- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
Date/Time/Location: July 2/about 7:40 p.m./Culp's Hill
Participants:
Confederate: 1st Maryland Battalion - 31 officers, 339 enlisted men
Union: 137th New York Regiment - 23 officers, 346 enlisted men
Attacker's Advantages:
Firepower - Two lines of battle opposed but a single line.
Concealment - Twilight in woods reduced visibility.
Defender's Advantages:
Cover - Protected by solid works constructed of wood and stone.
Terrain - Occupied higher ground.
Support - Crossfire from friendly unit harassed attacker's right flank.
Surprise - Twilight hid the works until the attacker came within close range.
Prologue: The 1st Maryland Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. James R. Herbert, arrived on the battlefield with the brigade of Brig. Gen. George Steuart on the the evening of July 1. By midnight, the battalion had taken position with the brigade and the remainder of Maj. Gen. Edward Johnson's Division near the Hanover Road, a mile east of Gettysburg. The Maryland Battalion was composed of seven companies; Company A alone contained nearly 100 men.
On the following morning, July 2, the 137th New York Regiment, led by Col. David Ireland, took position on Culp's Hill and began constructing a barricade, along with other units of the Union Twelfth Corps. The 137th began with an estimated strength of 399 enlisted men, but approximately 50 men were detached to serve with the brigade skirmishers. In the early evening, when it appeared that Culp's Hill was safe from attack, the Twelfth Corps was withdrawn to reinforce other parts of the line. Only the 137th and four other New York regiments in the brigade of Brig. Gen. George S. Greene were left in place. The 137th was ordered to stretch out into a thin line and extend itself into the vacated trenches on the right. At nearly the same moment, a mile to the northeast, three Confederate brigades, which included the 1st Maryland Battalion, were placed in motion to attack Culp's Hill. First blood was drawn near Rock Creek when the advancing Confederate line confronted Union skirmishers, who were soon overwhelmed and withdrew.
A bend in Rock Creek and a rightward swing by the division separated Steuart's command as it advanced. After wading the waist-deep waters of the creek, the 3rd North Carolina Regiment and the 1st Maryland Battalion constituted the right wing of the brigade. As they paused to reform their ranks, skirmishers in the vanguard were recalled, perhaps because of the dense foliage in front. Officers on horseback were likewise compelled to dismount, given the profusion of boulders in their front. The gloom of approaching nightfall made for an arduous ascent up the hill, which further disrupted the formation.
Resuming the advance, the right wing of Steuart's brigade was itself divided when the 3rd North Carolina wheeled to the right in an effort to maintain contact with the Louisiana brigade led by Col. J. M. Williams. To close the widening gap, the 1st Maryland Battalion was given the command to oblique to the right. The battalion ascended the wooded southern slope of Culp's Hill, which at this point was relatively free of underbrush and projecting rocks.
Accounts:
1. Corporal Hudson Jennings, Company K, 137th New York: "About sundown we were informed that the enemy was advancing upon our line in two columns. The men took their places and awaited their approach, but did not have long to wait before they made their appearance."
2. Major William W. Goldsborough, 1st Maryland Battalion: "... soon Gen. Steuart discovered that he had inclined too far to the left and had become separated from the rest of the division. The order was given at once to move obliquely to the right, and it was while executing this movement that a blaze of fire lighted up the woods not 20 yards in front, revealing to our astonished eyes a formidable log breastwork."
3. Lt. William P. Zollinger, Company A, 1st Maryland Battalion: "We ... were ordered lie down scarcely 30 yards from the enemy's breastwork. An angle in the enemy's works, not 100 yards to our right, exposed us to a severe flank fire. While lying down, we could distinctly see the Federals rise and fire at us from the works in our front."
4. Private J. William Thomas, Company A, 1st Maryland Battalion: "Much to my regret there seemed much confusion. Going up the hill, soon got under heavy fire and laid down; now night."
5. Lt. Samuel T. McCullough, Company D, 1st Maryland Battalion: "We were ... compelled in consequence of the galling of the fire of the foe to pause."
Epilogue: For the 137th New York, the protection of solid entrenchments more than compensated for significantly reduced firepower emanating from the single line of troops manning the position. Any advantage of possessing slightly higher ground may have been negated by the tendency of troops to shoot high, particularly under low light conditions. However, at the outset of the fight the 137th managed to strike a hard blow at very close range, which surprised and stopped the 1st Maryland Battalion in their tracks. The result might have been avoided if the battalion had kept their skirmishers deployed to provide early warning of danger, but such skirmishers would have risked becoming victims of "friendly fire." Approaching nightfall also mitigated the crossfire upon the right flank of the 1st Maryland Battalion, which otherwise would have been devastating.
The 1st Maryland Battalion might have suffered the fate of the rest of the division and made no headway against the thin, but well-protected Union line. However, there were simply not enough Union troops in Greene's brigade to extend the right of the line all the way to Rock Creek. Into this gap the remainder of Steuart's brigade soon entered, rolling up the exposed right flank of the 137th New York and also driving off the 71st Pennsylvania sent by the Second Corps as a reinforcement. With the opposition thus cleared out in front, the 1st Maryland Battalion was free to move up and occupy the same trenches which had been used to hold them at bay.
