The forces that were mostly involved in the fighting there were Johnson's Confederate division (Stonewall Jackson's former command) and Union troops of the 12th Army Corps under the command of Major General Henry W. Slocum, but under the direct supervision of Brig. Gen. George S. Greene. On July 2nd most Union forces defending the hill were ordered to go to support the Union left which was at the time being driven in by Longstreet's assault. The Confederate forces noticed the Union forces leaving and attacked as per Lee's instructions. 1,424 Union defenders remained on Culp's Hill and nearly 5,000 Confederates were coming to take the hill from them. At no other time during the battle did the Confederates have such a numerical advantage over Union forces as they did on Culp's Hill on July 2nd. even on July 1st when they outnumbered Union forces. Thus it could be argued that the attack on Culp's Hill represented the best chance for Confederate victory. It was certainly the only place during the entire battle that the Confederate forces violated the Union fish hook defense and held onto ground on the main Union defensive line.
On July 3rd the battle begins at Culp's Hill in which over 22,000 Americans fought for seven hours of sustained close combat as the fate of the country hung in the balance. It is safe to say that over 1/5 of all the lead fired during the battle, well over a million rounds, was fired on Culp's Hill on July 3rd. As one Union soldier remembered, "The whole hillside seemed enveloped in a blaze. Minnie balls pattered upon the breastworks like hailstones on a housetop. Solid shot went crashing through the woods, adding the danger from falling limbs of trees to that from erratic fragments of exploding shells. The whole hill was covered with the smoke and smell of powder. No enemy could be seen. To expose oneself above the breastworks was certain death." When the battle ended a little before noon the Confederates were forced to give up ground that they had controlled for the first time in the battle. SOURCE
This is one of the most scenic places at the Park. At the top of the hill, where the long and winding road terminates and circles back down, there is a huge observation tower and several monuments. At the top of the observation tower I could see all of Gettysburg including the town center, the PA Memorial and the Lutheran Seminary as well as other key features. The Brig. Gen. George Greene statue is off to the right or the south southeast side of the circle and it is near this sculpture where this interpretive can be found. The SOH is held horizontally in a thick, black, metal frame, 3 feet off the ground and tilted slightly to afford an easy view. It reads:
"As soon as we were in position, we began to intrench ourselves and throw up breastworks...."
Brig. Gen. George S. Greene, U.S.A.
3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Twelfth Corps
On the morning of July 2, the task of defending the Union right flank on Culp's Hill fell to Brig. Gen. George S. Greene. A civil engineer, Greene built breastworks as high as five feet using logs, cord-wood, stones, and earth.
That evening, when several Union brigades on Culp's Hill were ordered south, Greene's lone brigade of 1,400 New Yorkers manned the trenches. Moments seemed like "hours of agony" to a captain in the 149th New York. "The pale faces, starting eye-balls, and nervous hands grasping loaded muskets, told how terrible were those moments of suspense." Beginning at dusk, Confederates of Ewell's Corps stormed the breastworks repeatedly until after midnight, but with heavy losses and no success.
At dawn on the 3rd, the bitter struggle for Culp's Hill resumed. Federal officers rotated the men in the trenches so they could replenish ammunition and clean muskets. Despite the valiant efforts of the Southerners, the Union line held firm. By midday, the Confederates had withdrawn.
The main part of the SOH features a painting of the fighting on Culp's Hill (presumably on July 2), with the following text: Confederate infantry of the 1st Maryland Battalion charge Union troops (bottom and right) on Culp's Hill on the morning of July 3 in this painting by Peter Rothermel. The bloody assault failed. Among the dead was the Confederates canine mascot (center).
Below the painting is a Matthew Brady photograph of Union breastworks on Culp's Hill twelve days after the battle.
On the right is a portrait of General Greene. At age 62, Brig. Gen. George S. Greene was the oldest Union general at Gettysburg, but among the most able. According to a fellow officer he was "a grim old fighter, as modest as he was brave, gentile and courteous in his manner...."
Here on Culp's Hill, General Greene applied the engineering skills he had taught at West Point in building a series of breastworks that the Confederates were unable to penetrate. His statue stands in front of you.
Wiki told me Culp's Hill became a prime tourist attraction after the battle. It was close to the town and, unlike most battles in open fields, it was heavily wooded and the extreme firepower took a very visible toll on the trees, some of which were completely sheared off. Geary's division alone on July 3 reported that they expended 227,000 rounds. It took over twenty years before the scars of battle faded and nature reclaimed the breastworks. Today, Culp's Hill is unoccupied except for numerous monuments and an observation tower, all maintained by the U.S. National Park Service as part of the Gettysburg National Military Park. Most of the monuments I visited were to the 12th Corps regiments and batteries (Union army).