** The complete picture gallery for this monument can be found
HERE. **
Maryland was a state divided & when it was time to monumentalize the MD Confederate side, the Fed. side was none too happy! They were forced to change the name of the regiment. This is the first and only CSA regimental monument placed on the battlefield.
This monument has the distinction of being the absolutely only Maryland Confederate monument on the field which is a big del because all the other Confederate states have multiple monuments: The only & first Confederate monument on the Gettysburg battlefield was dedicated in 1884 to the 1st Maryland Battalion. It took years for the next to follow. There were a number of reasons. Southern states were impoverished after the war, Gettysburg was a Union victory fought on Union soil, and the battlefield commission was controlled by Union veterans whose rules discouraged the meaningful placement of Confederate monuments. When those bitter folks died off, rule eased and other Confederate states had their due on the battlefield with Tennessee in 1982 being the last.
From Stone Sentinels, cited below: This was the first Confederate monument on the battlefield and met a great deal of resistance from the battlefield commission authorities. It was finally allowed to be erected and was dedicated in 1884, but the commission required it to be designated as the "2nd Maryland" because there were already two Union regiments designated as the 1st Maryland (1st Maryland Potomac Home Brigade and 1st Maryland Eastern Shore), and the Confederate 1st Maryland Battalion had been redesignated as the Second Maryland Regiment in 1864. But a close examination of the monument just above the official unit designation shows an unofficial but professionally carved correction to the issue.
The 1st Maryland Battalion served as a member of Steuart’s Brigade in Johnson’s Division of the Ewell’s Corps, Army of Northern Virginia and was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Herbert (1833-1884). He was a native of Woodstock and a sailor prior to the Civil War. He was wounded at Gettysburg and his post-war life he was the Baltimore Police Commissioner. When he was wounded here, Major William Goldsborough then took over until he, too was wounded. Captain Murray having been killed, Captain Torsch then briefly led the battalion until relieved by Captain James P. Crane. It brought 400 men to the field in eight companies, losing 56 killed, 118 wounded and 15 missing.
The 2nd Maryland (Confederate) Infantry Monument is located on South Slocum Avenue (east side), southeast of Gettysburg on the eastern slope of Culp's Hill, overlooking Pardee Field. The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: The monument cost $1,000.00. Vertical tapered monument with cornice and apexed top on which is perched a polished sphere. It stands on a tiered base. Decorative relief elements include a Seal of the State of Maryland on the front face and a Cross of Lord Baltimore on each side, on the cornice. Monument is three-part shaft of smooth cut granite with a pyramidal top containing a ball apex and set on a 5.4 foot square tapered smooth cut base. The shaft contains polished excised lettering, a state seal bas-relief, incised inscriptions, and a cross bas-relief. Overall height is 9.6 feet. Flanking markers are one foot square.
This is the only monument to a Maryland Confederate unit and the first Confederate monument erected at Gettysburg. It marks the area penetrated by the 2nd Maryland Infantry during the Confederate attack on Culp’s Hill on the evening of July 2, 1863.
In October 1884, the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association granted permission to the survivors of the 1st Maryland Battalion (which had served in Steuart’s Brigade of Ed Johnson’s Division) to erect a monument indicating it’s position on the battlefield. Some Union veterans opposed allowing a Confederate monument. Of particular problem was the fact that there were already TWO Union “First Marylands” — the 1st Maryland “Potomac Home Brigade” and the 1st Maryland “Eastern Shore.” Both units also had monuments nearby the site chosen by the 1st Maryland, CSA. The GBMA decided to allow the 1st Maryland CSA to build a monument, but required that it be designated as the 2nd Maryland Infantry, CSA, to avoid confusion with the two Union 1st Marylands. The men of the 1st Maryland CSA reluctantly agreed.
The monument was installed November of 1886 and dedicated on November 19, 1886 by the State of Maryland. The monument has the following composition: Sculpture: Richmond granite; Base: granite. It was fabricated by Flaharty and Rummel and has the following dimensions: Overall: approx. 9 ft. x 5 ft. 4 in. x 5 ft. 4 in. The four-sided inscriptions read:
(Front):
1st Md. Changed to
2nd MD. Infantry. C.S.A.(Left):400 Strength in Battle.
52 Killed.
140 Wounded.(Back):The First Maryland
Battalion Infantry
Lieut. Col. Jas. R. Herbert.
Stewart's Brigade.
Johnson's Division.
Ewell's Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
Advancing from Rock Creek
About 7 P.M. July 2nd.
Occupied the line of works
at this point and held its
position until next morning(Right):On the morning of July 3rd
the Battalion moving by
the left flank formed
at right angles with and
inside the works and charged
under a fire in front flank
and rear to a stone
planted 100 yards west
from this monument
The 2nd Maryland (Confederate) 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 MN328-C.
From the Nomination Form:
Only Maryland Confederate Monument on battlefield, 1st one erected to commerate CSA troops of the GMBA Era (1863 - 1895). Indicates position reached night July 2, 1863. Position marker (350'NW) farthest advance made. LF&RF located N-S of Mn. Mn located E side Slocum Ave, overlooking Pardee Field.
Short Physical Description:
Mn & 2 flanking markers & 1 position marker. Base 5'4"sq tapered smooth cut. 3 part shaft of smooth cut stone, polished excised lettering, state seal bas-relief, incised inscriptions, cross bas-reliefs. Pryamid top w/ ball apex. All 9'6"H. LF&RF 1'sq x1'6"H. Position 1'sq x2'H.
Long Physical Description:
Monument that has two flanking markers and one position marker. Monument is three-part shaft of smooth cut granite with a pyramidal top containing a ball apex and set on a 5.4 foot square tapered smooth cut base. The shaft contains polished excised lettering, a state seal bas-relief, incised inscriptions, and a cross bas-relief. Overall height is 9.6 feet. It is the first monument erected to Confederate troops. Flanking markers are one foot square. Position marker is one foot square. Located on the east side of Slocum Avenue, overlooking Pardee Field.
My Sources
1.
Draw the Sword
2.
SIRIS
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Historical Marker Database
5.
Stone Sentinels
6.
NRHP Narrative
7.
Wikipedia