Ward's Brigade Withdraws From Houck's Ridge-1863 Art vs Now Photo

Gettysburg Greg

First Sergeant
Joined
Jun 6, 2010
Location
Decatur, Illinois
This is one of my favorite then and nows using Gettysburg's historical art work to represent the 1863 view. Below the artist is depicting Ward's Brigade retiring from Houck's Ridge and down the Valley of Death after repeated attacks from Hood's Confederates on the afternoon of July 2, 1863. Big Round Top is seen in the background. I was able to match the artistic view with the bottom photograph taken from Day's Hill. Notice that the large boulder in the right foreground of the painting was occupied by a couple sitting there looking out over the Valley of Death. While framing this picture, the very nice couple seen sitting there volunteered to move so I could shoot the scene without them, but I insisted they stay as it seems to add to the poignancy of the scene.
ward exits combo.jpg
 
A really nice match-up, @Gettysburg Greg -- even the coloring of the modern photo seems to match (clouds, too!) The stone wall shown in both pictures(lower left) is original?
 
For years I understood that all the regiments in Ward's brigade kept on going once they began to retire, but a few months ago the journal of Erasmus C. Gilbreath of the 20th Indiana came to my attention. I found it to be the best available source on that regiment's actions, and it describes how the 20th Indiana rallied for a time behind the 5th New Hampshire, then near the eastern edge of the Wheatfield. At the time Ward's brigade withdrew, Col. Cross' brigade occupied a position half-way through the Wheatfield, facing south, with the 5th New Hampshire being the left regiment. I believe Day's U.S. brigade was also there, perpendicular to Cross' brigade, facing west, and posted behind the wall that runs along the eastern edge of the Wheatfield.

Incidentally, that boulder in the lower right of the painting, where the couple is seated in the modern view, I think is an excellent candidate for a rock described by Sergeant Major George W. H. Stouch of the 11th U.S. Infantry, in an action that occurred a little later that day. Stouch writes: "whilst falling back and when about 30 yards from Rose's woods while on the crest or perhaps a little on the southeast slope of the ledge ... I, together, with Lts. Petter and Elder, 1st Sergeant Price Co. "G" and two privates, all of the 11th Infantry, were captured by Cobb's Georgia Legion, Wofford's Brigade. Instead of being sent to the rear we were ordered to get behind a large rock to shelter ourselves from the fire of our troops who had remained at the foot of Little Round Top. This rock was in front of Rose's woods and about 150 yards to the south east of the Wheatfield, and between it and the Devil's Den, and whilst sitting with my back against the rock I could see distinctly over the ground comprised of the wheat field and well into Rose's woods ... About twenty of the enemy were with us behind the rock for some ten minutes when they were ordered to advance and left us. - Some of these men said they belonged to the 10th Georgia which was in Semmes' brigade."

I have walked over the area and this boulder seems to be only one large enough and so positioned as to have a view of the Wheatfield described by Stouch, and it also fits nicely with the estimated position of the 11th U.S., as well as being along a plausible path for the 10th Georgia. The 10th Georgia was the one regiment in Semmes' brigade that retained cohesion and Stouch's account confirms its participation in the final Confederate drive before Crawford launched his counterattack from the northern slope of Little Round Top.
 
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