How can a monument At Gettysburg be moved to a different location?

Mdiesel

First Sergeant
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Location
Maryland
For years now I've hated the location of the Maryland Monument on the Gettysburg Battlefield. It's such a moving memorial to the soldiers from this state who fought at Gettysburg regardless of the side. These Marylanders, some related, actually came to grips on Culp's Hill's lower prominence.

Admittedly Culp's Hill has three Maryland regimental Monuments. Two Union & one of the very rare Confederate monuments. But the State Monument dedicated to all Maryland soldiers at Gettysburg stands near the old cyclorama on the Taneytown Rd. Since the Cyclorama was turn down there is only a parking lot at this location.... not many people even see it!

I could understand if this was a site where Maryland troops saw action but it's not. Marylanders saw action on various parts of the battlefield but only actually fought each other... "brother to brother" on Culp's.

So it makes since to me from a historical stand point (& emotional one) that the Maryland monument should be moved to the lower Culp's Hill prominence.

So back to the title.... How can a monument at Gettysburg be moved to a different location on the battlefield? Not sure anyone has an answer. Just feels like a shame...

http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/union-monuments/maryland/state-of-maryland/

"The State of Maryland monument is south of Gettysburg on Taneytown road at the entry drive to the old Cyclorama parking lot. (39.81629° N, 77.23244° W; Google map; Tour map: Taneytown Road)

About the monument
The monument is a bronze statue on a granite base. The statue is by Lawrence M. Ludke, and is of two wounded Marylanders, one Union and one Confederate, helping each other on the battlefield. It was dedicated on November 13, 1994. The back of the base of the monument has a bronze tablet listing the Maryland commands of both armies that fought at Gettysburg.

From the tablet on the back of the monument:

A Final Tribute

More than 3,000 Marylanders served on both sides of the conflict at the Battle of Gettysburg. They could be found in all branches of the army from the rank of private to major general and on all parts of the battlefield. Brother against brother would be their legacy, particularly on the slopes of Culp’s Hill. This memorial symbolizes the aftermath of that battle and the war. Brothers again, Marylanders all.

IMG_2718.JPG


The State of Maryland proudly honors its sons who fought at Gettysburg in defense of the causes they held so dear.

Participating Maryland commands:

Union
1st Eastern Shore Infantry
1st Potomac Home Brigade Infantry
3rd Infantry
1st Calvary
Co. A Purnell Legion Cavalry
Battery A, 1st Artillery


Confederate
2nd Infantry
1st Cavalry
1st Artillery
2nd Artillery (Baltimore Light)
4th Artillery (Chesapeake)"

So again how could a monument be moved?
 
They (the Park and the Gettysburg Foundation) have a committee that examines these cases. But they are conservative and Bachelder is their guide. There are bigger fish to fry as far as misplaced Gettysburg monuments go than the Maryland Monument, and they have never been willing to listen...
 
They (the Park and the Gettysburg Foundation) have a committee that examines these cases. But they are conservative and Bachelder is their guide. There are bigger fish to fry as far as misplaced Gettysburg monuments go than the Maryland Monument, and they have never been willing to listen...

I can understand why they should be conservative. I'd be very hesitant to change much of anything at Gettysburg without much deliberation in similar shoes. But this is a relatively modern monument as these things go, & visitor education could only be enhanced by the addition of this particular monument on Culp's Hill, IMHO. Let's face it very few people stop to look at each Regimental monument but most stop for state monuments.

Just a point of curiosity... what bigger fish are they frying?
 
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They are not frying them. The whole Copse of Trees and Pickett's charge mythology garbage that is currently displayed...

Oh just that? Let it stand! What they wanna do, say... "This is actually NOT the high water mark of the Confederacy" & these are not actually the trees that where here 153 years ago... now look how smart we are!!! :nah disagree:

Please leave that be... your not gonna make the novice really care & those of us that know better still like to see it! At least I do anyway.

Now Moving the Maryland monument could really be important :smile coffee:
 
Interesting. I did not know any of this.

How does the Park Service generally respond to requests to have monuments moved?
 
I've often wondered why the monument in question is located where it is. However I have used that parking lot frequently and always visit the monument. I do understand your suggestion where to move it too. But I also see the Park Service side. Many of those monuments on Culps hill were placed there by the veterans themselves and if I recall, Culps Hill was the most visited area by the veterans when they returned for anniversaries and such. Sorry no reference link for that last statement, but recall not only reading it, but discussing with a Park Ranger during what was to be a walking to walking tour program and only myself and my dad showed up. Although sad little interest at least that day for the area of the field, it worked out well for us, having a Ranger to ourselves for about 90 minutes.
 
