Wesley Culp's Rifle Stock

[on again]

could a artillery burst have shattered his rifle?

 

[Tom Elmore]

could a artillery burst have shattered his rifle?

Possibly, but not likely. Walker's brigade was largely sheltered by the woods on and near Culp's Hill. Roughly 90 percent of their recorded casualties were from gunshot - the remainder were attributed to artillery.

In addition, the Confederate dead in front of Culp's Hill were buried in long trenches by Union troops after the fighting, and so it is highly unlikely that J. Wesley Culp was buried by his comrades. If he was acting as a skirmisher on July 3 and died east of Rock Creek, his body could easily have been overlooked by friend and foe alike.

 

[RedRover]

Here's an account of Culp's death at Gettysburg.

Shepherdstown Register, Shepherdstown, WV, 7-6-1922.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Here's an account of Culp's death at Gettysburg.

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Shepherdstown Register, Shepherdstown, WV, 7-6-1922.

One good source can change everything (although it does not always clarify matters). Presuming Culp was killed alongside of Private John W. Snyder and 4th Sergeant William Arthur, both from Company B, under "bullets and shells" and amid "great boulders and rock" would point to Company B being posted at the time (the morning of July 3) along the rock wall on the north side of Spangler meadow, where nearby large boulders sheltered a portion of the 1st North Carolina (recall the Coble carving there).

But the article also mentions Private Daniel Morgan Entler of Company B, whom records show was wounded on July 2. If July 2 is accurate, we would also have to consider that Culp might have been killed near the Hanover Road when the regiment was deployed on the left flank of the division to guard against Federal cavalry. However, Entler's wounding might have not occurred in the same vicinity as Culp's death, or maybe Entler was actually wounded on July 3, instead of July 2 - such dates given are often inaccurate.

What else do we say about the 2nd Virginia's deployment during the battle? Well, it is known that Companies I and K were left behind on July 3 to guard the division's flank near the Hanover road, meaning the regiment moved against Culp's Hill with only the remaining eight companies.

We know Company C was at one time posted behind the rock wall bordering the north side of Culp's Hill - see:

Actions of Captain William W. Randolph of Company C, 2nd Virginia on Culp’s Hill | Gettysburg

Captain William Wellford Randolph's Company C and four other companies of the 2nd Virginia were "crowded close under the breastworks" for protection against artillery and infantry fire on July 3. I believe these works reference the stone wall that ran along the north side of Spangler meadow...

civilwartalk.com

We are informed that Company D was posted on the east side of Rock Creek to include the Z. Tawney place.

We also learn (from the Supplement to the Official Records) that Company E was deployed as skirmishers.

But unfortunately I have no information on the precise positioning of Companies A, B, F or G (although a casualty analysis might shed some light on where those companies fought).

The bottom line is that the Shepherdstown Register article provided by @RedRover suggests (to me anyway) that Private Culp was killed on the main Confederate line west of Rock Creek and not while deployed as a skirmisher east of Rock Creek. In that case, we can expect that he would have been buried by Union troops alongside other Confederates as an "unknown" soldier in a mass burial trench at the foot of Culp's Hill on July 4 or 5.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

It looks like a normal P53 Enfield butt stock to me.

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Yes, this looks a standard Model 1853 Enfield rifle-musket. Aside from shape, the brass buttplate is a key identifier, and the Enfield was one of the most common, (perhaps the most common) long arm used by Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg.

 

[RedRover]

I have seen in some books and articles conflicting statements as to which day Mr. Culp was killed. His company's records record his death as occurring on July 3:

 

[on again]

Thank you for posting these. I was unaware that a gravestone for Wesley Culp has been placed at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. That is very interesting. I guess I believe his remains are still on Culp's Hill where his comrades buried him.

I knew about Jack Skelly and Jennie Wade's fates and where they were buried, however, I hadn't known that William married Solome Sheads and had two children. And, I was unaware that he died in Chambersburg, PA in 1882.

Thanks

interesting

 

[on again]

Link to map of fighting on Culp Hill 3 July 1863
Map 2 shows position of the 2nd Virignia Regiment one near the Tanney farm and also westard at Culps hill!

The Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg - Part Three: Maelstrom on Culp’s Hill - The Stonewall Brigade

This is part three of a four-part series on the actions of the Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg, covering the morning attacks on Culp's Hill on July 3, 1863.

stonewallbrigade.net