Participants:
Confederate: 1st Maryland Battalion - 31 officers, 339 enlisted men
Union: 137th New York Regiment - 23 officers, 346 enlisted men
Attacker's Advantages:
Firepower - Two lines of battle opposed but a single line.
Concealment - Twilight in woods reduced visibility.
Defender's Advantages:
Cover - Protected by solid works constructed of wood and stone.
Terrain - Occupied higher ground.
Support - Crossfire from friendly unit harassed attacker's right flank.
Surprise - Twilight hid the works until the attacker came within close range.
Prologue: The 1st Maryland Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. James R. Herbert, arrived on the battlefield with the brigade of Brig. Gen. George Steuart on the the evening of July 1. By midnight, the battalion had taken position with the brigade and the remainder of Maj. Gen. Edward Johnson's Division near the Hanover Road, a mile east of Gettysburg. The Maryland Battalion was composed of seven companies; Company A alone contained nearly 100 men.
On the following morning, July 2, the 137th New York Regiment, led by Col. David Ireland, took position on Culp's Hill and began constructing a barricade, along with other units of the Union Twelfth Corps. The 137th began with an estimated strength of 399 enlisted men, but approximately 50 men were detached to serve with the brigade skirmishers. In the early evening, when it appeared that Culp's Hill was safe from attack, the Twelfth Corps was withdrawn to reinforce other parts of the line. Only the 137th and four other New York regiments in the brigade of Brig. Gen. George S. Greene were left in place. The 137th was ordered to stretch out into a thin line and extend itself into the vacated trenches on the right. At nearly the same moment, a mile to the northeast, three Confederate brigades, which included the 1st Maryland Battalion, were placed in motion to attack Culp's Hill. First blood was drawn near Rock Creek when the advancing Confederate line confronted Union skirmishers, who were soon overwhelmed and withdrew.
A bend in Rock Creek and a rightward swing by the division separated Steuart's command as it advanced. After wading the waist-deep waters of the creek, the 3rd North Carolina Regiment and the 1st Maryland Battalion constituted the right wing of the brigade. As they paused to reform their ranks, skirmishers in the vanguard were recalled, perhaps because of the dense foliage in front. Officers on horseback were likewise compelled to dismount, given the profusion of boulders in their front. The gloom of approaching nightfall made for an arduous ascent up the hill, which further disrupted the formation.
Resuming the advance, the right wing of Steuart's brigade was itself divided when the 3rd North Carolina wheeled to the right in an effort to maintain contact with the Louisiana brigade led by Col. J. M. Williams. To close the widening gap, the 1st Maryland Battalion was given the command to oblique to the right. The battalion ascended the wooded southern slope of Culp's Hill, which at this point was relatively free of underbrush and projecting rocks.
Accounts:
1. Corporal Hudson Jennings, Company K, 137th New York: "About sundown we were informed that the enemy was advancing upon our line in two columns. The men took their places and awaited their approach, but did not have long to wait before they made their appearance."
2. Major William W. Goldsborough, 1st Maryland Battalion: "... soon Gen. Steuart discovered that he had inclined too far to the left and had become separated from the rest of the division. The order was given at once to move obliquely to the right, and it was while executing this movement that a blaze of fire lighted up the woods not 20 yards in front, revealing to our astonished eyes a formidable log breastwork."
3. Lt. William P. Zollinger, Company A, 1st Maryland Battalion: "We ... were ordered lie down scarcely 30 yards from the enemy's breastwork. An angle in the enemy's works, not 100 yards to our right, exposed us to a severe flank fire. While lying down, we could distinctly see the Federals rise and fire at us from the works in our front."
4. Private J. William Thomas, Company A, 1st Maryland Battalion: "Much to my regret there seemed much confusion. Going up the hill, soon got under heavy fire and laid down; now night."
5. Lt. Samuel T. McCullough, Company D, 1st Maryland Battalion: "We were ... compelled in consequence of the galling of the fire of the foe to pause."
Epilogue: For the 137th New York, the protection of solid entrenchments more than compensated for significantly reduced firepower emanating from the single line of troops manning the position. Any advantage of possessing slightly higher ground may have been negated by the tendency of troops to shoot high, particularly under low light conditions. However, at the outset of the fight the 137th managed to strike a hard blow at very close range, which surprised and stopped the 1st Maryland Battalion in their tracks. The result might have been avoided if the battalion had kept their skirmishers deployed to provide early warning of danger, but such skirmishers would have risked becoming victims of "friendly fire." Approaching nightfall also mitigated the crossfire upon the right flank of the 1st Maryland Battalion, which otherwise would have been devastating.
The 1st Maryland Battalion might have suffered the fate of the rest of the division and made no headway against the thin, but well-protected Union line. However, there were simply not enough Union troops in Greene's brigade to extend the right of the line all the way to Rock Creek. Into this gap the remainder of Steuart's brigade soon entered, rolling up the exposed right flank of the 137th New York and also driving off the 71st Pennsylvania sent by the Second Corps as a reinforcement. With the opposition thus cleared out in front, the 1st Maryland Battalion was free to move up and occupy the same trenches which had been used to hold them at bay.
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