Robertson’s “Texas” Brigade served as a member of Hood’s Division in the First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. Brig. Gen. Jerome Bonaparte Robertson (March 14, 1815 – January 7, 1890) was a doctor, Indian fighter, Texas politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his service in the famed Texas Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia.
The Robertson's CS Brigade Tablet is located on South Confederate Avenue, just south of Emmitsburg Road (Business U.S. 15), on the right when traveling south. Draw the Sword, with descriptive help from the NPS site, offers the following description: There are 64 of these bronze inscription tablets, mounted on cylindrical polished granite pedestals, to Confederate brigades. They indicate the general location of the centers of the various Confederate brigades and artillery battalions during several phases of the battle. Designed by E. B. Cope. Some of the tablets were made from melted down Civil War cannon. The tablets are 3.8 feet x 3.4 feet in dimension and rest on bases that are 6.4 feet in circumference. The overall height of these markers is 5.4 feet, and they rest on either rubble or concrete foundations. The monument consists of red circular Maine granite bases 34 1/2 inches diameter with a 3,000 pounds. On the base is mounted a 300 pound bronze tablet. The inscription on this monolith reads:
Army of Northern Virginia
Longstreet's Corps Hood's Division
Robertson's Brigade
1st. 4th. 5th. Texas and 3rd Arkansas
Infantry
July 2 Arrived after a march of several miles and formed line 50 yards west of this about 4 p.m. Advanced against the Union positions. The 4th and 5th Texas joined in the attack on Little Round Top which continued until dark.
The 1st Texas and 3rd Arkansas attacked and assisted in taking Devil's Den and Rocky Ridge with a number of prisoners and 3 guns of the 4th New York Battery.
July 3 At 2 a.m. the 1st Texas and 3rd Arkansas were moved to the right and joined the 4th and 5th Texas on the northwest spur of Big Round Top. Three Regiments occupied the breastworks there all day skirmishing hotly with Union sharpshooters. Early in the day the 1st Texas was sent to confront the Union Cavalry threatening the right flank. After night the Brigade took position near here.
July 4 About 6 a.m. began the march to Hagerstown, MD.
Present about 1100 Losses about 540.
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. (Other sources say there are 75). 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 Army of North Virginia'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 1910 date is disputed by other sites listing the end dates as 1912. 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 Robertson's Brigade - CS 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 MN701.
From the nomination form:
Short Physical Description:
Bronze inscription tablet, 3'8"x3'4", mounted at a slant on circular, polished pedestal, 6'4" in circumference, 5'4" high.
Long Description:
There are 64 of these bronze inscription tablets, mounted on cylindrical polished granite pedestals. They indicate the general location of the centers of the various Confederate brigades and artillery battalions during several phases of the battle. Designed by E. B. Cope. Some of the tablets were made from melted down Civil War cannon. The tablets are 3.8 feet x 3.4 feet in dimension and rest on bases that are 6.4 feet in circumference. The overall height of these markers is 5.4 feet, and they rest on either rubble or concrete foundations.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Narrative
2.
Stone Sentinels
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Draw the Sword
5.
Historical Marker Database