Steven's Knoll T&N

[Gettysburg Greg]

The photo below shows the view the 5th Maine Battery had from Steven's Knoll when the Confederate lines crossed from right to left on the evening of July 2, 1863 during Avery's attack against East Cemetery Hill. The 57th NC was on the end of the Rebel line crossing the view just across the stone wall seen in the pic. Steven's guns fired round after round of canister into the tar heels causing much confusion. In my modern photo the wall I mentioned is the second one away from the camera. The one nearest is post war. Cemetery Hill, the target of the Confederate attack is just out of frame to the left.

 

[MRB1863]

Fascinating how the "city-scape" in the background has so visibly changed over time!

 

[E_just_E]

Are you facing North NorthEast? Is that small road on the upper LH corner of your picture Wainwright Ave going towards the town? Trying to get my bearings

 

[eBrowne]

The picture is looking as you note, from Stevens Knoll to the north with the road that today is Wainwright Ave on the left.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Stevens' guns could also have been firing into the flank of the 21st North Carolina, in fact, it became nearly an enfilade fire, but it was nearly dark at that time (around 7:52), so the Federal artillery was no longer accurate. As Avery's brigade wheeled to the right, the connection between the three regiments was broken, and they became separated, fighting independently of one another. Only the 6th North Carolina, which was then in front, broke through the Federal lines at the base of the hill and moved up the hill, according to my research.

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

The picture is looking as you note, from Stevens Knoll to the north with the road that today is Wainwright Ave on the left.

You are right on, eBrowne.

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

Stevens' guns could also have been firing into the flank of the 21st North Carolina, in fact, it became nearly an enfilade fire, but it was nearly dark at that time (around 7:52), so the Federal artillery was no longer accurate. As Avery's brigade wheeled to the right, the connection between the three regiments was broken, and they became separated, fighting independently of one another. Only the 6th North Carolina, which was then in front, broke through the Federal lines at the base of the hill and moved up the hill, according to my research.

I believe it was the 57th NC on the left end of the attacking line and suffered the most casualties from Stevens' guns. I will attach a map showing the order of battle that supports my contention. I see the 21st was to the right of the 57th so I'm sure they were struck by Steven's guns, too.

 

[Northern Light]

Is that the Lutheran Seminary at the top right(ish)?

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

Is that the Lutheran Seminary at the top right(ish)?

No, I think you are seeing the German Reform Church in Gettysburg. The Seminary would be much farther to the west outside of town.

 

[Northern Light]

No, I think you are seeing the German Reform Church in Gettysburg. The Seminary would be much farther to the west outside of town.

Thanks! I don't know the road names, so I get my bearings from the buildings. (It's a girl thing, so I am told.) You can't see it know, the trees have grown so much, if they are even the same trees.
I am really enjoying these pictures, Greg. Thanks for posting them!

 

[E_just_E]

Thanks! I don't know the road names, so I get my bearings from the buildings. (It's a girl thing, so I am told.) You can't see it know, the trees have grown so much, if they are even the same trees.
I am really enjoying these pictures, Greg. Thanks for posting them!

All those trees are newly planted. Right among the trees there is a man-made pond, and right behind them a brand new large High School Stadium with Olympic size track (and the High School right after that.) All of-course built in public land with public $ dead smack in the middle of the Day 2 (and parts of Day 1) battlefield. On the left of the road there are private houses...

If not for the trees the view would had been horrible

 

[Tom Elmore]

Attached is my interpretation of the event, as of 7:52 p.m. (Hal Jesperson completed the map.)

 

[eBrowne]

The artillery guns in Hal's map are not totally accurate. Battery H 1st Ohio at this time was along the Baltimore Pike.

 

[Mike Serpa]

A closer view of the German Reformed Church.

Scene of the charge of the Louisiana Tigers. View taken from Cemetery Hill at about position of right gun of Wiedrich's (i. e. Weidrich's) Battery. - LOC #32846

 

[Tom Elmore]

Could you provide the source for that information? Huntington's battery position on the map is at the location of their monument. I am aware that Carroll's brigade marched through Battery H, 1st Ohio, and that Carroll briefly spoke with Huntington, asking where the enemy was located. If this occurred on the Baltimore Pike, it must have been very close to the gatehouse, and the enemy's position should have been plainly evident. But I have no information indicating that the battery had moved over to the Baltimore Pike.

 

[Tom Elmore]

The Trinity German Reformed Church at the east end of town served as a Union hospital for the first day's wounded of the Eleventh Corps. Several Union surgeons were there, and so was Justus Silliman of the 17th Connecticut, who wrote: "They [the surgeons] will remain for hours at the windows watching the progress of the battle, while our wounded were in agony for want of proper attention." Ten or twelve amputation tables were set up in the church, possibly improvised from the pews, as occurred in another church that served as a hospital. Andrew B. Cross of the Christian Commission wrote that the church also served as the headquarters or observation point for Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell, and it appears likely that Maj. Gen. Early rode past there at sunset on July 2 to order the attack upon Cemetery Hill.

 

[eBrowne]

The map that "Gettysburg Greg" posted for the action at this time is probably more accurate. When Norton's Battery came into position it was posted along the Baltimore Pike. See Report of Thomas Osborn in the Official Records. Norton's guns were moved about during July 2/3, so their exact location at any moment is not possible. The monument for their battery more closely depicts their location of July 3. These monuments probably don't depict the exact location of these batteries (Some batteries were in the Cemetery.) With movement of guns etc, there is no exact spot and their is no exact time reference. Edgell's NH monument is probably the most out of place. I believe the NH veterans situated their monument where the land was available at that time. A more accurate spot for that monument is probably over by McCartney's battery.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Osborn writes in the Official Records that the batteries from right to left were Dilger, Bancroft, Eakin, Wheeler, Hill, and Hall ... and "Huntington [Norton] in rear and perpendicular to Wheeler." In that case, it sounds to me that Norton is not close to the Baltimore Pike. Osborn also writes that on the morning of July 3, "we were in position the same as on the 2d."

I presume to be addressing the author of the article on this subject in Gettysburg Magazine, issue 26, which I have found to be very informative and useful, and in which it is noted that Hill's West Virginia battery was posted nearby to Norton.

Related to this topic, Wheeler writes in a July 26 letter that his ammunition was exhausted at 4:30 p.m. on July 2, when Osborn relieved his battery with another. Could this relief battery have been Norton's? Wheeler seems to have been in the position shown as being occupied by Norton on my map on the evening of July 2, but if Norton did not replace him, who did?

 

[eBrowne]

That is possible that they eventually replaced Wheeler. However, from Osborn's account, he seems to state that Norton's guns were aligned to fire towards the east or northeast. This would have been towards Benner's Hill. That would place them parallel to the Baltimore Pike. How close to the Pike, I don't know. I also question Osborn's report that it was Hill then Hall. I think that Hill replaced Hall.

 

[eBrowne]

Lt. Parmelee (National Tribune Sept 2, 1886) "Just as we get in column we meet the battery whose place we are to take - that is, Heckman's, Co. K, of our own regiment (1st Ohio L. A.), badly crippled .........the guns go into action on top of the ridge in the edge of the Cemetery. Giving our attention first to some guns and troops on the right of the town, being fortunate in getting the range, we soon silenced the battery. Other batteries claim our attention, and we shift our position so that part of the guns fire to the left of town..."
Parmelee was incorrect about meeting Heckman's battery, more likely it was Wheeler's battery.
With Battery H's guns moving about, it is difficult to give an exact location of where they were when Carroll's men came through their position on the evening of July 2.