Watching and Waiting Along the Emmitsburg Road on the Early Afternoon of July 2

Tom Elmore

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By early afternoon on July 2, Graham’s brigade had been pushed forward to a field near the Trostle buildings. Burling’s brigade was positioned behind them. Brewster’s 73rd New York occupied Klingle’s peach orchard. Wilcox’s brigade of R. H. Anderson’s division held the far right of the Confederate line on Seminary Ridge after driving back a Federal reconnaissance made to Pitzer woods that morning. Skirmishers remained active between the lines. Map represents the situation at 1:15 p.m.

Desultory firing between skirmishers” – Brigadier General Cadmus M. Wilcox.

We threw out skirmishers who kept up a brisk fire with the enemy during the day” – Member of the 8th Alabama.

Rebel skirmishers crawling up stealthily through the tall grass and grain in their front, until they had a strong line formed under cover of a fence” – Member of the 114th Pennsylvania.

Formed in line of battle … doubled on the center, Clark’s battery [B, 1st New Jersey] in our front” – Colonel Henry J. Madill, 141st Pennsylvania.

On our right was an orchard containing cherry trees that were soon bereft of fruit. To our right and rear, the house [Trostle] where Gen. Sickles had his headquarters” – Member of Battery B, 1st New Jersey.

We advanced to the right and rear of the peach orchard” – Captain Alanson H. Nelson, 57th Pennsylvania.

At 1 p.m. orders were received from General Graham to rejoin the brigade, and to take position in rear of the Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania … on the right of the One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania, in column, doubled on the center” – Colonel Calvin A. Craig, 105th Pennsylvania.

At 1 p.m. advanced to the front of the woods and formed with the brigade a line of battle, in columns doubled on the center” – Captain Edward R. Bowen, 114th Pennsylvania.

Early in the afternoon the brigade was advanced to the eastern side of the Emmitsburg road and formed in line of battle” – Chaplain David Craft, 141st Pennsylvania.

Made another advance and stacked arms in a corn field” – Sergeant J. D. Bloodgood, Company I, 141st Pennsylvania.

This [Klingle house] I occupied with the Seventy-Third New York” – Brigadier General Andrew A. Humphreys.

Our own regiment being posted directly in the … [Klingle] peach orchard” – Second Lieutenant Frank E. Moran, Company H, 73rd New York.

About the middle of the day, July 2, [Daniel H. Klingle] was notified by one officer after another to leave … he gave all the same answer, ‘If I must die I will die at home.’ At last an officer insisted they must either go to the cellar or leave; there were plenty of soldiers that would help carry the two children and their clothing” – Daniel H. Klingle.

Shortly after [noon], I received orders … to report to General Birney … I did so and was ordered by him to mass the brigade in a piece of woods in the rear of his division” – Colonel George C. Burling.

I placed the brigade [Burling’s] in a rocky wood of large growth … to the left of the ‘big barn’ [Trostle’s]” – Captain Adolfo F. Cavada, Assistant Inspector General to Brigadier General Andrew A. Humphreys.

Sixth Regiment [New Jersey] in front” – Benjamin D. Cooley, Company K, 6th New Jersey.

Sources:
-Official Reports of Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox, Col. Henry J. Madill, Capt. Alanson H. Nelson, Col. Calvin A. Craig, Capt. Edward R. Bowen, Brig. Gen. Andrew A, Humphreys, Col. George C. Burling.
-Colonel Hilary A. Herbert’s ‘History of the Eighth Alabama Volunteer Regiment, C. S. A.,’ ed. by Maurice S. Fortin, The Alabama Historical Quarterly, vol. 39, 1977, p. 115.
-114th Pennsylvania, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-5, by Samuel P. Bates, III:1186.
-History of Battery B, First New Jersey Artillery, by Michael Hanifen, Ottawa, IL: Republican-Times, Printers, 1905, p. 67.
-Address of Chaplain David Craft, September 12, 1889, Dedication of Monument to the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry, Pennsylvania at Gettysburg, II:686.
-Personal Reminiscences of the War, by Rev. J. D. Bloodgood, NY: Hunt & Eaton, 1893, p. 133.
-H**l in a Peach Orchard, by Eric A. Campbell, America’s Civil War, July 2003, p. 40 [writings of Frank E. Moran].
-The Big Battle, by I. N. Durboraw, Company K, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves, quoting D. H. Klingle, National Tribune, December 8, 1892, p. 4.
-Diary of A. F. Cavada, by Adolfo Fernandez de la Cavada, photocopy from Carolyn Hartman, Catlett Station Antiques, Catlett, Virginia, Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center, Bull Run Regional Library, Manassas, Virginia.
-January 18, 1888 letter of Benjamin D. Cooley, Company K, 6th New Jersey, Final Report of the Gettysburg Battle-field Commission of New Jersey, Trenton: John L. Murphy Publishing Company, 1891, p. 103.
 

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On the subject of the Emmitsburg Road, anyone who ever complained about books on Civil War battles not being detailed enough, has never read; The Second Day at Gettysburg: The Attack and Defense of Cemetery Ridge, July 2, 1863, Shultz and Mingus, Savas Beatie LLC, El Dorado Hills, CA, 2015. Exhausting, but in a good way.

Thanks for the post Mr. Elmore.
 
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By early afternoon on July 2, Graham’s brigade had been pushed forward to a field near the Trostle buildings. Burling’s brigade was positioned behind them. Brewster’s 73rd New York occupied Klingle’s peach orchard. Wilcox’s brigade of R. H. Anderson’s division held the far right of the Confederate line on Seminary Ridge after driving back a Federal reconnaissance made to Pitzer woods that morning. Skirmishers remained active between the lines. Map represents the situation at 1:15 p.m.

