4th New York Cavalry Monument - Gettysburg, PA - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

The 4th New York Cavalry was also known as Dickel’s Mounted Rifles. During the battle of Gettysburg, it served as a member of Huey’s Brigade in Gregg’s Division of the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac. The unit was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Augustin Pruyn.

The 4th New York Cavalry Monument is located on the north or left side of Pleasanton Avenue if traveling east, due north of the Pennsylvania State Monument, (which is located on the east or right side of Hancock Avenue), near the Hummelbaugh farm (This section being called Hummelbaugh Field) & East of Hancock Avenue. Both monuments being south of Gettysburg. This particular monument is off of the road, and is pushed out onto the grass 125 feet away from the road. The 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry monument and the Huey Brigade tablet (in that order) are just south of it moving back toward the road. The Park Service mows the lawn to make a path to the monument and mowed huge circles around the PA cavalry monument just before it making it all seem suspiciously like alien crop circles. The front of the monument faces the west so one would need to face east to read it as it is positioned perpendicular to the path leading to it. This location is a hot-bed of activity and one of the best examples of a hands-on history lesson of the Civil War one could hope to find. All along both sides of the road are these types of tablets, memorials, monuments, sculptures, and all manner of cannons, rifles and guns. Parking is available at enlarged shoulder cutouts on the right side of the road, directly across from the various monuments. Be sure to keep vehicles off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on Thursday, July 5, 2012 approximately 6:10 P.M. I was at an elevation of 575 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: Vertical shaft with rough-hewn edges stands atop a tiered base. A New York State Seal is affixed to the upper portion of the shaft and a relief of a horse’s head is at the lower portion. A relief of the Cavalry Corps insignia is at the top of the shaft. Overall height is fourteen foot.

The monument was dedicated on September 2, 1889 by the State of New York. The monument is composed of Concord granite with some bronze elements and has the following dimensions: Overall: The monument is about 6 feet 6 inches high and 3 feet wide; its sides are about a foot or so wide, its base is approximately 14 feet in height, the base approximately 7 feet wide and 5 feet deep. The monument was sculpted by Emilio F. Piatti, fabricated by the New England Monument Company using the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company Foundry. There are inscriptions on the front and reverse faces which read:

(Front):4th New York
Cavalry
2nd. Brig. 2nd. Div. Cavalry Corps
(Back):This regiment participated in
the Gettysburg Campaign until
reaching Hanover Junction
June 30th, when with the Brigade
it was detached and moved to
Manchester where it picketed
the surrounding country until
July 3rd, when it proceeded to
Westminster. On the 4th it
joined Kilpatrick's Division
in pursuit of the enemy and with
it participated at Monterey
Pass that night, and in the many
other cavalry engagements
until the enemy recrossed
the Potomac

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The 4th New York Cavalry 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 MN255.

From the Nomination Form:
1of 90 Civil War monuments to New York of the GBMA Era (1863 - 1895). Indicates participation in Gettysburg campaign, but did not fight. Dutied to Manchester, Maryland guarding Union supply trains. Mn located N side Pleasonton Avenue in Hummelbaugh field.

Short Physical Description:
Mn base 7'x5', stepped shaft of finished & rough-cut stone. Topped by gable end peak. Bronze bas-relief obverse, tablet reverse. Excised inscriptions & stone work. All 14'H.

Long Physical Description:
Monument is a stepped shaft of finished and rough cut granite topped by a gable peak and set on a 7x5 foot base. The shaft has excised inscriptions, bas-relief obverse, and tablet on the rear. Overall height is fourteen foot. Designed by E. F. Piatti. Located on the north side of Pleasonton Avenue in the Hummelbaugh field.

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My Sources
1. NRHP Nomination Form
2. SIRIS
3. Stone Sentinels
4. Virtual Gettysburg
5. Draw the Sword
6. Historical Marker Database
7. New York State Military Museum

Website pertaining to the memorial: [Web Link] List if there are any visiting hours: 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.- November 1 through March 31 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.- April 1 to October 31 Entrance fees (if it applies): 0 Type of memorial: Monument

Visit Instructions:

*(1.)* Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit.
*(2.)* If you have additional information about the memorial which is not listed in the waymark description, please notify the waymark owner to have it added, and please post the information in your visit log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   08/06/2016 Searcher28 visited it