16th Vermont Infantry Monument - Gettysburg, PA - American Civil War Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.com

The 16th Vermont Infantry served as a member of Stannard’s Brigade in Doubleday’s Division of the First Corps, Army of the Potomac. The 16th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry (or 16th VVI) was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the Defenses of Washington, from October 1862 to August 1863. It was a member of the 2nd Vermont Brigade. On July 2, the brigade helped reinforce picket lines along Cemetery Ridge that were threatened by an attack by Confederate General A. P. Hill. That picket detail of 150 from the 16th participated in a skirmish with rebel pickets, in which two soldiers were wounded. This was the last known action of the brigade.

The unit was commanded by Colonel Wheelock G. Veazey (1835-1898). Veazey was born in New Hampshire and a graduate of Dartmouth and Albany Law School. He would go on to become a lawyer in Springfield. Veazey won the Medal of Honor at Gettysburg. Veazey "rapidly assembled his regiment and charged the enemy's flank; charged front under heavy fire, and charged and destroyed a Confederate brigade, all this with new troops in their first battle," at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Eventually, he served in the state legislature and was a member of the state Supreme Court. Under his command the 16th brought 715 men to the field and among them 16 were killed, 102 were wounded and 1 went missing.

The 16th Vermont Infantry Monument is located along Hancock Avenue (RD310), on the right or east side of the road if traveling traveling north, just ahead or north of the 14th Vermont Infantry Monument (MN253). The monument is also 196 feet northeast from the Major General Winfield S. Hancock Wounded Marker, which is about 136 feet away. The road bends at this area. This area is an absolute beehive of activity as this site 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 Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at approximately 3:08 P.M. I was at an elevation of 565 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: Rough-hewn marker with a rounded contains a relief of a United States shield. Monument is a rough cut and finished granite shaft and set on a 5.11×4.3 foot base that contains a bronze tablet on the front. The shaft has an incised inscription on an angle to the shaft and excised inscriptions and shield. Overall height is 9.1 feet. The monument indicates the position held by the 16th Vermont Infantry on July 3, 1863 after being driven in from the skirmish line.

The monument was dedicated July 3, 1892 by the State of Vermont. The monument is composed of granite with a small rectangular bronze tablet and has the following dimensions: The sculpture is approximately 9 feet 10 inches x 4 feet 10 inches x 3 feet 2 inches and the base is approximately 2 feet x 5 feet 10 inches x 4 feet 4 inches. No information is available about the artisans employed to create the sculpture. There is an inscription on the front as well as another inscription on the bottom inscribed in bronze, all of which reads:

16th
Vermont
Infantry
Col. W.G. Veazey
Commanding

First Army Corps
July 1-2-3 - 1863

Participated near this point in action of July 2nd
Picketed this line that night - Held same as skirmishers
until attacked by Pickett's Division July 3d.
Rallied here and assaulted his flank to the right 400
yards - then changing front charged left flank of Wilcox's
and Perry's Brigades at this point captured many hundred
prisoners and two stands of colors

The Point to which the above inscription refers
is south 58 degrees west 1000 feet
from this monument
and near the northerly end of the Codori thicket

The 16th Vermont 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 MN252.

From the Nomination Form:
1 of 6 Civil War Vermont Monuments of the War Dept Era (1895 - 1927). Indicates brigade line position 16th VT July 3, 1863 after falling back from skirmish line position. Located E side Hancock Avenue near intersection w/ Pleasonton Avenue.

Short Physical Description:
Mn base 5'11"x4'3," w/ bronze tablet on front, incised inscription on angle to shaft. Shaft of rough-cut & finished stone, excised inscriptions & shield. All 9'10" H.

Long Physical Description:
Monument is a rough cut and finished granite shaft and set on a 5.11x4.3 foot base that contains a bronze tablet on the front. The shaft has an incised inscription on an angle to the shaft and excised inscriptions and shield. Overall height is 9.1 feet. Located on the east side of Hancock Avenue near the intersection with Pleasonton Avenue. Monument was relocated from the Codori-Trostle thicket and a bronze tablet added in 1907.

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