at the top of Little Round Top. From here he could see men of Hood's division moving against the Union army."

Of course, no mention is made that the signal corps first made the observation to Meade's headquarters by flag signal and Warren, as a ranking officer, came to make his followup observation. A lieutenant with the signal corps is not expect to order troop movements, or order a defense preparation.

However the ,"From here he could see men of Hood's division moving against the Union army" doesn't mean he discovered that movement. Warren was just operating in the chain of command. Lower ranking enlisted men and a lieutenant of the signal corps first observed the movement, which was their job on Little Round Top. Warren came and made decisions expected of a staff officer.

Putting Warren's statue on Little Round Top seems to state that there was a great deal of incompetence in the Army of the Potomac, if it's a staff officer, who "suddenly" discovers a Confederate troop movement towards Little Round Top. In fact the signal corps was located on Little Round Top since early light, making observations on Confederate movements at the lower elevations. Gouveneur Warren never "discovered" any Confederate movement. He would come to make decisions on what to do, following that observation and signal to headquarters by the Signal Corps.

Once Warren's statue was placed, it meant it had to be justified by battlefield supporters. Even if a good part of support resulted in some grifting. Many a line officer or artillery officer at Gettysburg, deserved a statute more than Warren.