Off the Beaten Path at Gettysburg

George Thomas

Corporal
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Location
Greater Boston (MA) area
20171126_Babcock Rock toward Weikert barn.jpg


Close up of cross carved into rock, directly below flag

20171126_Babcock rock closeup.jpg


Photo of rock carving again -- I marked up the photo in red to outline the carving.

A recently had a chance to visit a few off the beaten path locations at Gettysburg and thought I would share some photos:

The January 2017 issue of Gettysburg magazine had a fascinating article by Britt Isenberg and Richard Rigney titled "The Discovery of Babcock Rock." In the article, they discuss the initial burial site of Lt. Willis Babcock and Capt. Henry Fuller of the 64th NY infantry regiment (Brooke's Brigade) after the 2nd day fighting around the Wheatfield. Based on a letter sent by the regiment's major to Babcock's father, they located a rock in the field south of the George Weikert farm with the carving described in the letter.

Rock identified in the article with G. Weikert barn in background (flags were placed by a prior visitor, probably during Remembrance Day weekend).

Inked20171126_Babcock Rock.jpg


Rock looking south towards the Round Top's.

20171126_Babcock rock toward RTs.jpg


A few other unrelated locations that don't get visited very often.

61st PA monument at end of Neill Avenue ("Lost Avenue").

20171127_61st PA end of Neill Ave..jpg


61st PA monument at end of Neill Avenue with tablet indicating "Right of the Infantry of the Army of the Potomac"

20171127_61st PA and AOP right flank.jpg


Artillery line on Powers Hill, viewed from left flank marker of Battery M, 1st NY Light artillery (right flank marker is against the wall seen in the middle of photo).

20171127_NY Bat M left flank.jpg


Battery M monument looking towards Spangler's Spring

20171127_NY Battery M.jpg


Battery M monument looking up the artillery line on Powers Hill.

20171127_NY battery M looking uphill.jpg


Knap's battery monument on Powers Hill (Battery E, PA light artillery)

20171127_Knap's battery.jpg


Rigby's Maryland battery A monument on Powers Hill.

20171127_Rigby's MD battery.jpg


Powers Hill artillery line looking towards Spangler's Spring

20171127_Culp's Hill artillery line.jpg


Ruins of Z. Taney farmhouse on east side of Rock Creek, looking towards Spangler's meadow. I believe the large cornerstone in the lower left of the photo may be visible in the old companion photo I have posted below.

20171127_Z. Taney farm towards meadow.jpg


Ruins of Z. Taney farmhouse, looking from front-left of house
20171127_Z. Taney Farm front.jpg


Large rock outcropping near Z. Taney farm, right side of farm overlooking Rock Creek. I believe these rocks may be visible in the old companion photo I have posted below, around the point I labeled "A." They would have provided good cover for Confederate soldiers firing over towards McAllister's woods.

20171127_Z. Taney outcropping on Rock Creek side.jpg


Rock outcropping on Z. Taney Farm looking towards Spangler's meadow. I believe this mound may be visible in the old companion photos I have posted below, around the points I have labeled "B."

20171127_Z. Taney Farm outcropping.jpg


Old companion photos of Z. Taney Farm.

From Timothy H. Smith's book "Farms at Gettysburg: Fields of Battle," p. 47 (I outlined the cornerstone rock in red).

Z. Taney House-Then (with outlining).jpg


From "Historic Photos of Gettysburg," text and captions by John S. Salmon, p. 25. Z. Taney farm with Rock Creek in foreground. I added red notations to indicate the possible locations of the rock outcroppings I saw at the site.

InkedTaney farm from Rock Creek_LI.jpg



From William Frassanito's "The Gettysburg Then and Now Companion," scene 30, p. 37, looking towards Z. Taney Farm from Spangler's meadow. Again, I added the red notation.

InkedTaney farm from Spangler meadow_LI.jpg


Sunset near the Klingel farm, looking towards Emmitsburg Rd., taken from bridle path that goes past the Sickles wounding site and winds its way up to the Emmitsburg Rd.

20171127_Klingle farm.jpg


A couple of miscellaneous observations, not related to off the beaten path sites, in case you have not visited this year.

The Hancock Ave. gate restoration is completed, along with much of the restoration around the location of the old Cyclorama building. The park placed two large stone blocks in the gate entrance, apparently to prevent drivers from mistakenly turning through the gate into the new parking area.

20171126_Hancock gate.jpg


The old Hall of Presidents wax museum property across from East Cemetery Hill is now refurbished, but I did not see any indication of what the building will be used for. The statute of Eisenhower is still out front.

20171126_Old Hall of Presidents.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The rocks in the foundation behind the fallen rock in the Z. Taney photo appear to be from the corner of the stone attached shed. The "fallen rock" possibly fell to the left in the photo. However, there is also another large rock from the "corner of the stone shed" that is missing. Could it be that rock?
 
The rocks in the foundation behind the fallen rock in the Z. Taney photo appear to be from the corner of the stone attached shed. The "fallen rock" possibly fell to the left in the photo. However, there is also another large rock from the "corner of the stone shed" that is missing. Could it be that rock?

Yes, thanks for the comment. It such a large jumble of stones it is hard to tell for sure, that was just my best guess. Here is another look at that corner of the foundation, a little more from side. The stone seems to have the right shape and seems to be at about the right height given the pile of rubble that has built up around it, but it is hard to tell if that is the right perspective or not. I keep going back there every year or so and try to improve my understanding of the site, but it is definitely a work in progress. On this visit, the main thing I took away was the large rock outcroppings on the Rock Creek side of the property. They are really quite large and would have provided excellent protection for Confederates firing over towards modern day Carman Ave. I've included another view that is a little better than the one I posted earlier.

