- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
In this case, the movement of Carroll's brigade may help to determine the position of Huntington (Norton). We know the starting point of Carroll's brigade with some accuracy, and we also know where the lead regiment (14th Indiana) ended up at the base of the hill. It's not exactly where their monument and flank markers lie today, but roughly 90-95 feet to the left. This degree of accuracy is possible because a soldier in the right center of the 14th recalled being directly under a walnut tree when he first reached the wall, but when the regiment shifted a little to the right on July 3 (into the position faithfully recorded by the flank markers according to this same soldier), the tree was then near the left of the regiment; and knowing the front of the regiment, the distance can be estimated fairly closely (I figure 92 feet, give or take a few).
Working backwards to their night charge on July 2, it means that coming down the hill, the left of the 14th Indiana passed through the right guns of F/G, 1st Pennsylvania and also the left gun(s) of L, 1st New York. Which means they came very close to, if not around, the cemetery gatehouse, having just moments before moved from column into line. Somewhere back along the route of this march, along the crest of the hill, they passed through H, 1st Ohio. To me, the most logical place would be just where the monument places H, 1st Ohio. If the encounter took place close to the gatehouse, it seems the battery's view to the east in that spot would be obstructed by the 5th New York battery. However, it could be between those two locations, for instance somewhere behind Coster's brigade, where firing to the east would not endanger the men of that brigade.
On a separate topic, we have a very informative account of the 6th North Carolina's movements, which seems to dovetail quite well with accounts from Carroll's brigade, namely as the 6th went up the hill, they took fire from their left and rear, so they about-faced and wheeled left to the wall ( that separates F/G, 1st Pennsylvania from I, 1st New York), where they could return this fire, and subsequently enabled them to fire into the left and rear of the 14th Indiana after it came down the hill. The 7th West Virginia was sent to confront this threat, and they stayed behind that wall (which was perpendicular to the wall held by the 14th Indiana) during the night. The next day, when the 14th Indiana shifted a bit to the right, the 7th West Virginia joined their left (where their monument stands).
Working backwards to their night charge on July 2, it means that coming down the hill, the left of the 14th Indiana passed through the right guns of F/G, 1st Pennsylvania and also the left gun(s) of L, 1st New York. Which means they came very close to, if not around, the cemetery gatehouse, having just moments before moved from column into line. Somewhere back along the route of this march, along the crest of the hill, they passed through H, 1st Ohio. To me, the most logical place would be just where the monument places H, 1st Ohio. If the encounter took place close to the gatehouse, it seems the battery's view to the east in that spot would be obstructed by the 5th New York battery. However, it could be between those two locations, for instance somewhere behind Coster's brigade, where firing to the east would not endanger the men of that brigade.
On a separate topic, we have a very informative account of the 6th North Carolina's movements, which seems to dovetail quite well with accounts from Carroll's brigade, namely as the 6th went up the hill, they took fire from their left and rear, so they about-faced and wheeled left to the wall ( that separates F/G, 1st Pennsylvania from I, 1st New York), where they could return this fire, and subsequently enabled them to fire into the left and rear of the 14th Indiana after it came down the hill. The 7th West Virginia was sent to confront this threat, and they stayed behind that wall (which was perpendicular to the wall held by the 14th Indiana) during the night. The next day, when the 14th Indiana shifted a bit to the right, the 7th West Virginia joined their left (where their monument stands).
Bringing the