- Joined
- Nov 26, 2015
- Location
- Greensburg, Pa
I am reading Gettysburg The Second Day by Harry Pfanz. He writes about Edward Porter Alexander observation duties somewhere near the Fairfield road before the major attacks on the southern battlefield. Alexander gave instructions to Henry's and Cabell's batallions and then rode west to bring up his own battalion.
Alexander then easily led his batallion to the Pitzer Schoolhouse area. Nearby Alexander ran into an ordnance sergeant from Taylor's Virginia Battery named Henry Wentz. Wentz was a native of Gettysburg and formerly lived in his fathers house just north of The Peach Orchard.
Pfanz goes on to write that despite having an intimate knowledge of the Gettysburg terrain, there is no documentation that Wentz assisted either Alexander or Longstreet in Gettysburg's geography. Pfanz then assumes that Wentz spent the day with his Battery. Pfanz then writes "If so, this ranks as one of the Confederates' most peculiar oversights, and Wentz's role must remain as one of the tantalizing mysteries of Gettysburg".
I do not recall reading this before. It is surprising to me that despite Confederate troop movement through Gettysburg in late June and at least two soldiers with Gettysburg roots (Culp and Wentz), that they did not take advantage of this geographic intelligence.
Does anyone have further information on this Wentz mystery?
From the Gettysburg Stone Sentinel site, the following is written on the Wentz property.
Just north of the Wheatfield Road on the east side of Emmitsburg Road is the foundation of the log farmhouse of John and Mary Wentz and their daughter Susan. (39.801913° N , 77.249739° W; Google map; Tour map: Peach Orchard)
The older Wentzes were in their seventies at the time of the battle, which raged around their farm on July 2nd as John rode out the fighting in the cellar. Their son, Henry, had moved to Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia) before the war, and returned to Gettysburg with Lieutenant Osmand B. Taylor’s Confederate artillery battery.(*) There is a legend that Henry commanded a battery that shelled the farm and that he was killed and buried there. But in reality he was only a sergeant, and he survived the war. Taylor’s battery did fire on the nearby Peach Orchard and did deploy along Emmitsburg Road a short distance north from Henry’s boyhood home. After the fighting died down Henry found his father sleeping in the cellar of the relatively unscathed house.
Alexander then easily led his batallion to the Pitzer Schoolhouse area. Nearby Alexander ran into an ordnance sergeant from Taylor's Virginia Battery named Henry Wentz. Wentz was a native of Gettysburg and formerly lived in his fathers house just north of The Peach Orchard.
Pfanz goes on to write that despite having an intimate knowledge of the Gettysburg terrain, there is no documentation that Wentz assisted either Alexander or Longstreet in Gettysburg's geography. Pfanz then assumes that Wentz spent the day with his Battery. Pfanz then writes "If so, this ranks as one of the Confederates' most peculiar oversights, and Wentz's role must remain as one of the tantalizing mysteries of Gettysburg".
I do not recall reading this before. It is surprising to me that despite Confederate troop movement through Gettysburg in late June and at least two soldiers with Gettysburg roots (Culp and Wentz), that they did not take advantage of this geographic intelligence.
Does anyone have further information on this Wentz mystery?
From the Gettysburg Stone Sentinel site, the following is written on the Wentz property.
Just north of the Wheatfield Road on the east side of Emmitsburg Road is the foundation of the log farmhouse of John and Mary Wentz and their daughter Susan. (39.801913° N , 77.249739° W; Google map; Tour map: Peach Orchard)
The older Wentzes were in their seventies at the time of the battle, which raged around their farm on July 2nd as John rode out the fighting in the cellar. Their son, Henry, had moved to Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia) before the war, and returned to Gettysburg with Lieutenant Osmand B. Taylor’s Confederate artillery battery.(*) There is a legend that Henry commanded a battery that shelled the farm and that he was killed and buried there. But in reality he was only a sergeant, and he survived the war. Taylor’s battery did fire on the nearby Peach Orchard and did deploy along Emmitsburg Road a short distance north from Henry’s boyhood home. After the fighting died down Henry found his father sleeping in the cellar of the relatively unscathed house.
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