The Gettysburg National Park Commission [The Commission is also referred to as the Gettysburg National Military Park Commission or the Gettysburg Park Commission], established by the United States Department of War, after they took over the administration of the park from the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association (whose funds had expired) on March 3, 1893, and whose stewardship was later transferred to the National Park Service in 1933 (SOURCE), took a pictorial inventory of many of the existing monuments in the eventual historic district (a majority of them seem to have been Pennsylvania monuments being there are over one hundred of them). These pictures were included in their yearly Commission reports. I have found hundreds of these pictures on Virtual Gettysburg, a comprehensive website which pictorially inventories all the monuments and provides minor narratives as well. All the photos look the same as if they were taken by the same camera and in the same approximate time period. Even the angles are all the same, positioning the monument at a slight right angle (standing to the left), revealing a little of the left side of the monument. The entire park looks so young and immature when the photos were taken. After all, the Battle of Gettysburg was thirty-seven years old at the time and war veterans were only in their fifties. I have never been able to find any photo credits (I have a sneaking suspicion some of the photos may have been snapped by members of the Park Commissions and published in their annual November report to the War Department) but I know they are public domain because their copyrights have all expired. This picture represent the efforts of the Commission well into the Commission period. Most of my pictures I use come from a website called Virtual Gettysburg. It seems however, all the pictures of the New York monuments were either borrowed from or shared with a New York monuments website. That site, The New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs can be found HERE. This picture was found on the Virtual Gettysburg site which can be found HERE, and also on the New York Site. I used the pic from the New York site as it shows more and it appears to have been untouched.
Clearly it is evident, through a survey of historical pictures and other archival information (such as the annual Commission reports), much change has occurred at Gettysburg Battlefield. With the passage of legislation affording historical status to this site as well as placing it under the auspices of the National Park Service, its patrons and caretakers had to groom and prepare the area to make it more authentic as well as educational. Today the battlefield has managed to maintain an authentic 1863 feel, but back then, as evident in the many photos, it was a desolate, empty place of brown and green fields broken only by the occasional farmstead, their outbuildings and fields of crops. With the emergence and dedication of hundreds of monuments during the commemoration period and all the other dedications prior to 1900, and the development of farmland, some change has occurred but for the most part, nothing too dramatic. This picture was taken from Final Report on the Battlefield of Gettysburg (New York at Gettysburg) by the New York Monuments Commission for the Battlefields of Gettysburg and Chattanooga. Albany, NY: J.B. Lyon Company, 1902, making the tandem 110 years old. Upon a quick glance, both monuments and the background look the same (not including a 21st century fence). Upon closer inspection however, there are two buildings which appear to have been renovated and as a result have changed a bit. These buildings can be found in the back left edge and in the back right, both deep in the background.
The 2nd New York Cavalry Monument is located on the north or left side of Pleasanton Avenue if traveling east, due north of the Pennsylvania State Monument, (which is located on the east or right side of Hancock Avenue), near the Hummelbaugh farm (This section being called Hummelbaugh Field) & East of Hancock Avenue. Both monuments being south of Gettysburg. This particular monument is off of the road, and is pushed out onto the grass 207 feet away from the road. The 4th New York Cavalry Monument, 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument and the Huey Brigade tablet (in that order) are just south of it moving back toward the road. The Park Service mows the lawn to make a path to the monument and mowed huge circles around the PA cavalry monument just before it making it all seem suspiciously like alien crop circles. The front of the monument faces the west so one would need to face east to read it as it is positioned perpendicular to the path leading to it. This location is a hot-bed of activity and one of the best examples of a hands-on history lesson of the Civil War one could hope to find. All along both sides of the road are these types of tablets, memorials, monuments, sculptures, and all manner of cannons, rifles and guns. Parking is available at enlarged shoulder cutouts on the right side of the road, directly across from the various monuments. Be sure to keep vehicles off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on Thursday, July 5, 2012 approximately 6:15 P.M. I was at an elevation of 575 feet, ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos. The monument faces west. I faced the southeast to match up my photo, placing the monument at a slight angle, revealing part of the left side. I was about 10 feet away when I took my picture.
From a previous waymark about this monument:
The Second New York Cavalry served as a member of Huey’s Brigade in Gregg’s Division of the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 7 officers, 67 enlisted men; died of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 47 enlisted men; died of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 246 enlisted men; total, 12 officers, 360 enlisted men; aggregate, 372; of whom 1 officer and 106 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.
The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: Vertical shaft stands atop a tiered, rough-hewn base. A New York State Seal is affixed to the upper portion of the shaft and is framed by foliage. A relief of a horse’s head is at the lower portion of the shaft.
The monument was dedicated on September 19, 1892 by the State of New York. The monument is composed of Westerly granite with some bronze elements and has the following dimensions: Overall: The monument is about 16 feet high and 3 feet wide; its sides are about a foot or so wide, its base is approximately 14 feet in height, the base approximately 7 feet wide and 5 feet 4 inches deep. The monument was sculpted by Karl Gerhardt (1853 - 1940) and fabricated by the New England Monument Company There are inscriptions on the front and reverse faces which read:
(Front):2nd N.Y. Cavalry
2nd Brig.
2nd. Div.
Cavalry Corps
(Back):This Regiment
was engaged in the battles and
skirmishes of the Cavalry Corps
until the Brigade reached
Hanover Junction, June 30, 1863,
when it was moved hastily to
Manchester, to guard trains against
rumored movements of the enemy, and
picketed the surrounding country.
July 4th
joined 3rd Division in pursuit
of the enemy and participated
in the Cavalry engagements
until the enemy retreated into Virginia
The 2nd New York Cavalry 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 MN254.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 90 Civil War Monuments to New York of the GBMA Era (1863 - 1895). Monument to men serving during Gettysburg campaign, but regiment located in Manchester, MD guarding Union supply trains. Located N of Pleasonton Ave. in Hummelbaugh Field.
Short Physical Description:
Monument base, 7' x 5-'4", stepped shaft of rough-cut & polished stone, topped by hip & gable peak roofs. Bronze bas-relief front, tablet reverse, incised & excised inscriptions & stone work.
Long Physical Description:
N/A
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
SIRIS
3.
Stone Sentinels
4.
Virtual Gettysburg
5.
Draw the Sword
6.
Historical Marker Database
7.
New York State Military Museum
8.
New York State Military Museum