20171127_Z. Taney cornerstone side view.jpg


20171127_Z. Taney outcropping A2.jpg
 
dsc05176-jpg.160215.jpg


Last year Eric Wittenberg showed us one off the beaten path monuments to the 16th Penn. Cavalry that's in a very obscure location in a cul-de-sac of sorts; another we visited was Jones Battalion Drive below where Jubal Early's artillery battalion was posted to shell the Eleventh Corps from across Rock Creek.

dsc05179-jpg.160217.jpg
 
Thank you for the great photos of this part of the field I have never been too at Gettysburg. The Z. Taney farm is one of those overlooked places at Gettysburg that I have just never been to in my travels there. thanks for this great thread @George Thomas. I have thoroughly enjoyed everyone's posts.
 
It certainly is a magical place!!! That's why we keep going back whenever we get the opportunity.
Thank you for sharing!!! The farmhouses are amazing! I'm sure both the boys in grey and blue appreciate the fact they are not being forgotten with sites like this...YET!
God we need to do more to preserve the only war (both sides) fought by Americans against each other on our own precious soil! These photos and all the other ones on this site are such a perfect example of the pure passion that American hearts had to actually raise arms against each other! The "weasel" elite politicians in suits are doing battle on our soil now with only the media "bloodshed" but yet cry how hard it is (Lee and Grant could teach them a thing or two about that regarding Appomattox and deals) with their even less than banker's hour days then jump on a "paid by the taxpayer's" jet to a warm beach somewhere! Pitiful! :nah disagree:
 
DSC05148.JPG
It certainly is a magical place!!! That's why we keep going back whenever we get the opportunity.
Great Photos of off the beaten Path I have visited some of these places....
Thank you for the great photos of this part of the field I have never been too at Gettysburg. The Z. Taney farm is one of those overlooked places at Gettysburg that I have just never been to in my travels there. thanks for this great thread @George Thomas. I have thoroughly enjoyed everyone's posts.
Great! Lots of looks at places that I haven't seen.

I imagine it wasn't the intent of @George Thomas when creating this thread, but it might be interesting to continue it with still more photos from obscure and/or seldom-visited locations at Gettysburg. In that vein, here are a couple more monuments that although are right on Sedgwick Avenue on the way to the Round Tops I'll bet few of you have noticed before. They mark the positions of the Fifth Corps headquarters of George Sykes below, and John Sedgewick's Sixth Corps headquarters above. I found them last September during our get-together.

DSC05147.JPG
 
here are a couple more monuments that although are right on Sedgwick Avenue on the way to the Round Tops I'll bet few of you have noticed before. They mark the positions of the Fifth Corps headquarters of George Sykes below, and John Sedgewick's Sixth Corps headquarters above. I found them last September during our get-together.

View attachment 168886

I was able to take a shot showing both headquarters markers.

Capture.JPG
 
The Taney farm is one location I go to quite a bit. It's hard to get across Rock Creek unless the weather has been dry and the water is low. I'd love to see the park service clear all the trees between the farm clearing and the creek to recreate the viewshed from the time of the battle.

I kind of make it my "thing" to visit places where few people go. Powers Hill is one of those: I NEVER see anyone else there. I would venture to say there are few "out of the way" places on the battlefield that I haven't visited.
 
I was able to take a shot showing both headquarters markers.

View attachment 168940

I was walking along Sedgewick Avenue just looking at the various markers I'd maybe driven past before, but since this isn't really near any NPS tour stop I'd never had a reason to examine. I saw Sykes' headquarters first, but on my way back noticed Sedgewick's, so didn't realize until then they were together; besides, I was also studying the terrain since I'd just finished Pfanz' ...The Second Day and like the view I made there looking through the Valley of Death. I imagine Sedgewick's fine monument is also one of the fewest equestrian statues visited:

DSC05146.JPG
 
Last edited:
The Taney farm is one location I go to quite a bit. It's hard to get across Rock Creek unless the weather has been dry and the water is low. I'd love to see the park service clear all the trees between the farm clearing and the creek to recreate the viewshed from the time of the battle.

I kind of make it my "thing" to visit places where few people go. Powers Hill is one of those: I NEVER see anyone else there. I would venture to say there are few "out of the way" places on the battlefield that I haven't visited.
I've never visited the Taney Farm either, and as I've explained before, I'd also never noticed nor had any reason to stop at Powers Hill, but noticed it this time while on the way somewhere else; here's another shot taken there I didn't like as well:

DSC05134.JPG
 
DSC05131.JPG


This Union First Corps battery position on the battlefield of July 1 is now on full view and easily visited, but before the removal of the motel formerly surrounding Lee's Headquarters was largely hidden by structures, so I include it here also.

DSC05132.JPG
 
DSC05104.JPG


I would bet that unless anyone has taken a tour with @Eric Wittenberg to visit the area encompassed by Buford's picket lines on the evening of June 30-morning of July 1 they have never visited Black's Graveyard with its monument to the Samuel Gettys family seen here in these admittedly poor photos taken on what proved to be the wrong setting for my camera! This is to the west of town on the northern part of Herr Ridge north of the Chambersburg Pike.

DSC05105.JPG
 
I kind of make it my "thing" to visit places where few people go. Powers Hill is one of those: I NEVER see anyone else there. I would venture to say there are few "out of the way" places on the battlefield that I haven't visited.

I can understand why people don't visit parts of the battlefield that require some legwork and effort, but Powers Hill? It's right on Baltimore Pike and you can easily see it and its monuments from the road. In fact, when I first was becoming familiar with Gettysburg, I used to wonder what it was while driving past. I guess that I am among the few.
 
Back
Top