Oates' Rock

[Gettysburg Greg]

The fighting in Gettysburg may have ended on July 3rd, 1863, but the fighting over what happened began soon after the battle and continues today. One of the more interesting disputes over what actually happened on the southern spur of Little Round Top was between Colonel William Oates and Colonel Joshua Chamberlain. Oates claimed his regiment, the 15th Alabama had once broken through the line of the 20th Maine. Oates claimed his brother, John had been wounded behind the Union line and was dragged behind a large rock where he was shot again and finally died. That boulder, now known as Oates Rock, was where Colonel Oates proposed placing a marker specifying this is where the Alabama Regiment had advanced to and where his brother died. The 1900 proposal was rejected by both the Battlefield authorities as well as General Chamberlain who disputed Oates' claim that the line of the 20th Maine had been broken. The marker was never placed even though Oates proposed paying for it himself. The inscription was to read: To the memory of Lt. John A. Oates
and his gallant Comrades who fell here
July 2nd, 1863. The 15th Ala. Regt.,
over 400 strong reached this spot, but
for lack of support had to retire.
Below is my photo of Oates Rock, notice the wall designating the Union line about 50 yards in front of the boulder.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Thought the 20th Maine line was unbroken on Little Round Top. (As said, the Union line is about 50 yards in front of this boulder).

Lt. John Oates supposedly fell from a volley of shots fired at close range (in front of the Union line), while leading Co. G, 15th AL, in the assault up the slope on July 2. He sustained multiple fatal bullet wounds and was dragged by Sgt. Isaac Parks (Co. I, 15th AL) to behind the large distinctive boulder (pictured) on the eastern slope near the top of the spur of Little Round Top for protection. When Colonel William Oates reluctantly withdrew the 15th AL from Little Round Top, he left most of the regiment's badly wounded (including his brother) laying there, for the mercy of the enemy. (John was later taken to a Union field hospital, where he died of blood poisoning from his wounds on July 25).

Apparently William Oates had formed a strong and close bond with his younger brother before the war. John's death would haunt his older brother's memory for the remainder of his life.

Think by the rejection so many years later of William's proposal to commemorate his Regiment and fallen brother by placing a fully self-funded inscribed marker at this site, it would have contributed further to his emotional torment and sense of loss felt.

 

[infomanpa]

I think that there should at least be some kind of interpretive marker.