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The 29th Ohio Infantry Monument is located on Culp’s Hill along the east side of Slocum Avenue. The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: Monument (8 tons) has an apexed cap and stands on a tiered base. On the front face is a bas-relief which depicts a camp tent with various weapons and other military accouterments. These include a drum, knapsack, muskets with bayonets, cartridge box and canteen. [I noted the initials U.S. on one of the relief ecroutiment but what makes this particularly interesting is the letter S is in reverse. Not sure why.] It indicates the position where the 29th Ohio relieved the 137th New York on the morning of July 3, 1863, and engaged Confederates for over two hours.
Monument is a two-part granite shaft set on a 9.11×4.6 foot rough cut base. The lower part of the shaft has a polished stone with incised inscriptions on four sides and the upper part has rough-cut sides with a tent and crossed rifle bas-relief on the front and incised inscription on the rear. Overall height is ten feet. Flanking markers are 1.8×1.3 foot. The monument was dedicated on September 14, 1887 by the State of New York. The monument was sculpted by Patrick McGinn and fabricated by the Ryegate Granite Company. The monument is composed of: Sculpture: white granite; Base: white granite. Its dimensions are: Sculpture: approx. 9 ft. 6 in. x 8 ft. x 2 ft. 6 in.; Base: approx. W. 9 ft. 11 in. x D. 4 ft. 6 in. (8 tons). The four-sided inscription reads:
(Front):29th Ohio Infantry
1st Brig. 2nd Div. 12th Corps.
This memorial is erected by the
State of Ohio(Left):Gettysburg
July 2d and 3d 1863
Engaged 332 - Killed 7
Wounded 31 - 2 mortally
Total loss 38(Back):Principal
Battles
Winchester 1862
Port Republic - June 3, 1862
Cedar Mountain
Chancellorsville
Gettysburg
Lookout Mountain
Dug Gap in Rocky Face
Resaca
New Hope Church
Pine Mountain
Kenesaw Mountain
Peach Tree Creek
Atlanta
Savannah
Carolina Campaign
The 29th Ohio Infantry
Commanded by Capt. Edward Hayes - J.B. Storer Adjutant
Occupied several positions in this vicinity, both in the
intrenchments and in reserve, July 2 and July 3 1863(Right):Mustered in for 3 yrs.
Aug. to Dec. 1861
Reenlisted as Veterans
Dec. 10, 1863
mustered out July 8 - 13 1865
The 29th Ohio Infantry was also known as Gidding’s Regiment. During the battle of Gettysburg, it served as a member of Candy’s Brigade in Geary’s Division of the Twelfth Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. The unit was commanded by Captain Wilbur F. Stevens (1839-1894). Stevens was a student from Pierpont and was wounded at Gettysburg and during the Overland Campaign. Capt. Edward Hayes (1829-1899) then took command. He was a farmer from Hartford. There were 332 men engaged in fighting from this regiment, among them 7 were killed, and 31 were wounded.
From Wikipedia (cited below): The 29th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was raised in the northeastern part of the state of Ohio. The 29th served with distinction in several battles of the Atlanta Campaign. The regiment was organized from August 14, 1861, through March 13, 1862, at Jefferson, Ohio, by famed statesman Joshua Reed Giddings. Mustered into the army to serve three years, the 29th OVI was composed primarily of recruits from Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Trumbull, and Summit counties. A few men in Company C were from Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Col. Louis P. Buckley served as the first regimental commander. The 29th served for some time in the defenses of Winchester, Virginia, and participated in the battles of Port Republic, Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Davis' Cross Roads, New Hope Church, Dallas, Pine Knob, Peachtree Creek and during the Carolinas Campaign. On the expiration of its three-year term of service, the surviving original members were mustered out, and the organization, composed of veterans and recruits, remained in service until July 13, 1865, when it was mustered out in Cleveland accordance with orders from the War Department.
The 29th 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 MN323-B.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 20 Civil War Monuments to Ohio Volunteers of the GBMA Era (1863 - 1895). Indicates position taken early morning July 3, 1863 as relief unit to 137th NY, used as relieve unit during Culp's engagement. LF&RF markers 145' & 137' N-S of Mn, respectively. Mn located E side Slocum Ave.
Short Physical Description:
Mn & 2 flanking markers. Mn base 9'11"x4'6" rough-cut. 2 part shaft, 1st: polished stone w/ incised inscriptions 4 sides, 2nd: rough-cut sides, partial rear. Tent & crossed rifle bas-relief on front, incised inscription rear. All 10'H. LF&RF 1'8"x1'3"x2'H.
Long Physical Description:
Monument that has two flanking markers. Monument is a two-part granite shaft set on a 9.11x4.6 foot rough cut base. The lower part of the shaft has a polished stone with incised inscriptions on four sides and the upper part has rough-cut sides with a tent and crossed rifle bas-relief on the front and incised inscription on the rear. Overall height is ten feet. Flanking markers are 1.8x1.3 foot. Located on the east side of Slocum Avenue.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Narrative
2.
SIRIS
3.
Stone Sentinels
4.
Virtual Gettysburg
5.
Draw the Sword
6.
Historical Marker Database
7.
Wikipedia