United States Regulars Monument - Gettysburg, PA
N 39° 48.673 W 077° 14.141
18S E 308629 N 4409195
This monument was commissioned by the U.S. Congress to honor all U.S. Federal Troops, or those regulars who remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. The obelisk looms 85 feet in the air & is one of the tallest monuments @ Gettysburg.
Waymark Code: WMFA9K
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 09/19/2012
Views: 8
The United States Regulars Monument is located on Hancock Avenue, on the left or west side of the road if traveling north, along Cemetery Ridge, 460 feet south of the "Copse of Trees" (same side of the road), the site of the High Water Mark of the Confederacy (Pickett's Charge). The tablet faces the road or in an easterly direction. This area is an absolute beehive of activity and represents the best of what Gettysburg has to offer, both historically and monumentally. Parking is plentiful and is available road-side at intermittently enlarged shoulder cut-outs, usually marked with white striping. Be sure to keep vehicles off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on Monday, August 13, 2012 at 4:04 PM. I was at an elevation of 594 feet, ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.
The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: Monument consists of a five-course shaft on an elevated terrace. An eagle in relief with spread wings appears on each side of the shaft at the base. A sphere tops each corner of the terrace. This monument was authorized by Congress in acts passed on Feb. 18, 1903 and March 3, 1903. It is the only monument at Gettysburg commissioned by Congress to honor the regular Army who served at Gettysburg. In planning the monument, the Committee of Survivors of the Regular Army worked with the National Park Commission in summer 1906. The veterans opted for one major monument to be erected for the regular Army with leftover funds to be used for monuments to individual commands. Reportedly, Capt. Frank Furness, a consultant to Secretary of War William H. Taft, ultimately chose the design regardless of the opinions of the Committee and the Commission. Previously, vehicular traffic had access to the monument on its east and west sides. Hancock Avenue later became the only vehicular route near the monument. The monument cost $50,000 and the bronze plaques around it cost $13,000. It was constructed of Mt. Airy granite. Honors the contributions of the United States Regular Army during the Gettysburg Campaign.
The monument was Commissioned circa 1903-1906 and dedicated on May 30, 1909. The monument and base is of Mt. Airy granite with bronze (tablets). The granite monument's dimensions are: approx. H. 85 ft.; Base: approx. 17 ft. x 14 ft. 6 in. x 14 ft. 6 in.; Terrace: approx. 2 ft. x 43 ft. 6 in. x 43 ft. 6 in. The monument was sculpted by Karl Bitter (1867-1915) and fabricated by the Van Amringe Granite Company, who had a hand in many monuments at Gettysburg. There are inscriptions on all four sides which read:
(Front):Erected by the Congress
to commemorate the services
of that portion of the
Army of the Potomac
composed of
Cavalry Artillery Infantry and Engineers
of the Regular Army of the United States
in the Gettysburg Campaign June-July 1863
(Left):United States ArtilleryBatteries E & G 1st. Regiment Captain Alanson M. Randol
Battery H 1st. Regiment Lieut. Chandler P. Eaken
Battery I 1st. Regiment Lieut. George A. Woodruff
Battery K 1st. Regiment Captain William M. Graham
Battery A 2nd. Regiment Lieut. John H. Calef
Batteries B & L 2nd. Regiment Lieut. Edward Heaton
Battery D 2nd. Regiment Lieut. Edward B. Williston
Battery G 2nd. Regiment Lieut. John H. Butler
Battery M 2nd. Regiment Lieut. A.C.M. Pennington Jr.
Battery C 3d. Regiment Lieut William D. Fuller
Batteries F & K 3d. Regiment Lieut. John G. Turnbull
Battery A 4th. Regiment Lieut. Alanzo H. Cushing
Battery B 4th. Regiment Lieut. James Stewart
Battery C 4th. Regiment Lieut. Evan Thomas
Battery E 4th. Regiment Lieut. Samuel S. Elder
Battery F 4th. Regiment Lieut. Sylvanus T. Rugg
Battery G 4th. Regiment Lieut. Bayard Wilkeson, Lieut. Eugene A. Bancroft
Battery K 4th. Regiment Lieut. Francis W. Seeley, Lieut. Robert James
Battery C 5th. Regiment Lieut. Gulian V. Weir
Battery D 5th. Regiment Lieut. Charles E. Hazlett, Lieut. B.F. Rittenhouse
Battery F 5th Regiment Lieut. Leonard Martin
Battery I 5th. Regiment Lieut. Malbone F. Watson, Lieut. C.C. McConnell
Battery K 5th. Regiment Lieut. David H. Kinzie
(Right):United States Cavalry
Reserve Brigade Brig. - General Wesley Merritt1st. Regiment Captain Richard S.C. Lord Commanding
2nd. Regiment Captain Theophilus F. Rodenbough Commanding
5th. Regiment Captain Julius W. Mason Commanding
6th. Regiment Major Samuel H. Starr, Lieut. Louis H. Carpenter
Lieut. Nicholas Nolan, Captain Ira W. Claflin Commanding
United States Infantry
Fifth Army Corps Second Division
Brig.-General Romeyn B. Ayres Commanding
First Brigade Colonel Hannibal Day3d. Regiment Captain Henry W. Freedley, Captain Richard C. Lay Commanding
4th. Regiment Captain Julius Adams Jr. Commanding
6th. Regiment Captain Levi C. Bootes Commanding
12th Regiment Captain Thomas S. Dunn Commanding
14th. Regiment Major Grotius R. Giddings Commanding
Second Brigade Colonel Sidney Burbank 2nd. Regiment Major Arthur T. Lee Commanding
7th. Regiment Captain David P. Hancock Commanding
10th. Regiment Captain William Clinton Commanding
11th. Regiment Major DeLancy Floyd Jones Commanding
17th. Regiment Lieut.-Colonel J. Durell Green Commanding
8th. Regiment Captain Edwin W.H. Read at Army of the Potomac Headquarters
(Back):United States Army
The artillery consisting of 26 batteries was distributed over the field
Among the several Army Corps and placed in position where their
services were most needed
Brig.-General Henry J. Hunt Chief of Artillery
Four regiments of Cavalry under Brig. General Wesley Merritt took
position on the right flank of the Confederate line of battle
Eleven regiments of infantry were on the field ten with the Second Division
Fifth Corps and one at headquarters Army of the Potomac
Battalion of U.S. Engineers
Capt. George H. Mendell commanding
Casualties Killed 12 officers 159 enlisted men. Wounded 62 officers
661 enlisted men. Missing 6 officers and 275 enlisted men
The United States Regulars 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 MN235.
From the Nomination Form:
Congressionally authorized monument at Gettysburg. Erected to honor US Regulars (Standing Army) participating at Gettysburg campaign. Located W side of Hancock, S of Copse of Trees.
Short Physical Description:
Mn sited on terraced base. Base 43'6" sq w/2' H stone fencing interspersed w/6' wide openings. 1st part w/bronze tablets all 4 sides. 2 part shaft w/2nd part obelisk design. All 85' H.
Long Physical Description:
Monument is a two-part granite shaft set on a 43.6 foot square base that has two foot high stone fencing interspersed with six foot wide openings. The first part of the shaft has bronze tablets on all sides and the second part of the shaft has an obelisk design. Overall height is 85 feet. It has a raised granite platform reached by granite steps and radiating walks. Located on the west side of Hancock Avenue south of the Copse of Trees.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
SIRIS
3.
Stone Sentinels
4.
Virtual Gettysburg
5.
Draw the Sword
6.
Historical Marker Database