Brady Assistants on Culp's Hill T&N

Gettysburg Greg

First Sergeant
Joined
Jun 6, 2010
Location
Decatur, Illinois
This is one of my favorite Brady photographs that I love to reshoot the now version of every time I come to Gettysburg. It is historically important because it shows Greene's breastworks on Culp's Hill right after the battle. These works are an important reason the outnumbered Union soldiers were able to repel repeated Confederate attacks coming from left to right on July 2 and 3. Seated on a rock on the Union side of the works are Brady's two often photographed assistants. Today there is just a low earthen mound to identify the location of the elaborately constructed breastworks. Notice the "W/T" designates a documented witness tree that was just a sapling in 1863. The tree seen just in front of Brady's assistants survived until a few years ago when it came down in a storm. Today, the witness stump can still be see in my photo. The "X" marks the rock where the two men were sitting-a little hard to see in the modern image as the ground has built up around it over time. For orientation, notice the 78 & 102 NY Monument is in the background.
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Here is my "selfie" sitting where you see Brady's assistants.
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