53rd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument - Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District - Gettysburg, PA
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Math Teacher
N 39° 47.703 W 077° 14.829
18S E 307602 N 4407425
This sculpture is one of a hundred monuments in the park erected to Pennsylvania commands present @ Gettysburg and marks the advanced position held by 53rd Pennsylvania on the late afternoon of July 2, 1863.
Waymark Code: WMHN3K
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 07/25/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
Views: 4

At Gettysburg, the 53rd Pennsylvania Infantry served as a member of Brooke’s Brigade in Caldwell’s Division of the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. The regiment was organized at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1861. All totaled, the regiment had 5 officers and 195 enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded, 1 officer and 195 enlisted men died of disease for a total of 394 casualties of 6 officers and 388 enlisted men. The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richards McMichael (February 21, 1816 - December 5, 1894). McMichael was a Mexican War veteran and carpenter working in Reading, PA before the war. Under his command, the unit brought 136 men to the Gettysburg Battlefield and among them 7 men were killed, 67 were wounded and 6 went missing.

The 53rd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument is located on the left or west side of Brooke Avenue when traveling north, pushed back a bit in the woods. The 27th Connecticut Infantry Monument is 107 feet to the north on the opposite side of the road. I believe this area is called Rose Woods. This road is a crazy unorganized loop which originates and ends at Sickles Road. This sculpture is almost directly across from the midpoint of the entrance and exit (or vice versa) of this road along Sickles Road. 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 after 5 PM, EDT & @ an altitude of 542 feet, ASL. As always, I used my trusty and oft abused 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: Atop a tall granite base stands a bronze figure of an infantryman holding the barrel of his rifle in his proper right hand. His proper left hand rests at his waist with his thumb tucked into his belt. On his back he carries a bedroll, a knapsack, and a canteen. The base is adorned on the front with a bronze plaque depicting the Pennsylvania state seal. Monument is a 3.2 foot square granite shaft with an apex cap with crenellation topped with a bronze statue of an infantryman in an overcoat set on a six foot square rough hewn base. Overall height is 18.2 foot. The shaft has inscription panels on the west, south, and east. Flanking markers are apex topped, one foot square.

The 53rd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument was cast in 1888 and dedicated on September 11, 1889 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The monument is composed of granite, the statue, of bronze. The sculpture is approximately 8 feet 7 inches x 2 feet² and the base is approximately 9 feet 7 inches by 6 feet². There were several artisans employed to produce this memorial. The monument was sculpted by A. Wagner, the base was fabricated by Oursler and Sons and the sculpture of the infantryman on the top of the base was manufactured at the foundry of Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company out of New York, which name prominently appears on the proper right side of the base of the statue (see gallery). There are inscription on all sides save the rear, all of which read:

(Front):
53rd
Pennsylvania Infantry,
4th Brigade, 1st Division,
2nd Corps.

July 2. About 5 p.m. the regiment deployed with the Brigade on the northerly side of, and charged through, the Wheatfield, driving the enemy, and continuing the advance to this position, holding it until ordered to retire.

July 3. In position with Division on left centre, carried into action 135 officers and men.

Killed. Men 7
Wounded Officers 11, men 56
Captured or missing 6
Total 80.

(Left):
Recruited in the counties of Montgomery, Chester, Huntingdon, Blair, Centre, Clearfield, Union, Carbon, Luzerne, Potter, Juniata, Northumberland, and Westmoreland.

Mustered in, November 7, 1881.
Re-enlisted, December 22, 1863.
Mustered out, June 30, 1865.
Total enrollment, 2080.
Killed and died of wounds, officers 4, men 196.
Wounded, officers 31, men 506.
Captured or missing, officers 3. Men 163.
Total 903.

(Right):
Yorktown, Peach Orchard, Fair Oaks, Gaines Mill, Savage's Station, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Britstoe Station, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Totopotomy, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, Reams' Station, Hatcher's Run, South Side R.R., Farmville, Appomattox.


The 53rd Pennsylvania 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 MN145-B.

From the Nomination Form:
Marks advance position held by 53rd Pennsylvania on late afternoon of July 2, 1863. 1 of 110 mns in Park to PA commands in Gettysburg Campaign. Located on N side of Brooke Av in Rose Woods.

Short Physical Description:
Mn & 2 flank markers. Rough hewn base, 6' sq. Granite shaft, 3'2" sq. apex-cap w/ crenellation topped bronze statue of infantryman in overcoat. All 18'2" high. Inscriptions on polished shaft panels, W, S, E. Flank markers: apex-topped, 1'x1'x1'.

Long Physical Description:
Monument that has two flanking markers. Monument is a 3.2 foot square granite shaft with an apex cap with crenellation topped with a bronze statue of an infantryman in an overcoat set on a six foot square rough hewn base. Overall height is 18.2 foot. The shaft has inscription panels on the west, south, and east. Designed by A. Wagner. Flanking markers are apex topped, one foot square. Located on the north side of Brooke Avenue in Rose Woods.


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

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District

Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link]

NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): [Web Link]

Address:
Gettysburg National Military Park North Side of Brook Avenue Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325


How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below)

Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]

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