55th Ohio Infantry Monument - Gettysburg, PA - American Civil War Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.com

The 55th Ohio Infantry served as a member of Smith’s Brigade in von Steinwehr’s Division of the Eleventh Corps, Army of the Potomac. A Fighting 300 Regiment. The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Colonel Charles B. Gambee (1827-1864). It brought 375 men to the field. The regiment had a Medal of Honor winner, Charles Stacey, a private, who, on July 2, 1863 voluntarily took an advanced position on the skirmish line for the purpose of ascertaining the location of Confederate sharpshooters, and under heavy fire held the position thus taken until the company of which he was a member went back to the main line.

The monument to the 55th Ohio Infantry Regiment is outside the cemetery on the Emmitsburg Road and is located on the east side of the Taneytown Road at its junction with Steinwehr Avenue and Washington Street.. The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: Sculpture consists on a shaft on a two-tiered base. On the front face of the shaft is a uniformed soldier crouching behind a stone fence. He is firing his rifle and is kneeling on his proper right knee. The 11th Corps crescent appears at the top front. It marks the location where the 55th Ohio held the ground that the 1st and 11th Corps retreated to on July 1, 1863. The 55th Ohio maintained its position through July 2 & 3. This is the site’s only sandstone monument and the only Ohio monument built with Ohio materials. New bronze inscription plaques were added in April 1989 by Karkadoulias Bronze Art. Unfortunately, the soft stone does not weather well like harder stones such as granite and the monument is actually slowly melting away under the elements. Little can be done to correct this problem. The monument was dedicated on September 14, 1887. The dimensions are: Sculpture: approx. 12 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 1 in.; Base: approx. W. 6 ft. x D. 6 ft. The monument is composed of: Sculpture: Amherst, Ohio silver grey sandstone; Base: Amherst, Ohio silver grey sandstone. and was sculpted by R.R. King. The text of the marker reads:

(Front):

The 55th Ohio Infantry Monument is a contributing feature to the Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District which is nationally significant under NR Criteria A, B, C & D. Areas of Significance: Military, Politics/Government, Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Archeology-Historic. Period of Significance: 1863-1938. The original National Register Nomination was approved by the Keeper March 19, 1975. An update to this nomination was approved by the Keeper on January 23, 2004. The monument is identified as structure number MN818-A. (FYI: The SIRIS site has the monument's index number incorrectly listed as MN 292A)

Short Significance Description:

1of 20 Civil War Civil War monuments to Ohio of the GBMA Era (1863 - 1895). Located in approximate line center held by 55th Ohio July 1-3, 1863. Monument located E side Taneytown Road at its junction w/ Steinwehr Ave & Washington St. L Flank Marker located 145' S of Mn in Cemetery Annex.

Short Physical Description Mn & 2 flanking markers. 6'sq base, excised inscription. 2 part stepped shaft, excised inscription, 55th Infantry seal. Tapers to obelisk w/ bas-relief front/rear, bronze tablets on sides cover original incised inscriptions. LF: 1'sq x1'5"H. RF in salvage pile Park Maint.

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