4th New Jersey Infantry Monument - Gettysburg, PA - American Civil War Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.com

The 4th New Jersey Regiment served in Torbert’s Brigade in Wright’s Division of the Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. The unit was commanded by Major Charles Ewing (1841-1872). Under his command, the 4th brought 386 men to the field and suffered no causalities. Overall, the 4th New Jersey Infantry Regiment lost 5 officers and 156 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 103 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

The 4th New Jersey Infantry Monument is located at the intersection of Granite Schoolhouse Road and Blacksmith Shop Road, on the right when traveling east on Granite Schoolhouse Road. This area is called Powers 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 Monday, August 13, 2012 @ 12:50 PM, EDT & @ an altitude of 537 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: This small stone marker that features the Sixth Corps Greek Cross, denotes the unit’s service. Monument is a granite monolith with a pebble finish. The monolith has a polished Sixth Corps Greek cross symbol with an incised inscription. The 4th New Jersey was on detached service guarding the Army’s artillery reserve trains during the battle. The monument Indicates the position guarded by 7 Companies of 4th N.J. July 2-3, 1863 and the monument marks the site where they stopped fleeing Union soldiers.

This monument, as well as other New Jersey monuments @ the park, was dedicated on June 30, 1888 by the State of New Jersey. The monument is composed entirely of granite (with some bronze relief plaques) and has the following dimensions: 4 feet in height, about a foot and a half wide and about 6 inches thick (deep). I could not recover the name of the sculptor or any other artisans who worked on the project. There inscription on the front reads:

Trail
Guard
Provost Guard

4th N.J. Vol's

July
2 - 3
1863

The 4th New Jersey 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 MN640.

From the Nomination Form:
1of 12 Civil War Monuments to New Jersey of the GBMA Era (1863 - 1895). Indicates position guarded by 7 Cos. of 4th N.J. July 2-3, 1863 & site where they stopped fleeing Union soldiers. Located at the junction of Granite School House Lane & Blacksmith Shop Road.

Short Physical Description:
Monolithic monument pebble finish w/polished Corps symbol cross, cross w/incised inscription. 2'11"x1'x4'H.

Long Physical Description:
Monument is a granite monolith with a pebble finish. The monolith has a polished Sixth Corps Greek cross symbol with an incised inscription. Overall height is 4 feet. Located at the junction of Granite School House Road and Blacksmith Shop Road.

To log a visit, a waymarker must visit the monument or memorial in person and post a photo. Personal observations and comments will be appreciated.