Gettysburg Greg
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2010
- Location
- Decatur, Illinois
This is a follow up to my earlier post of the Cemetery Gatehouse. This early July 1863 image is from the opposite direction as O'Sullivan's photograph in mu previous post. In fact, O'Sullivan's camera location would have been in this frame just behind where I have labeled "Stewart's Lunettes". This camera would have been on the Baltimore Pike in front of the gatehouse. Some of the more interesting details found in this image are the much discussed tulip poplar atop Cemetery Hill, an embalmer's tent, and the inside of Stewart's lunettes re-enforced with logs and fence rails. Standing against a fence pole is the Vivandiere of the 114th Pa, Mary Tepe. Barely visible along the horizon are the lunettes of Wiedrich's guns (label is misspelled). During the evening attack on July 2nd, the Louisiana Tigers temporarily captured these guns before being forced back by Union re-enforcements. That dramatically shows just how close the Confederates came to capturing the Baltimore Pike, the lifeline of the Army of the Potomac.