Off the Beaten Path at Gettysburg

I saw Sykes' headquarters first, but on my way back noticed Sedgewick's, so didn't realize until then they were together;

Now I'm wondering about he accuracy of the headquarters markers for the Fifth and Sixth Corps. Wouldn't it be unusual to have the headquarters of two corps so close together? I was led to believe that a corps headquarters would have needed a significant amount of space for its tents and support.
 
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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.

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Agreed, this is a great spot that is much more accessible now. Here is a photo similar to yours in November 2016 after the area was cleared and the new fencing put up. The change is wonderful.

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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.
Those were the things that drew us to stop and investigate, but since it's NEVER been an "official" NPS tour stop, it's easy to blast right past it, whether on the Baltimore Pike or Granite Schoolhouse Road. Also, due to the old Avalon-Hill Gettysburg game mapboard, I'm used to thinking of it as a separate, distinct knob, when in fact it just resembles a continuation of the terrain to its north.

Here for your consideration are a couple of views of what I believe is likely another little-visited spot, Coster Avenue, otherwise known as The Brickyard. I've posted these views before but they seem relevant to the subject of this thread to me: at the time of the battle, this marked the extreme north of town, but has since been lost amid more development, obscure enough now that last year during the September to Remember I asked @pamc153PA where it was! (She's someone I wish was contributing to this thread, since I'm sure Pam has visited and photographed many Gettysburg sites "off the beaten path"!)

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Those were the things that drew us to stop and investigate, but since it's NEVER been an "official" NPS tour stop, it's easy to blast right past it, whether on the Baltimore Pike or Granite Schoolhouse Road. Also, due to the old Avalon-Hill Gettysburg game mapboard, I'm used to thinking of it as a separate, distinct knob, when in fact it just resembles a continuation of the terrain to its north.

Here for your consideration are a couple of views of what I believe is likely another little-visited spot, Coster Avenue, otherwise known as The Brickyard. I've posted these views before but they seem relevant to the subject of this thread to me: at the time of the battle, this marked the extreme north of town, but has since been lost amid more development, obscure enough now that last year during the September to Remember I asked @pamc153PA where it was! (She's someone I wish was contributing to this thread, since I'm sure Pam has visited and photographed many Gettysburg sites "off the beaten path"!)

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Here is an old 1890 photo of the 27th PA monument on Coster Ave., which is at the far right edge of the picture you posted.
This is a scan from page 76 (scene 49) of William Frassanito's "The Gettysburg Bicentennial Album," which is one of his lesser known books, but well worth it.

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Although these guns might be considered to be "hiding in plain sight" it's doubtful that unless someone was walking on the field of Pickett's Charge (like we were as part of Ryan's (@rpkennedy) talk about the action of Wright's Brigade on July 2 at last year's September to Remember) they would have an opportunity to examine these rare and very fine Confederate-manufactured pieces. This was along the position of First or Third Corps batteries directed by E. P. Alexander during the artillery bombardment preceding Pickett's assault. These bronze guns are 12 lb. Confederate Napoleons.

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Another example of "hiding in plain sight" might well be these imported British breech-loading Whitworth rifled cannon placed near the Eternal Peace Light on Oak Hill. For additional photos and information: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/co...cannon-at-gettysburg-nmp.143043/#post-1752647

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Another very fine gun placed here on Oak Hill alongside the Whitworths is this Confederate-manufactured 12 lb. Napoleon; I forget, but it's likely a product of Richmond's Tredegar Iron Works headed by Gen. Joseph R. Anderson.

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Close up of cross carved into rock, directly below flag

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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).

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Rock looking south towards the Round Top's.

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

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

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

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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).

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Battery M monument looking towards Spangler's Spring

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

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

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Rigby's Maryland battery A monument on Powers Hill.

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Powers Hill artillery line looking towards Spangler's Spring

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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.

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Ruins of Z. Taney farmhouse, looking from front-left of house
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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.

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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."

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Thank you for these pictures and your research on this,May the next generation be able to see these sites as there were meant to be seen and prehabs to fill when they do see them what this really means and is not just a park or statues of long forgotten time.
 
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