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Interesting. I did not know any of this.

How does the Park Service generally respond to requests to have monuments moved?

Well apparently very slowly, if at all, if we believe E_just_E. Whom I have no reason to doubt. I would like to know who to contact & at least have a conversation with. My thought is that we'd probably need a politician to show interest for anything to happen .... so probably never....
 
I've often wondered why the monument in question is located where it is. However I have used that parking lot frequently and always visit the monument. I do understand your suggestion where to move it too. But I also see the Park Service side. Many of those monuments on Culps hill were placed there by the veterans themselves and if I recall, Culps Hill was the most visited area the veterans when they returned for anniversaries and such. Sorry no reference link for that last stament, but recall not only reading it, but discussing with a Park Ranger during what was to be a walking to walking tour program and only myself and my dad showed up. Although sad little interest at least that day for the area of the field, it worked out well for us, having a Ranger to ourselves for about 90 minutes.

I like to visit it too. I think it was originally placed there because they thought more people would see it. Perhaps that seemed to make sense in 1994 because the cyclorama was there & the old Gettysburg museum not far away. But that was unfortunately short sighted as so much has since changed... but how could they know? Now it's only a parking lot & I hope the monument will one day be moved.
 
Texas placed a monument at Corinth, MS in 2010 and I attended the ceremony. I asked the Pres. of the Texas Historical Commission how that location was agreed upon. He said they wanted to place as close to where the Texans were engaged but the had to also keep in mind the current restrictions on the land from the City, County and Corps of Engineers. Duct runs, electrical lines, telephone lines and other various easements came into play. We could research Maryland's studies and inquiries to find that piece of land. Maybe the Park/Gov said here is a list of available spots.....pick one.
 
Was it up to me there are two option.
A - All monuments should be removed and placed in a museum and as much as the battleground returned to how it looked in July 1863.
B- accept that this is a tourist attraction and basically allow anything that gets more people to the area.

Currently they are some where in between.
 
Yes, but the history it would change is not the history of the war... but how people decided to put up monuments decades after the war...

I think the NPS should be about preserving the location as it was during the war... not how random people decided to change the location during the following 150 years...

Similar when removing a statue build in 1920 or even later.
Got nothing to do with the war, but everything to do with then modern politics... And they often got a **** agenda.
That is why I always complain about the fact that most news coverage don't mention when the status was build.
One build by veterans in 1870 is a very different matter than one build by later generation in in 1920.

----
Here in Denmark the area where the danish fortifications at Dybbøl are located is a national park.
The problem is that it is preserved like it was in 1920... including big earth fortifications... build by the Germans in the late 19th century... So they got nothing to do with the 1864 war.
Was it up to me, they should be removed, and the danish redoubts rebuild.
(the location of the Prussian parallels are on farmland, but should be marked to it can be clearly seen from the national park. Can be done with a few white markers.)
The memorial stones in the area should stay and the graveyards should not be touched. (respect for the dead and the fact that they do not effect the understanding of the terrain, the same way the big earth fortifications do.)

This would similar be changing history... but the history changed, is the post war history... to get closer to the war history.
 
Put me in the camp of people who have not seen this monument. Which is sad in its own right. Here is my question, that maybe has been asked, but not in this way.

If the monument was erected in 1994, some 131 years after the battle, why was it's location settled on there? The inscription on the monument itself discusses most action between Marylanders occurred on Culps Hill. I get that there are several monuments on Culps Hill to Maryland Regiments, so maybe that was a reason? What about at the base of Culps Hill toward on the northeast side?

But then again I think about the Maryland monument at Antietam, which is across from the Dunker church slightly forward of what would be S. Lee's line of artillery. Does that need to be moved as well?

I think it would be neat to have the state monuments together thus visitors could see all the states that furnished troops to the battle to get a truer sense of the enormity of it all.
 
Aren't they in the process, now of moving some monuments in the Ziegler's Grove area?

Monuments that were moved due to the old cyclorama/visitor center's location have been put back into their original spots, (or as close as is possible). Some regrading was also necessary, of course, but it would be an approximation of the ground as it was before it was leveled for the foundation of the old building.

I would be in favor of having the Maryland monument relocated to Culp's Hill, preferably near Pardee field, close to where Marylanders on opposite sides fought.
 
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