These interpretives dot the battlefield landscape. Some of them have the You-Are-Here feature. They are horizontal, held in a thick, black, metal frame and tilted for easy viewing. This interpretive is located at the northeaster corner of the Peach Orchard, at the intersection of Wheatfield Road and Birney Lane, on the right when traveling east on Wheatfield Road. This is stop 10, of the driving tour of Gettysburg National Military Park. The interpretive is situated at the end of a small, asphalt walkway and offers a perfect view of the entire orchard. Parking is available along the road. Stay off the grass or anything green or you will be ticketed by the Park Police. I visited this monument on Thursday, July 5, 2012 after lunch time. I was at an elevation of 606 feet, ASL. I used my Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for my photos.
The interpretive reads:
"Sickles's movement practically destroyed his own corps...; and with what result? - driving us back to the position he was ordered to hold originally."
Maj. Gen. George C. Meade, U.S.A.
Commander, Army of the Potomac
On the morning of July 2, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles was assigned a position 3/4-mile to your left near Little Round Top. That afternoon - without orders - he advanced his 10,000-man Union Third Corps, part of it taking position on this high ground around John Sherfy's peach orchard. Sickles believed it was a stronger position.
At the Peach Orchard, Sickles' mile-long line formed a sharp angle, or salient. About 5:30 p.m., following a hot artillery duel, Confederate infantry led by Brig. Gen. J.B. Kershaw attacked the Peach Orchard by way of the Rose Farm (to your left), but were shredded by rapid rounds of Union canister.
About 6:00 p.m., Confederate infantry of Barksdale's and Wofford's Brigades struck the Peach Orchard from the west (in front of you), "Shrieking like Indians," the Rebels drove the Union defenders back toward Cemetery Ridge. Sickles' salient was crushed.
More Information on the Marker
In the upper center is a painting of the action near the Peach Orchard, captioned Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, commander of the Union Third Corps, rides to inspect his infantry and artillery at the Peach Orchard (right) on the afternoon of July 2. In the distance, the smoke of Confederate cannon rises above the long lines of Confederate infantry massing for an attack.
In the lower center is a portrait of Confederate Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw who led a flank attack on the Peach Orchard. As his men surged around the Rose farm buildings (visible on your left), the Union guns here raked them with a terrific fire. Kershaw noted, "I well remember the clatter of the grape against wall and houses as we passed."
On the lower right is a map detailing the action at the Peach Orchard with Sickles' advanced Union line and Sickles' assigned position indicated.
The Peach Orchard is a very famous battlefield at Gettysburg. The tale of this battle very complex, involved many regiments and batteries and is a little hard to follow. The battle occurred on July 2, 1863. The site is located at the southeast corner of the north-south Emmitsburg Road intersection with Wheatfield Road. A cast iron tablet marks the location.
I found a history of the battle and of the orchard on Wikipedia (as well as countless other internet sites) and quite frankly I am going to quote it right here as I am unable to provide a better narrative or explanation of the the event which transpired here almost 150 years ago:
By 1858, the Peach Orchard had been planted along the south side of the Wheatfield Road by Rev. Joseph Sherfy, who had a homestead to the north on the opposite (west) side of the Emmitsburg Road.
While the right wing of Kershaw's brigade attacked into the Wheatfield, its left wing wheeled left to attack the Pennsylvania troops in the brigade of Brig. Gen. Charles K. Graham, the right flank of Birney's line, where 30 guns from the III Corps and the Artillery Reserve attempted to hold the sector. The South Carolinians were subjected to infantry volleys from the Peach Orchard and canister from all along the line. Suddenly someone unknown shouted a false command, and the attacking regiments turned to their right, toward the Wheatfield, which presented their left flank to the batteries and "Hundreds of the bravest and best men of Carolina fell".
Meanwhile, the two brigades on McLaws's left—Barksdale's in front and Wofford's behind—charged directly into the Peach Orchard, the point of the salient in Sickles's line. Gen. Barksdale led the charge on horseback, long hair flowing in the wind, sword waving in the air. Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys's division had only about 1,000 men to cover the 500 yards (460 m) from the Peach Orchard northward along the Emmitsburg Road to the lane leading to the Abraham Trostle farm. Some were still facing south, from where they had been firing on Kershaw's brigade, so they were hit in their vulnerable flank. Barksdale's 1,600 Mississippians wheeled left against the flank of Humphreys's division, collapsing their line, regiment by regiment. Graham's brigade retreated back toward Cemetery Ridge; Graham had two horses shot under from under him. He was hit by a shell fragment, and by a bullet in his upper body. He was eventually captured by the 21st Mississippi. Wofford's men dealt with the defenders of the orchard.
The infantry forced the Union artillery batteries in the orchard and on the Wheatfield Road to withdraw, with six Napoleons of Capt. John Bigelow's 9th Massachusetts battery, on the left of the line, "retired by prolonge," a technique rarely used in which the cannon was dragged backwards as it fired rapidly, the movement aided by the gun's recoil. By the time they reach the Trostle house, they were told to hold the position to cover the infantry retreat, but they were eventually overrun by troops of the 21st Mississippi, who captured three of their guns.
Humphreys was defeated when the Confederate en echelon attack continued and his front and right flank began to be assaulted by the Third Corps division of Richard H. Anderson on Cemetery Ridge.
SOURCE
Farmer Sherfy salvaged as many of the damaged orchard trees as he could and planted new tress to replace those that died. He continued to sell canned peaches from his orchard as he had before it was touched by war, but he added an advertisement that they were from his original peach trees on the battleground! Today, the Gettysburg peach orchard has been replanted and is maintained as a recreated battlefield site. I parked across the road and walked around a bit. The peach orchard is pretty expansive. In front of the orchard, 40 feet from the road are 4 huge monuments to read. There are also other monuments too in the immediate area.