The Iron Brigade. Day 1

[datameister]

I hope to post several videos of the first day. I'm not a professional, but this is a labor of love.

As always, errors and omissions are welcome. History is interactive I guess.

 

[Lubliner]

This is a really good video; informative, descriptive, and after the 22 minutes, leaves me wanting more. Thank you.
Lubliner.

 

[JOHN42768]

Nice video, thanks

 

[frontrank2]

Thanks for posting. Your video is well done, no errors as far as I can tell.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Nicely done.

I suppose the men from Cutler's lead regiment (76th New York) probably took down a small portion of the fence running along the west side of the Emmitsburg road near the Codori farm, although normally this was a task of the pioneers, who were evidently marching at the rear of that brigade, based on this source:

(J. V. Pierce, 147th New York, National Tribune, April 3, 1884) "... when about half a mile from Gettysburg, there was a call for 'pioneers to the front.' ... The pioneers could hardly throw the fences down quick enough for us. The most troublesome fence was a strong post-and-board fence on both sides of the Fairfield road, near the Seminary grounds."

As the Iron Brigade approached the Seminary, their pioneers were in front, according to E. R. Reed of the 2nd Wisconsin, who "saw our sappers and miners rush for the fence and scatter a length or two in great haste, and we hastily filed left oblique through the opening, and continued the same left oblique through the field" [between Seminary and McPherson ridges]. (E. R. Reed, National Tribune, March 20, 1884)

Reed's account explains how the Iron Brigade approached Herbst woods from Seminary Ridge. Incidentally, the removal of the fence by the Iron Brigade's pioneers was observed by Lidia Zeigler from her vantage point in the Seminary building.

 

[Rothermel]

nice video. Hat tip for referencing Herbst woods.

Nice to see action on the Herbst farm attributed to the Herbst farm, many past works often generalize that anything happening on the ridge to the McPherson farm. Yours is a more correct presentation IMO.

 

[infomanpa]

Really professional!

 

[johncla]

Authentic, authoritative, and informative. (One insight I got from this was that Archer's right was drawn toward 2Wi and 7WI, which set them up to be flanked by Meredith's left wing.)
Question - you have Meredith turning off Emmitsburg Rd maybe 200 yards south of the Codori farm. I always thought the turnoff was AT the Codori farm, but then I've also heard it the other way - to the south.
Can you enlighten me? Why to the south?

 

[datameister]

Authentic, authoritative, and informative. (One insight I got from this was that Archer's right was drawn toward 2Wi and 7WI, which set them up to be flanked by Meredith's left wing.)
Question - you have Meredith turning off Emmitsburg Rd maybe 200 yards south of the Codori farm. I always thought the turnoff was AT the Codori farm, but then I've also heard it the other way - to the south.
Can you enlighten me? Why to the south?

I saw in Pfanz where he says "near the Codori Farm". So, that route I put one could characterize as having a wide "confidence interval". I also see in his writing "at the Codori Farm", and something to the effect the Division moved cross lots possibly by several routes. I am unsure if they moved to the west of the Bliss Farm like I show.

 

[cwbuff]

Very well done. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to the next one. One correction. You stated the Harmon farm buildings were along Country Club Lane. They were actually along Old Mill Road at the top of the ridge west of Willoughby's Run. The Confederate staging area was in the woods west of Country Club Lane.

 

[scotth]

Video #2?

 

[connecticut yankee]

Great effort! Very well done. Thank you.

 

[datameister]

Very well done. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to the next one. One correction. You stated the Harmon farm buildings were along Country Club Lane. They were actually along Old Mill Road at the top of the ridge west of Willoughby's Run. The Confederate staging area was in the woods west of Country Club Lane.

Thank you.

Indeed. The current parking spot by the NPS is on Country Club Lane, so that was running through my mind.

So after Archer's Brigade reformed it went to that Old Mill Road area.

"Heth placed Archer's battered brigade south of the Old Mill Road, to Pettigrew's right. It was in a woods whose east edge was in extension of that occupied by Pettigrew's regiments. Archer's brigade was probably about 1,000 strong at this time, and its right would have been near the Finne-frock buildings."

Pfanz, Harry W.. Gettysburg--The First Day (Civil War America) (p. 118). The University of North Carolina Press. Kindle Edition.

 

[datameister]

Video #2?

I am planning on a Saturday release.

 

[Dave Farnsworth]

terrific post
thanks for doing this!

 

[scotth]

I am planning on a Saturday release.

looking forward to it!

 

[datameister]

looking forward to it!

It is now out.

 

[mags48]

I hope to post several videos of the first day. I'm not a professional, but this is a labor of love.

As always, errors and omissions are welcome. History is interactive I guess.

Great work on the video! LTC Rufus Dawes penned his often-referenced memoir, Service with the Sixth Wisconsin, in 1890. It has never been out of print. My research and writing about Dawes, and his life's-love Mary Gates, plus family, friends and fellow soldiers, uncovered hundreds of original letters and recollections. Many untold details of his battlefield experiences were revealed, details he kept out of his book. One such was the premonition of death by LTC George Stevens, 2nd Wisconsin. Stevens dropped back to ride next to Dawes as the Iron Brigade approached battle near the Lutheran Seminary. Stevens then galloped ahead to join his regiment and was mortally wounded in the initial violent encounter at Herbst Woods. This was not more than fifteen minutes after he left Dawes, who noted that Stevens was "very much depressed in spirits and was under a presentiment of calamity." Yet, he dutifully went forward to his death. Stevens is buried in the Wisconsin section at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

 

[Tom Elmore]

(From the H. H. Lyman Papers, 147th New York, on file at Gettysburg National Military Park) "As we approached the vicinity of the Codori house on the Emmitsburg Pike the sound of artillery became evident and on passing the house a short distance we were "filed left" through the fence and headed toward the Seminary at a double-quick - the men loading their muskets as they ran."

This is a rather definitive statement that the fence bordering the west side of the road was removed just north of the Codori house to allow passage of Cutler's brigade (and presumably subsequent units of the First Corps that moved up the Emmitsburg road).

 

[rob63]

Nicely done, and hello from Noblesville.