17th Maine Infantry Monument - Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District - Gettysburg, PA - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

The 17th Maine Infantry served as a member of De Trobriand’s Brigade in Birney’s Division of the Third Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Merrill (1827-1891), a graduate of Havard Law School (1849) and a lawyer in Portland either before and/or after the war. Under Merrill's command, the 17th Maine brought 292 men to the Gettysburg Battlefield and among them, 18 were killed, 112 were wounded and 3 went missing.

The 17th Maine Infantry Monument is located at the De Trobriand Avenue loop, on the south or right side of the road if traveling temporarily east along the avenue while inside the loop just before it heads north. This section of battlefield is known as the Wheatfield. Northwest of the monument, up a slope and 635 feet away is the Sickles Loop, site of about a dozen other monuments. The monument faces north, while the infantryman sculpture faces the west. 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 2:11 P.M. I was at an elevation of 540 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: A granite monument comprised of a four-course rock-faced shaft topped by a sculpted infantryman behind a stone wall. Inscriptions are incised in shaft and red granite diamonds are inset in the middle course. The monument is set on a two-tiered base. Monument is a 4.3 foot square granite shaft with alternating smooth and rough courses topped with a sculptured infantryman behind a stone wall and set on a 8.8×2.3 foot base. The shaft has inscriptions and a bronze inscription tablet. The flanking markers have slanted faces and are 1.6×1 foot. The position marker is six foot high on a 4.6×3.2 foot base. The monument marks the position held by the 17th regiment during the afternoon of July 2, 1863. It stands at the spot where the colors of the regiment stood on July 2, 1863.

The monument was erected on October 10, 1888 by the State of Maine. The monument is composed entirely of Hallowell granite and has the following dimensions: Overall: approximately 22 feet 8 inches x 8 feet x 8 feet. I could recover no information about the artisans who labored on this monument. There are inscriptions on the front and left sides, all of which read:

(Front):130 Killed and wounded
July 2, 1863.
17th Maine
Infantry.
3rd Brigade.
1st Division.
3rd Corps.
(Left):350 engaged.
Lt. Col.
Chas. B. Merrill.
commanding.
Wheat-field.
July 2, 1863.
Pickett's Repulse.
July 3, 1863.
(Lower Left Plaque):
The 17th Maine fought here in the wheatfield 2 1-2 hours, and at this position from 4:10 th 5:45 o'clock p.m. July 2, 1863. On July 3, at time of the enemy's assault it reinforced the centre and supported artillery. Loss 132. Killed or mortally wounded 3 officers. 37 men. Wounded 5 officers 87 men.

This regiment of volunteers from western Maine was mustered into U.S. Service at Portland August 18, 1862, for 3 years. It took part in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wapping Heights, Auburn, Kelly's Ford, Locust Grove, Mine Run, Wilderness, Po River, Spottsylvania, Fredericksburg Road, North Anna, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Jerusalem Road, Deep Bottom, Peeble's Farm, Fort Hell, Boydton Road, Siege of Petersburg, Hatcher's Run, Fall of Petersburg, Detonsville, Sailor's Creek, Farmville, Appomattox.

Aggregate actual strength in service 91 officers, 1475 men. Killed and died of wounds, 12 officers 195 men. Died of disease 4 officers, 128 men. Died in Confederate prisons, 31 men. Wounded not mortally, 33 officers, 519 men. Missing in action, fate unknown, 35 men. Total losses 357. Mustered out June 4, 1865.

The 17th Maine 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 MN150-C.

From the Nomination Form:
Marks position held by 17th Maine Infantry during afternoon of July 2, 1863. 1 of 15 mns in Park to Maine troops at Gettysburg. Monument located on the south end of Wheatfield on DeTrobriand Avenue. The July 3, 1863, position marker is located on the west side Hancock Avenue, northwest of the Pennsylvania Monument.

Short Physical Description:
Mn, 2 flank markers, 1 position marker. Base, 8'x8'x2'3". Granite shaft 4'3" sq. w/ alternating smooth & rough courses topped w/ sculpted infantryman behing stone wall. Shaft Inscriptions & bronze inscrpt. tablet. Flank markers, slant faced, 1'6"x1'x2'. Position marker, base 4'6"x3'2", 6' h.

Long Physical Description:
Monument that has two flanking markers and one position marker. Monument is a 4.3 foot square granite shaft with alternating smooth and rough courses topped with a sculptured infantryman behind a stone wall and set on a 8.8x2.3 foot base. The shaft has inscriptions and a bronze inscription tablet. The flanking markers have slanted faces and are 1.6x1 foot. The position marker is six foot high on a 4.6x3.2 foot base. Monument is located at the south end of the Wheatfield on DeTrobriand Avenue. The position marker is located on the east side of Hancock Avenue.