12th New Hampshire Infantry Monument - Gettysburg, PA
N 39° 48.390 W 077° 14.759
18S E 307734 N 4408694
The monument is one of four monuments at Gettysburg that honors New Hampshire soldiers. The monument is installed on the line held by New Hampshire soldiers on July 2, 1863.
Waymark Code: WMC1R2
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2011
Views: 3
The 12th New Hampshire Infantry served as a member of Carr’s Brigade in Humphrey’s Division of the Third Corps, Army of the Potomac and was commanded by Capt. John F. Langley (1829-1917) a machinist from Manchester. The 12th New Hampshire lost all its field officers in heavy fighting at Chancellorsville. It held its ground north of the Klingel Farm (here @ Gettysburg) when attacked by Wilcox's Alabama Brigade until it was finally ordered to retreat by General Birney. The noise of the battle was so loud that Captain Langley had to go to each company commander and shout the order to pull back into their ears. The regiment had 224 men on the field that day, of whom 26 were killed and 73 were wounded (an additional six men would die of their wounds).
After Captain Langley was wounded in the withdrawal Lieutenant Fernal took over the survivors and returned them to the fight, freeing a number of captured Union troops. Only 50 men were fit for duty and the next day under Captain Thomas E. Barker, when they provided support during Pickett's Charge, being placed near the center of the union line and helping to repulse the Confederate advance.
The regiment lost a total of 320 men during service; 11 officers and 170 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 138 enlisted men died of disease.
The 12th New Hampshire Infantry Monument is located on Emmitsburg Road north of the Klingel farm house. The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: A rectangular granite monument adorned at the top with two scrolls and a carving of a soldier’s blanket roll. The ends of the monument are adorned with the Third Corps diamond symbol. The monument is installed on the line held by New Hampshire soldiers on July 2, 1863. Monument is a 5.2×3.3 foot smooth granite shaft with a sarcophagus-like form and set on a 6.10×5 foot rough hewn base. Raised-letter inscriptions are located in the shaft and base. Overall height is nine feet. Flanking markers are one foot square with slant faces that have raised polished inscriptions.
The monument was dedicated on September 28, 1888 by the State of New Hampshire and was sculpted by an unknown person. The monument is composed completely of granite and has the following dimensions: Approx. 9 ft x 5 ft. 2 in. x 3 ft. 3 in.; Base: approx. W. 6 ft. 10 in. x D. 5 ft. The text on the monument reads:
(Front):
July 2, 1863.
Engaged, 224.
Killed, 20;
Wounded, 73;
Died of wounds, 6.
Our union is river, lake, ocean, and sky;
Man breaks not the medal, when God cuts the die.
12th N.H. Vol's.(Left and Right):1st Brig.
2nd Division.
3rd Corps.(Back):The New Hampshire Mountaineers
This Regiment was raised in four days;
Served nearly three years in the Armies of the
Potomac and the James; and lost in killed and wounded
over 50 per ct. of those engaged at
Chancellorsville and Cold Harbor, and of its
original number while in the service.
It marched to this field on the night
of the 1st; Fought here on the 2nd; and
supported the centre against Pickett's
Charge on the 3rd.
The 12th New Hampshire 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 MN195-B.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 4 mns in Park honoring NH commands in Gettysburg Campaign. Marks line held by 12 NH on July 2, 1863. Located on Emmitsburg Rd, N of Klingel Farm House.
Short Physical Description:
MN & 2 Flank Marker. Rough-hewn base, 6'10"x5'. Smooth granite shaft 5'2"x3'3". All 9'H. Sarcophagus-like form. Inscription cut in raised letters into shaft & base. Flank markers, 1'x1'x1'6", slant-faced w/ raised polished inscriptions.
Long Physical Description
Monument that has two flanking markers. Monument is a 5.2x3.3 foot smooth granite shaft with a sarcophagus-like form and set on a 6.10x5 foot rough hewn base. Raised-letter inscriptions are located in the shaft and base. Overall height is nine feet. Flanking markers are one foot square with slant faces that have raised polished inscriptions. Located on Emmitsburg Road north of the Klingel farm house.
My Sources
1.
Draw the Sword
2.
SIRIS
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Historical Marker Database
5.
Stone Sentinels
6.
NRHP Narrative