LRT questions

[MikeyB]

Hi all,
few questions for the forum.

1) Was Hazlett's battery able to direct its fire to help defend against the direct assault on LRT? For example, were they able to put cannister on the line or depress the guns to hit the assailants on Vincent's brigade? Or were the guns actually targeting other parts of the battlefield and just providing psychological boosts to Vincent's brigade?

2) I'm curious, how many other batteries did the Union manage to get up there, that I assume were only in place in time to be used against Pickett's Charge?
3) When exactly did relief make it to LRT? Did these troops rush into the fight and bolster the line or did they not do anything other than take over prisoners and relieve Vincent's brigade, after the attack was finished? (like in the movie). Was there ever any real danger of the line breaking or were reinforcements generally close enough to countercharge and likely push back the tired and thirsty Confederates?

 

[mwalker6043]

1) If they got up there in time, not sure they made it up there for the initial assaults. Not sure how they could have went into battery and ready to fire under the heavy the fire going on during the initial assaults. But, if they did, they surely would have until the Confederates got under where the guns could be effective, again would have been easy targets. Weed and Hazlett were killed by either long shots or pockets of rebels still on the face of the hill. Plus, Vincent's Brigade (particularly 16th MI and 44th NY) were down in front his guns. So that had to limit their field of fire. Once Ward's Brigade, Smith's Battery and 40th NY were driven from Devil's Den and Houck's Ridge, Rittenhouse most definitely sent some lead and iron their way.
2) Hazlett was the only battery on the top or LRT (most likely not all are where his monument/ guns are today).
Gibbs' Ohio Battery was on the lower, and northern slope. 2 sections of his battery were firing into the rebels pursuing the Union survivors from the Wheatfield. The 3rd section was on Munschower's Hill.
Rittenhouse is reported to have fire on Kemper's Brigade from LRT. Gibbs would not have had a field of fire from his position.
3) 140th NY made it in time for the fight for the hill. The rest of Weed's Brigade (91st PA, 146th NY and 155th PA) arrived after. The 6th Corps arrived near the end of the fighting. Nevin's brigade got into the fight, helping drive back Wofford and recovering Wolcott's Battery. Bartlett's Brigade took positions and bolstered the line. Fisher's PA Reserves Brigade was sent to assist between LRT and BRT, not sure that they made the initial fight. After the fighting waned, the remainder of Barnes' Division (Tilton and Sweitzer) including the 9th MA, arrived to take positions where the 83rd PA and 20th ME left to pursue Sheffield (Law) up BRT. 2 regiments of Fisher's Brigade went up BRT as well. Fisher, Tilton and Sweitzer most likely took control of the prisoners and wounded.

 

[rpkennedy]

1) Was Hazlett's battery able to direct its fire to help defend against the direct assault on LRT? For example, were they able to put cannister on the line or depress the guns to hit the assailants on Vincent's brigade? Or were the guns actually targeting other parts of the battlefield and just providing psychological boosts to Vincent's brigade?

They were firing at targets along Houck's Ridge and particularly into Devil's Den. The Texans and Alabamans attacking to their front were largely below the target area of Hazlett's Parrotts but had mostly been pushed back before Hazlett got his guns into action.

2) I'm curious, how many other batteries did the Union manage to get up there, that I assume were only in place in time to be used against Pickett's Charge?

On the top of the hill, none. 2 sections of Gibbs' Battery L, 1st Ohio Light were on the shoulder of the northern slope of LRT but they were directed almost entirely against the Confederates in Rose Woods and the Wheatfield rather than in the fight for the hill itself.

3) When exactly did relief make it to LRT? Did these troops rush into the fight and bolster the line or did they not do anything other than take over prisoners and relieve Vincent's brigade, after the attack was finished? (like in the movie). Was there ever any real danger of the line breaking or were reinforcements generally close enough to countercharge and likely push back the tired and thirsty Confederates?

After Vincent reaches the hill, the first reinforcements to arrive was the 140th New York which arrived as the right flank of the 16th Michigan was retreating and counterattacked the very tired Texans and Alabamans on the western face of the hill, pushing them back towards Devil's Den with both sides suffering fairly heavy casualties.

The next unit was Hazlett's Battery D, 5th US which had passed through the 140th New York's line as it hurried up LRT and probably unlimbered as the 140th New York secured their front.

After that, the rest of Weed's Brigade deployed atop the hill amidst heavy sharpshooter firing back and forth which resulted in the deaths of Hazlett and Weed.

Vincent's Brigade was relieved very late in the evening by elements of the Pennsylvania Reserves and moved to secure BRT.

Ryan