The Split Rock and the Bent Knee Corpse

[Gettysburg Greg]

Alexander Gardner recorded a series of twelve plates in the Rose pasture at Gettysburg documenting around 40 Confederate soldiers gathered for burial by their comrades. Until 1967, these mages had not been recognized as having been taken in the same location. In fact, some were mis-identified as Union soldiers on McPherson Ridge. Below is my then and now using the Gardner image that William Frassanito used to not only unlock the mystery where this image was taken, but also confirm that the entire series was taken in the Rose pasture. In 1967, Frassanito discovered the now famous Split Rock visible in the background below. In the line of bodies closest to the rock, notice one man has a prominent knee bent up in the air. Frassanito discovered this same soldier in two other photographs, confirming these were the same soldiers in the same location.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Were they gathered for burial in that pasture? It seems like pretty rocky, tough ground to dig there.

 

[Seduzal]

Hollowed ground then and now! Thanks for sharing this awesome story and photos.

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

Were they gathered for burial in that pasture? It seems like pretty rocky, tough ground to dig there.

You are correct about the rocky soil, but yes they were buried here by Union burial details. The Confederates had to abandon this area before they could bury their comrades.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Eventually were they reinterred back to Richmond or other places South?

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

Yes, it is my understanding that occurred in the early 1870s.

 

[MRB1863]

Interesting that the site has really not changed in all these years! Bless them all.

 

[JeffCSA]

Can you imagine having both pictures in your hand while standing on the exact spots of those fellows? Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mrs. V]

Thank you for the research. Very interesting. Maybe include the lat and long, like we did when we collected specimens for field school.

 

[Patrick H]

Very good comparative photos! Thank you.

 

[JOHN42768]

Always great

 

[klongstreet]

Thanks Greg, I located the rock eventually, it is a lot better gaining access with the new fence in place.

 

[Kip124thNY]

Thanks Greg, always enjoy your posts.

 

[dhh712]

Thanks for the pictures--just love then and now photographs. Am putting locating that rock on the list of things to find next time I take a stroll through (that part of) the battlefield.

 

[kel1985]

I did a project last year where I blended a modern shot of the Rose Farm pix with a modern picture...this is my version of the split rock photo.

 

[rpkennedy]

According to the Elliott Map, there were some 500 Confederate burials around the Rose Farm, mostly east and southeast of the house (around and in Rose Woods). Most of these remains would have been disinterred and moved south in the 1870s.

Ryan

 

[JeffCSA]

There's that key word "most". Some, no doubt, are still there. Very hallowed ground.

 

[RayDoolittle]

According to the Elliott Map, there were some 500 Confederate burials around the Rose Farm, mostly east and southeast of the house (around and in Rose Woods). Most of these remains would have been disinterred and moved south in the 1870s.

Ryan

I know this is an older post, but it's worth commenting on. The Elliot Map drastically overstates the number of burials in the Rose pasture, based on the photographs and on tabulating the losses of all the Confederate regiments that passed over that ground. I believe that there are about 45-50 dead Confederate soldiers actually photographed here. My guess is that Elliot and his assistants took notes and made map sketches as they explored the battlefield. Someone noted 50 bodies on that property, and through error, smudges, or whatever, it became 500 when the final draft of the Elliot Burial Map was completed. That's just my speculation, but something like that happened to make the map almost exactly 10x the actual bodies.

 

[Yankeedave]

I know this is an older post, but it's worth commenting on. The Elliot Map drastically overstates the number of burials in the Rose pasture, based on the photographs and on tabulating the losses of all the Confederate regiments that passed over that ground. I believe that there are about 45-50 dead Confederate soldiers actually photographed here. My guess is that Elliot and his assistants took notes and made map sketches as they explored the battlefield. Someone noted 50 bodies on that property, and through error, smudges, or whatever, it became 500 when the final draft of the Elliot Burial Map was completed. That's just my speculation, but something like that happened to make the map almost exactly 10x the actual bodies.

The Elliot map may be wrong, but it isn't a typo. He maps out hundreds of dead in the Rose Woods. I'm not saying Elliot is right...