The Second New York Cavalry served as a member of Huey’s Brigade in Gregg’s Division of the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 7 officers, 67 enlisted men; died of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 47 enlisted men; died of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 246 enlisted men; total, 12 officers, 360 enlisted men; aggregate, 372; of whom 1 officer and 106 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.
The 2nd 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 207 feet away from the road. The 4th New York Cavalry Monument, 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 6:15 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 stands atop a tiered, rough-hewn base. A New York State Seal is affixed to the upper portion of the shaft and is framed by foliage. A relief of a horse’s head is at the lower portion of the shaft.
The monument was dedicated on September 19, 1892 by the State of New York. The monument is composed of Westerly granite with some bronze elements and has the following dimensions: Overall: The monument is about 16 feet 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 4 inches deep. The monument was sculpted by Karl Gerhardt (1853 - 1940) and fabricated by the New England Monument Company There are inscriptions on the front and reverse faces which read:
(Front):2nd N.Y. Cavalry
2nd Brig.
2nd. Div.
Cavalry Corps
(Back):This Regiment
was engaged in the battles and
skirmishes of the Cavalry Corps
until the Brigade reached
Hanover Junction, June 30, 1863,
when it was moved hastily to
Manchester, to guard trains against
rumored movements of the enemy, and
picketed the surrounding country.
July 4th
joined 3rd Division in pursuit
of the enemy and participated
in the Cavalry engagements
until the enemy retreated into Virginia
The 2nd 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 MN254.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 90 Civil War Monuments to New York of the GBMA Era (1863 - 1895). Monument to men serving during Gettysburg campaign, but regiment located in Manchester, MD guarding Union supply trains. Located N of Pleasonton Ave. in Hummelbaugh Field.
Short Physical Description:
Monument base, 7' x 5-'4", stepped shaft of rough-cut & polished stone, topped by hip & gable peak roofs. Bronze bas-relief front, tablet reverse, incised & excised inscriptions & stone work.
Long Physical Description:
N/A
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
8.
New York State Military Museum