2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument - Gettysburg, PA - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

The 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry served as a member of the Provost Guard at Army of the Potomac Headquarters. The unit was commanded by Colonel Richard B. Price (1807-1876). Under Price's command, 573 men were engaged at Gettysburg with no casualties or losses. Overall, The Second Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment lost 6 officers and 52 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 193 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

The 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument is located on the south or left part of the High Water Mark walking trail which extends between Cemetery Ridge and Meade's Headquarters, near the Leister House (if waking west). In the distance, not too far away is the Meade Equestrian Monument. The paved trail begins to curve ahead leading to Hancock Avenue. This location is west of Taneytown Road (State Highway 134) and Hunt Avenue if traveling south, and would be on the right or west side of the road. The paved trail eventually leads to the High Water Mark. There are two places to park. Hancock Avenue is close to this location and there are small cutouts along the side of the road for cars. Stay off the grass or anything green lest you be ticketed. The other parking area is at the old visitor center parking lot, where parking is free and plentiful [N 39° 49.003 W 77° 13.970], to the north. This is where the walking trail begins. Most people park here when making the walk. I visited this monument on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at approximately 4:31 P.M. I was at an elevation of 614 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: A standing figure of a cavalryman pausing in the midst of reloading his rifle to scan the horizon for the enemy. He holds the rifle in his proper left hand and a bullet in his proper right hand. A sword hangs on his proper left side. The sculpture stands atop a square granite base adorned with bronze plaques depicting the Pennsylvania state seal, the Cavalry Corps insignia, and the army emblem. A left flank marker is located just to the south of the monument. Monument is a tapered three-part granite shaft topped with a bronze statue of a dismounted and standing trooper loading his carbine. The center part of the shaft is polished granite with a bronze bas-relief tablet, details on two sides, and incised inscriptions on all sides. The monument rests on a four foot square rough cut base. Flanking marker on the left is one foot square.

The monument was dedicated on September 11, 1889 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The monument is composed of granite with a bronze statue and has the following dimensions: The sculpture is approximately 6 feet x 26 inches x 25 inches and the base is 6 feet x 4 feet². The monument was sculpted by Henry Jackson Ellicott (1848 - 1901) whose name appears (written in his own hand) on the base. The Bureau Brothers foundry was employed in producing the bronze statue. The Bureau Brothers are credited with many statues and monuments with in the park. There are inscriptions on all four sides which read:

(Front):2d. Pennsylvania Cavalry
attached to Provost Guard,
Army Headquarters.

The Regiment held this position July 3rd.
until the close of the day when it conducted
3000 prisoners to Westminster, Md. Detach-
ments served on other parts of the field
during the battle.(Right):Mustered in August-October 1861.
Re-enlisted Dec. 1863-Feb. 1864.
Consolidated with the
20th Pennsylvania Cavalry to form the
1st Provisional Pennsylvania
Cavalry, June 17th 1865.
Mustered out July 13th 1865.
(Left):Recruited in
Philadelphia, Lancaster, Centre,
Northampton, Crawford, Berks,
Tioga and Armstrong Counties.
(Back):Cedar Mountain. - Cold Harbor.
2d. Bull Run. - Trevilian Station.
Chantilly. - Jerusalem Plank Road.
Gettysburg. - Malvern Hill.
Mine Run. - Deep Bottom.
Wilderness. - White Oak Swamp.
Todd's Tavern. - Reams' Station.
Yellow Tavern. - Poplar Spring Church.
Richmond Fortifications. - Wyatt's Farm.
Meadow Bridge. - Stoney Creek Station.
Hawes' Shop. - Boydton Road.
Hanover Court House. - Hatcher's Run.
Appomattox.
And other Battles.

The 2nd Pennsylvania 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 MN242-A.

From the Nomination Form:
1 of 110 Mn to Pennsylvania. Indicates position taken as provost guard July 3, 1863. Left flank marker located along Fry fieldstone wall. No right flank marker. Located along Meade Ave (paper street).

Short Physical Description:
Mn & LF marker. Base: 4 sq rough-cut progressing to tapered 3 part shaft, center part polished granite w/ bronze bas-relief tablet & detail 2 sides, incised inscriptions all sides. Topped w/bronze dismounted & standing trooper loading carbine. Marker 1'sq x 1'6".

Long Physical Description:
Monument that has one flanking marker. Monument is a tapered three-part granite shaft topped with a bronze statue of a dismounted and standing trooper loading his carbine. The bronze work was sculptured by H. L. Ellicott. The center part of the shaft is polished granite with a bronze bas-relief tablet, details on two sides, and incised inscriptions on all sides. The monument rests on a four foot square rough cut base. Flanking marker on the left is one foot square. Located along the route former Meade Avenue.