Desultory firing between skirmishers” – Brigadier General Cadmus M. Wilcox.

We threw out skirmishers who kept up a brisk fire with the enemy during the day” – Member of the 8th Alabama.

Rebel skirmishers crawling up stealthily through the tall grass and grain in their front, until they had a strong line formed under cover of a fence” – Member of the 114th Pennsylvania.

Formed in line of battle … doubled on the center, Clark’s battery [B, 1st New Jersey] in our front” – Colonel Henry J. Madill, 141st Pennsylvania.

On our right was an orchard containing cherry trees that were soon bereft of fruit. To our right and rear, the house [Trostle] where Gen. Sickles had his headquarters” – Member of Battery B, 1st New Jersey.

We advanced to the right and rear of the peach orchard” – Captain Alanson H. Nelson, 57th Pennsylvania.

At 1 p.m. orders were received from General Graham to rejoin the brigade, and to take position in rear of the Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania … on the right of the One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania, in column, doubled on the center” – Colonel Calvin A. Craig, 105th Pennsylvania.

At 1 p.m. advanced to the front of the woods and formed with the brigade a line of battle, in columns doubled on the center” – Captain Edward R. Bowen, 114th Pennsylvania.

Early in the afternoon the brigade was advanced to the eastern side of the Emmitsburg road and formed in line of battle” – Chaplain David Craft, 141st Pennsylvania.

Made another advance and stacked arms in a corn field” – Sergeant J. D. Bloodgood, Company I, 141st Pennsylvania.

This [Klingle house] I occupied with the Seventy-Third New York” – Brigadier General Andrew A. Humphreys.

Our own regiment being posted directly in the … [Klingle] peach orchard” – Second Lieutenant Frank E. Moran, Company H, 73rd New York.

About the middle of the day, July 2, [Daniel H. Klingle] was notified by one officer after another to leave … he gave all the same answer, ‘If I must die I will die at home.’ At last an officer insisted they must either go to the cellar or leave; there were plenty of soldiers that would help carry the two children and their clothing” – Daniel H. Klingle.

Shortly after [noon], I received orders … to report to General Birney … I did so and was ordered by him to mass the brigade in a piece of woods in the rear of his division” – Colonel George C. Burling.

I placed the brigade [Burling’s] in a rocky wood of large growth … to the left of the ‘big barn’ [Trostle’s]” – Captain Adolfo F. Cavada, Assistant Inspector General to Brigadier General Andrew A. Humphreys.

Sixth Regiment [New Jersey] in front” – Benjamin D. Cooley, Company K, 6th New Jersey.

Sources:
-Official Reports of Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox, Col. Henry J. Madill, Capt. Alanson H. Nelson, Col. Calvin A. Craig, Capt. Edward R. Bowen, Brig. Gen. Andrew A, Humphreys, Col. George C. Burling.
-Colonel Hilary A. Herbert’s ‘History of the Eighth Alabama Volunteer Regiment, C. S. A.,’ ed. by Maurice S. Fortin, The Alabama Historical Quarterly, vol. 39, 1977, p. 115.
-114th Pennsylvania, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-5, by Samuel P. Bates, III:1186.
-History of Battery B, First New Jersey Artillery, by Michael Hanifen, Ottawa, IL: Republican-Times, Printers, 1905, p. 67.
-Address of Chaplain David Craft, September 12, 1889, Dedication of Monument to the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry, Pennsylvania at Gettysburg, II:686.
-Personal Reminiscences of the War, by Rev. J. D. Bloodgood, NY: Hunt & Eaton, 1893, p. 133.
-H**l in a Peach Orchard, by Eric A. Campbell, America’s Civil War, July 2003, p. 40 [writings of Frank E. Moran].
-The Big Battle, by I. N. Durboraw, Company K, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves, quoting D. H. Klingle, National Tribune, December 8, 1892, p. 4.
-Diary of A. F. Cavada, by Adolfo Fernandez de la Cavada, photocopy from Carolyn Hartman, Catlett Station Antiques, Catlett, Virginia, Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center, Bull Run Regional Library, Manassas, Virginia.
-January 18, 1888 letter of Benjamin D. Cooley, Company K, 6th New Jersey, Final Report of the Gettysburg Battle-field Commission of New Jersey, Trenton: John L. Murphy Publishing Company, 1891, p. 103.
Good post. Thanks!
 
The 105th PA was on the skirmish line near the Sherfy House in support of the 63rd PA. They must have been lying in the fields, because I remember reading an account that Sgt. Robert Doty raised himself up on his elbows to look across toward Seminary Ridge and was immediately hit in the head and killed. He was the first casualty from the 105th that day, but many more would follow when Barkesdale's men headed across those fields.
 
On the subject of the Emmitsburg Road, anyone who ever complained about books on Civil War battles not being detailed enough, has never read; The Second Day at Gettysburg: The Attack and Defense of Cemetery Ridge, July 2, 1863, Shultz and Mingus, Savas Beatie LLC, El Dorado Hills, CA, 2015. Exhausting, but in a good way.

Thanks for the post Mr. Elmore.
There are certainly plenty of Gettysburg books that have all the detail that you want. Besides the Mingus book, there are highly detailed accounts of the Peach Orchard engagement in Pfanz's Second Day book and a fairly recent book by James Hessler.
 
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