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 or had someone else take a pictorial inventory of many of the existing monuments in the eventual historic district. I have found hundreds of these pictures on Virtual Gettysburg, a website which uses mostly vintage pictures to inventory all monuments (and some minor markers) with modest accompanying narratives. 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 similar, positioning the monument at a slight right angle (standing to the left), revealing a little of the left side of the monument, and sometimes vice versa. 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 probably represent the efforts of the Commission well into the Commission period. I also Recently learned that William H. Tipton, local Gettysburg Residence was responsible for many of the photos of the monuments in existence today. Mostly, the pictures I discover come from the aforementioned 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.
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 and accessible 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 unmanicured brown and green fields, or fields of crops consistent with the many farmsteads which once dotted the landscape and their connected outbuildings. With the emergence and dedication of hundreds of monuments during the commemoration period and all the other dedications prior to 1900, and the development (sometimes commercially) of farmland, some change has occurred but for the most part, nothing too dramatic. Amazingly the pictures are identical except for the lack of trees on the then picture as they took their pic in the fall or the winter most likely. As I cannot find an exact date on these pictures I conservatively place them at the turn of the century or 1900 even though most likely they were taken in the 1800's during the dedication ceremonies. These pictures were taken at least 113 years apart.
The 5th Michigan Infantry Monument is located on the right or north side of Sickles Avenue while traveling northwest. The monument is just before the beginning of The Loop. aptly named considering the road looks like a teardrop. The 
Irish Brigade Monument (MN156-A) is directly across the road. This area is heavily wooded. There is a tremendous amount of monuments here as well. Parking is available along the side of the road at intermittently enlarged shoulders. Take care to park in the white lines or on asphalt widened shoulders and not park on anything remotely green looking as Park Police will happily ticket you. I visited this site on Monday, July 1, 2013 on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg @ 5:30 PM, EDT & @ an altitude of 546 feet, ASL. As always, I used my trusty and oft abused Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos. The monument faces west toward the road. To match my photo, I stood about 20 feet away from the monument and point my camera just about east to capture the monument at a slight angle, revealing a smidgeon of the proper left side as well as the front.
At Gettysburg, the 5th Michigan 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 5th Michigan Infantry was organized at Detroit, Michigan and mustered into Federal service for a three year enlistment on August 28, 1861. The regiment was mustered out on July 5, 1865 at Jeffersonville, Indiana. The regiment mustered a total of 1586 men during its existence. It suffered 16 officers and 247 enlisted men who were killed in action or motally wounded and 3 officer and 188 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 454 fatalities. It had the second highest number of casualties of all Michigan infantry regiments in the war. Of all Union infantry regiments in the war, the Fifth Michigan ranked fifth in total number of casualties endured.
The infantry was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Pulford (July 4, 1837- July 11, 1896), an eventual hotel owner in Detroit. When the Civil War broke out, he was a foreman of a Fire Engine Company before his commission as First Lieutenant of the 5th Michigan Infantry. Rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th Michigan, he participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and here at Gettysburg where he was wounded. At the Battle of the Wilderness, he was severely wounded and was removed from the field. Pulford was promoted Colonel in July 1864, and participated in the movements of the Army of the Potomac until the end of the war. For meritorious service, he was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865. He remained in the Regular Army, served in the West and engaged in General Hancock's expedition across the Plains against hostile Indians until April, 1867. He retired from active service as a Colonel on December 15, 1870. Under Pulford's command the 5th brought 283 men to the Gettysburg Battlefield and among them 19 were killed , 86 were wounded and 4 went missing.
The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: Granite monument with relief of an infantryman holding his musket on the front, and bronze state shield below. Monument is a 4×2.7 foot hammered and smooth granite shaft set on a 6.3×4.11 foot rough hewn base resting on a boulder. The shaft has a sculpted relief of an infantryman loading his musket and a bronze state seal on the south side. A historical inscription is incised on the north face.
The 5th Michigan Infantry Monument was installed on November 27, 1888 and formally dedicated on June 12, 1889 by the State of Michigan. The monument is completely composed of granite with a bronze state shied adornment. Overall, the sculpture is approximately 10 feet 6 inches x 6 feet 3 inches x 4 feet 11 inches. The monument was fabricated by the Ryegate Granite Company out of Vermont. There are inscriptions on the front and back which read:
(Front):5th. Mich. Inf.
Third Brigade
First Division
Third Corps
(Back):Effective strength
July 2nd 1863
Present and on detached service
21 officers and 262 men
Total 283.
- Casualties -
Killed
2 officers 17 men,
Wounded
8 officers 78 men
Missing
4 men.
Total 109
The Regiment fought here about
4:00 o'clock p.m. July 2nd 1863
after it had been assembled
from the skirmish - line far in
advance of this position. It
moved to the support of the
2nd Corps in resisting Pickett's
charge July 3rd.
Mustered in U.S. service at Detroit Mich, August 28, 1861.
Mustered out at Jeffersonville Ind. July 5, 1865.
Total enrollment 1850 officers and men.
Killed in action: Officers 10 Men 14:
died of wounds: Officers 6 Men 75:
Died of disease: Officers 3 Men 163:
Total:398.
Engaged in 47 battles and skirmishes from Pohick Church Va. Jan. 9. 1862 to Appomattox Va. April 9, 1865.
The 5th Michigan 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 MN154.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 9 mns in Park honoring Michigan soldiers at Gettsyburg. Marks position held by regiment about 4:30 pm on July 2, 1863. Located on N side of Sickles Ave near Loop and Wheatfield.
Short Physical Description:
Rough-hewn base 6'3"x4'11" set on boulder. Hammered & smooth granite shaft, 4'x2'7" w/sculpted relief of infantryman loading his musket & bronze state seal adorns S side, historical inscription incised on N side. All 10'6"H.
Long Physical Description:
Monument is a 4x2.7 foot hammered and smooth granite shaft set on a 6.3x4.11 foot rough hewn base resting on a boulder. The shaft has a sculpted relief of an infantryman loading his musket and a bronze state seal on the south side. A historical inscription is incised on the north face. Located on the north side of Sickles Avenue near the Loop and Wheatfield.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
SIRIS
3.
Stone Sentinels
4.
Virtual Gettysburg
5.
Draw the Sword
6.
Historical Marker Database
7.
Wikipedia
8.
FInd a Grave