The 32nd Massachusetts Infantry served as a member of Sweitzer’s Brigade in Barnes’ Division of the Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. The regiment was commanded by Colonel George L. Prescott (1829-1864), a Lumber dealer from Concord. Prescott was mortally wounded on June 18th at Petersburg, and died the following day. Under Prescott's command, the regiment had 406 men engaged at Gettysburg and among them, 13 were killed, 62 were wounded and 5 went missing.
The 32nd Massachusetts Infantry Monument is located on Sickles Avenue, on the left or south side when traveling temporarily west along the Sickles Loop. The sculpture is located at the south part of the very obvious loop at on Stony Hill. Parking is available at small, cutout shoulders along the road, some wide, some narrow. Be sure to stay off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 2:30 P.M. I was at an elevation of 552 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: Granite monument in the shape of a camp tent. Inscriptions are incised into the polished roof of the tent. Granite monument is in the shape of a camp tent on a six foot square base. Overall height is six foot. Inscriptions are incised into the polished tent roof. Flanking markers have gable tops with inscriptions on the polished faces, 1.6×8 foot. Dedicated on Oct. 8, 1885, it marks the position held by the 32nd Infantry in the afternoon of July 2, 1863, when attacked by Kershaw’s Brigade during the Confederate assault.
The monument was erected on October 8, 1885 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The monument is composed of: Monument: granite; Base: stone. The granite monument's dimensions are: Overall: approx. 6 ft. x 6 ft. x 6 ft. The monument was sculpted by S.G. Spaulding. There is only one inscription on the 'front' side of the tent which faces the road and reads
Here the
32nd Massachusetts Infy.
2nd Brig. 1st. Div. 5th A.C.
withstood an attack of the enemy
about 5 o'clock p.m. July 2, 1863
Withdrawn here, it fought again in the
Wheatfield
Lost in both actions
killed and wounded
79 out of 227 officers and men
The 32nd Massachusetts 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 MN157-C.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 25 mns in Park honoring MA units at Gettysburg. Marks line held by regiment on July 2, 1863 when attacked by Confederates from Rose Farm. Tablet (1895) marks location of temp field hospital. Located on S side Sickles Ave, at Loop W of Wheatfield
Short Physical Description:
Mn, 2 flank marker & 1 tablet marker. Base, 6' sq. Mn in shape of camp tent. 6' high. Inscriptions incised into polished roof of tent. Flank markers, 1'6"x8"x2', gable tops w/ inscriptions on polished faces. Hospital tablet marker recessed in native boulder.
Long Physical Description:
Monument that has two flanking markers and one tablet marker. Granite monument is in the shape of a camp tent on a six foot square base. Overall height is six foot. Inscriptions are incised into the polished tent roof. Flanking markers have gable tops with inscriptions on the polished faces, 1.6x8 foot. Located on the south side of Sickles Avenue at the Loop west of the Wheatfield.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
SIRIS
3.
Stone Sentinels
4.
Virtual Gettysburg
5.
Draw the Sword
6.
Historical Marker Database