The 5th Corps, 2nd Division, 3rd Brigade served as a member of Ayres’ Division in the Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac. The brigade was commanded by Brig. Gen. Stephen Hinsdale Weed (November 17, 1831 – July 2, 1863), a career military officer in the United States Army. He was killed defending Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War.
The marker for the Army of Potomac 5 Corps 2 Div 3 Brig Tablet is located on the west side of Sykes Avenue, if traveling north, at the summit of Little Round Top, at the northern most part of the parking lot. The roadside monument faces due east. Draw the Sword, with descriptive help from the NPS site, offers the following description: One of 74 brigade monuments erected at Gettysburg by the United States War Department to describe the movements and itinerary of each Union brigade of the Army of the Potomac. Monuments were designed by E.B. Cope.
Pedestals: Monolith consisting of polished smooth sea-green granite pedestal with a square 36" by 36" base. Base tapers to a smaller dimension at the tablet. On each pedestal is mounted a bronze inscription tablet measuring 4’0" x 3’8” with rounded corners weighing 300 pounds.
Each brigade monument stands 5’4" high and weigh 3,500 pounds. Completed between 1911 and 1912. The tablet was erected on July 1, 1912 by the Gettysburg National Military Park Commission. The inscription on this monolith reads:
Army of the Potomac
Fifth Corps Second Division
Third Brigade
Brig. Gen. Stephen H. Weed
Col. Kenner Garrard
140th. 146th. New York
91st. 155th. Pennsylvania InfantryJuly 2 Arrived early in the morning and lay on the Baltimore Pike near Rock Creek until late in the day. Moved hastily to the left leading the Division and took position on Little Round Top on the right of Third Brigade First Division in time for the 140th New York to repel an attack on that point. The other regiments having moved to the right to the support of Battery I 5th U.S. and Third Corps line were brought back and went into position on the right of the 140th New York. Brig. Gen. Weed commanding Brigade and Col. P.H. O'Rorke commanding 140th New York were mortally wounded.
July 3 Remained in position until the close of the battle.
Casualties Killed 2 Officers 38 Men. Wounded 11 Officers 131 Men. Captured or missing 18 Men. Total 200.
There are nine different variations of similar monuments (not including the inverted canons which signal headquarters) for the various Confederate States & Union brigades/batteries/divisions which fought at Gettysburg. Many of the tablets are made of granite, bronze and concrete. Some are made of all iron (position tablets). All of these tablets were designed by architect E.B. Cope. He designed pretty much every tablet for both the Union and Confederate armies, each one distinct, with aforementioned varieties. The monuments were erected just after the turn of the century, continuing to the first couple of years of the second decade (1912 the latest) of the 20th century. Most been preserved (waxing or power washed) or restored since the turn of the 21st century.
Information about these specific types of monuments:
Brigade Headquarters Markers (for Union & Confederate Tablets)
Brigade Headquarters (and Confederate artillery battalions, equivalent to Union artillery brigades) are bronze tablets mounted at an angle on a stone pedestal. They are the most numerous headquarters at Gettysburg, with over 70 Union and over 60 Confederate examples on the field. Union headquarters are marked with their corps or service branch symbol (like a cross, clover or crescent moon), while Confederate headquarters are simply labeled "C.S.A.". There are seventy-four brigade markers at Gettysburg honoring the AOP’s various brigades. They were built by Albert Russell & Sons Co. of Newburyport, Massachusetts and Charles Kappes. The pedestals consist of sea-green granite with a square 36” x 36” base; they weigh 3500 pounds. On each pedestal is mounted a bronze tablet with rounded corners weighing 300 pounds. There are sixty-four brigade markers honoring the ANV’s various brigades. They were built by Van Amringe Granite Company (pedestals), Albert Russell & Sons Co., Newburyport, Mass (tablets) and Charles Kappes (foundations). The last was completed in December 1910. The monuments consist of red circular Maine granite bases 34 1/2 inches diameter and weighing 3,000 pounds. On each base is mounted a 300 pound bronze tablet. SOURCE & SOURCE
The Weed's Brigade - US Brigade Tablet 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 tablet is designated as contributing structure number MN491.
From the nomination form:
Short Physical Description:
Bronze inscription tablet, 4”0’ x 3’8”, attached to slant face of polished sea green granite monolith. 3’0” squared base of monument tapers to a smaller dimension at the tablet. All 5’4” H.
Long Physical Description
Located on W side of Sykes Avenue, Little Round Top.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Narrative
2.
Stone Sentinels
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Draw the Sword
5.
Historical Marker Database