Mayhem on Benner's Hill

[Gettysburg Greg]

On the afternoon of July 2, 1863, the Confederates placed about 14 cannons in position on Benner's Hill to fire on Cemetery Hill. Unfortunately, it was not a good position, being too narrow and almost perpendicular to the Union lines. The Confederate pieces were crowded and made a good target for the Union guns on Cemetery Hill, Steven's Knoll, and Culp's Hill, about 24 guns. When the duel ended, the Confederate guns were wrecked and there were many casualties among the Confederate gunners, including their "Boy-Major" Joseph Latimer. The following quote is from Lieutenant Robert Stiles giving us a vivid word picture of the aftermath. "Never, before, or after, did I see fifteen or twenty guns in such a condition of wreck and destruction as this battalion was…" "…It had been hurled backward, as it were, by the very weight and impact of metal from the position it had occupied on the crest of the little ridge, into a saucer-shaped depression behind it; and such a scene it presented– guns dismounted and disabled, carriages splintered and crushed, ammunition chests exploded, limbers upset, wounded horses plunging and kicking, dashing out the brains of men tangled in the harness; while cannoneers with pistols were crawling around through the wreck shooting the struggling horses to save the lives of wounded men." A vivid image, indeed!
Below are a couple of modern photos from Gettysburg Daily of the "saucer-shaped depression" described by Stiles. In the top photo, the artillery position is on the left and on the bottom, a better view of the depression. Looking at the photo and reading Stiles' quote, I can clearly picture the carnage he described.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Now the "saucer-shaped depression" is etched into my mind. Nice work!

 

[MRB1863]

Sure changed my view on the beautiful vista. What a tremendous amount of suffering and loss.

 

[infomanpa]

Nice. Coincidentally, just yesterday I was trying to turn into Benner Hill road, but a road crew was blocking me. I decided to move on so I wouldn't be trapped. Here's a Google Earth view where you can see the guns and the "saucer."