This military unit was commanded by Major General George Sykes (October 9, 1822 – February 8, 1880) who was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War. Sykes was born in Dover, Delaware. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Sykes' corps fought in support of the beleaguered III Corps on the Union left flank. In his 1st Division (Brig. Gen. James Barnes), the fabled defense of Little Round Top was led by brigade commander Col. Strong Vincent and the 20th Maine Infantry under Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. His 3rd Division, the Pennsylvania Reserves, led by Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford, attacked from Little Round Top, drove the Confederates across the "Valley of Death" and ended the deadly fighting in the Wheatfield. But there is little in the historical record that highlights any personal contribution made by Sykes. SOURCE. This marker is located at Little Round Top which has a view of the "Valley of Death", below it.
The Army of Potomac, 5th Corps Tablet is located on the north side or slope of Little Round Top, on Sykes Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The monument is 42 feet from the road facing exactly 270 degrees, due west. Draw the Sword, with descriptive help from the NPS site (and me), offers the following description: A rectangular granite monument, with a large bronze tablets thereon, describing the engagements and movements of each army corps. Rough-hewn monolith, 4’2" x 2’4", 7' high. Bronze inscription tablet, 3’7" x 4’1", mounted on polished face of monolith. Corps badges are incorporated into tablet top. I noted the Maltese cross symbol at the top of the monolith which is the symbol of the Army of the Potomac, Fifth Corps. The tablet was erected in December of 1906 by the Gettysburg National Military Park Commission. The inscription on this monolith reads:
Army of the Potomac
Fifth Corps
Major General George SykesFirst Division Brigadier General James Barnes
Second Division Brigadier General Romeyn B. Ayres
Third Division Brigadier General Samuel W. Crawford
Artillery Brigade Captain Augustus P. Martin
July 2. Arrived early in the morning and went into position on the right of 12th Corps. Later crossed Rock Creek via Baltimore Pike and was massed in the field until late in the afternoon. Moved to the left between 4 and 5 p.m. Barnes's and Ayres's Divisions taking possession of Little Round Top and re-inforcing the 3d corps line. Crawford's Division in reserve. All the Brigades of the Corps except Fisher's were engaged at intervals until night.
July 3. Barnes's Division except Tilton's Brigade north of Little Round Top with Wright's Division 6th Corps on the right left and rear. Ayres's and Crawford's Divisions and Tilton's Brigade on the Round Tops. These positions were held during the day.
July 4. In same positions except reconnoissances from each Division were made in front during the day.
Casualties. Killed 28 Officers 337 Men. Wounded 129 Officers 1481 Men. Captured or Missing 1 Officer 210 Men. Total 2186.
There are scores of similar monuments for the various Confederate States & Union brigades which fought at Gettysburg. Many of the tablets were created by Albert Russell & Sons Co. of Newburyport, Massachusetts (not sure about this one) and are made of granite, bronze and concrete. All of these tablets were designed by architect E.B. Cope. He designed pretty much every tablet for both the Union and Confederate armies, each one distinct, with several different varieties. The monuments were erected just after the turn of the century during the first and beginning of the second decade of the 20th century. Everyone has since been preserved or restored at least twice since the turn of the 21st century.
Information about these specific types of monuments
CORPS MARKERS
Corps markers are similar to division monuments but they have scrolls at the top (instead of being completely rectangular) and are missing those Union Corp designs at the top. A Union corps or service branch symbol is inset inside the top curve or scroll of the Union monuments (This one has the Maltese cross). Confederate monuments are labelled "Army of Northern Virginia" at the top of the tablet. There are three Confederate and nine Union corps headquarters at Gettysburg; the Union Artillery Reserve is treated as a corps (the first exception). I found other exceptions to this identification rule at the Peach Orchard where the two markers to the 1st and 2nd Divisions of the Union 3rd Army Corps as well as the Artillery Brigade are of Corps marker design. Perhaps they were done this way for a uniform appearance as all three sit next to each other. (The Artillery Reserve Monument also follows this pattern - see my pictures of the Orchard). The Corps monuments are all construed of Winnsboro (S.C.), granite. SOURCE & SOURCE
The Army of Potomac, 5th Corps Tablet 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 tablet is designated as contributing structure number MN421.
From the nomination form:
Short Physical Description:
Rough-hewn monolith, 4'2"x2'4", 7' high. Bronze inscription tablet, 3'7"x4'1", mounted on polished face of monolith. Corps badges are incorporated into tablet top.
Long Physical Description
Located on E side of Sykes Ave, north slope of Little Round Top.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Narrative
2.
Stone Sentinels
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Draw the Sword
5.
Historical Marker Database