Seminary Ridge, small plaque question.

[Merlin1066]

I saw this plaque on the right side of the road near the Virginia Monument. When were they there? Is this from the first day of the battle?

 

[rpkennedy]

I saw this plaque on the right side of the road near the Virginia Monument. When were they there? Is this from the first day of the battle? View attachment 472773

That action occurred in the mid-morning of July 2. Sickles pushed the 3rd Maine and 1st US Sharpshooters into Pitzer's Woods to determine where the Confederates were. These men ran into Wilcox's Brigade of Anderson's Division who were deploying along Seminary Ridge and a sharp skirmish ensued. This fight convinced Sickles that the Confederates were moving in his direction and when Buford's cavalry, who were watching the Union left flank, pulled out for refitting, Sickles decided that something had to be done and took it upon himself to prepare his Third Corps to advance.

Ryan

Edit: I deferred the timing of the action to @pmuskett's interpretation since he knows a lot more about Wilcox's Brigade than I do.

 

[pmuskett]

The yellow arrow near the top is where the Virginia monument is located. The orange arrow is pointing toward where the plaque you have pictured is located.

I lean to a more mid-morning time for the fight in Pitzer's Woods.

 

[Scott Brown]

The yellow arrow near the top is where the Virginia monument is located. The orange arrow is pointing toward where the plaque you have pictured is located.

I lean to a more mid-morning time for the fight in Pitzer's Woods.
View attachment 472808

Phil,

How do Jerome's 11:45 and 11:55am messages fit into your timing on this?

 

[pmuskett]

Are you speaking Aaron Jerome? 1145 is way too late in my opinion.

Phil

 

[Scott Brown]

Are you speaking Aaron Jerome? 1145 is way too late in my opinion.

Phil

Yes. How do you reconcile the timestamp of his messages?

(We all know "times" are all over the map in the accounts, but the signal corps timestamps always seemed like a decent baseline to me).

 

[pmuskett]

From my initial look, I believe it is Wilcox's and Lang's skirmishers pushing forward.

Edmund Patterson writes that they succeeded in making them (Union skirmishers) withdraw some distance. This allowed them to occupy the Spangler barn "for some time", until they were driven back by Union artillery fire into the barn. Now unfortunately he doesn't state the time other than as soon as "our regiment got into position." Which could be as late as 10:00 am before they got deployed and pushed forward skirmishers. pg 115 "The Civil War Journal of Edmund DeWitt Patterson."

Major Danks of the 63rd PA, only said in his OR that the enemy made an appearance in our front that morning. But nothing about being pushed.

I don't believe Jerome is mentioning the reconnaissance that Berdan went on earlier in the day. By 1155, Lang and Wright's brigades have joined Wilcox in some of those woods. I am assuming he is speaking of H. Spangler woods, but even if he is speaking of Pitzer's woods, at that time the 8th and 10th Alabama are on the northern end of that woodlot. So the woods would be full of them.

Phil

 

[Scott Brown]

From my initial look, I believe it is Wilcox's and Lang's skirmishers pushing forward.

Edmund Patterson writes that they succeeded in making them (Union skirmishers) withdraw some distance. This allowed them to occupy the Spangler barn "for some time", until they were driven back by Union artillery fire into the barn. Now unfortunately he doesn't state the time other than as soon as "our regiment got into position." Which could be as late as 10:00 am before they got deployed and pushed forward skirmishers. pg 115 "The Civil War Journal of Edmund DeWitt Patterson."

Major Danks of the 63rd PA, only said in his OR that the enemy made an appearance in our front that morning. But nothing about being pushed.

I don't believe Jerome is mentioning the reconnaissance that Berdan went on earlier in the day. By 1155, Lang and Wright's brigades have joined Wilcox in some of those woods. I am assuming he is speaking of H. Spangler woods, but even if he is speaking of Pitzer's woods, at that time the 8th and 10th Alabama are on the northern end of that woodlot. So the woods would be full of them.

Phil

Interesting. Thanks for the response.

Lang's OR states that Wilcox informed him he needed no assistance, and suggests it was Wilcox alone that drove Trepp and Lakeman back.

 

[Tom Elmore]

I figure the action between Wilcox's brigade and the four companies of 1st U.S. Sharpshooters with 3rd Maine in support was initiated about 10:15 a.m. and was over within 20 minutes.

Wilcox is Surprised in Pitzer Woods | Gettysburg

As Wilcox deploys, unaware of the Federal presence, four companies of 1st U.S. Sharpshooters open fire on the exposed 11th Alabama and skirmishers of the 10th Alabama. A few overshots land in the ranks of Lang's brigade. Pendleton and Alexander observe Federal positions to the east. Map shows...

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