The 6th Corps, 1st Division, 2nd Brigade was also known as Bartlett’s Brigade. During the battle of Gettysburg, it served as a member of Wright’s Division in the Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac. The unit was commanded by Brig. Gen. Joseph Jackson Bartlett (November 21, 1834 – January 14, 1893) who was a New York attorney, and brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and postbellum international diplomat and pensions administrator for the United States Government. He was chosen to receive the ceremonial surrender of the stacked arms of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House.
The marker for the Army of Potomac 6 Corps 1 Div 2 Brig Tablet is located on Wheatfield Road, on the right or north if traveling west The roadside monument faces a southerly direction. Draw the Sword, with descriptive help from the NPS site, offers the following description: One of 74 brigade monuments erected at Gettysburg by the United States War Department to describe the movements and itinerary of each Union brigade of the Army of the Potomac. Monuments were designed by E.B. Cope.
Pedestals: Monolith consisting of polished smooth sea-green granite pedestal with a square 36" by 36" base. Base tapers to a smaller dimension at the tablet. On each pedestal is mounted a bronze inscription tablet measuring 4’0" x 3’8” with rounded corners weighing 300 pounds.
Each brigade monument stands 5’4" high and weigh 3,500 pounds. Completed between 1911 and 1912. The tablet was erected on July 1, 1912 by the Gettysburg National Military Park Commission. The inscription on this monolith reads:
Army of the Potomac
Sixth Corps First Division
Second Brigade
Brig. Gen. Joseph J. Bartlett
5th. Maine 121st. New York
95th. 96th. Pennsylvania Infantry
July 2 The Brigade arrived late in the day and was formed in two lines to support Fifth Corps of which the troops in front were giving ground. The Third Brigade Third Division was formed on the left and then advanced to the front. Remained in same position during the night. The 121st New York was detached from the Brigade on its arrival and supported Battery L 1st Ohio until the close of the battle.
July 3 The Third Brigade Third Division was assigned to Brig. Gen. Bartlett's command which was in an advanced position. Late in the day the Third Brigade Third Division in a second line at an interval of 200 yards supported First Brigade Third Division Fifth Corps in an advance through the Wheatfield and the woods on the south but soon after being engaged the Third Brigade Third Division advanced to the front and the combined forces captured about 200 prisoners of Brig. Gen. Benning's Brigade and the colors of the 15th Georgia. At dark the Brigade was recalled to a line a few hundred yards in advance of the original position.
Casualties. Killed 1 man. Wounded 4 men. Total 5.
There are nine different variations of similar monuments (not including the inverted canons which signal headquarters) for the various Confederate States & Union brigades/batteries/divisions which fought at Gettysburg. Many of the tablets are made of granite, bronze and concrete. Some are made of all iron (position tablets). 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 aforementioned varieties. The monuments were erected just after the turn of the century, continuing to the first couple of years of the second decade (1912 the latest) of the 20th century. Most been preserved (waxing or power washed) or restored since the turn of the 21st century.
Information about these specific types of monuments:
Brigade Headquarters Markers (for Union & Confederate Tablets)
Brigade Headquarters (and Confederate artillery battalions, equivalent to Union artillery brigades) are bronze tablets mounted at an angle on a stone pedestal. They are the most numerous headquarters at Gettysburg, with over 70 Union and over 60 Confederate examples on the field. Union headquarters are marked with their corps or service branch symbol (like a cross, clover or crescent moon), while Confederate headquarters are simply labeled "C.S.A.". There are seventy-four brigade markers at Gettysburg honoring the AOP’s various brigades. They were built by Albert Russell & Sons Co. of Newburyport, Massachusetts and Charles Kappes. The pedestals consist of sea-green granite with a square 36” x 36” base; they weigh 3500 pounds. On each pedestal is mounted a bronze tablet with rounded corners weighing 300 pounds. There are sixty-four brigade markers honoring the ANV’s various brigades. They were built by Van Amringe Granite Company (pedestals), Albert Russell & Sons Co., Newburyport, Mass (tablets) and Charles Kappes (foundations). The last was completed in December 1910. The monuments consist of red circular Maine granite bases 34 1/2 inches diameter and weighing 3,000 pounds. On each base is mounted a 300 pound bronze tablet. SOURCE & SOURCE
The Bartlett’s Brigade - US Brigade 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 MN495.
From the nomination form:
Short Physical Description:
Bronze inscription tablet, 4'x3'8", mounted at a slant on pedestal of sea green granite monolith w/ round corners, 3'x3'. Overall 5'4" high.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Narrative
2.
Stone Sentinels
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Draw the Sword
5.
Historical Marker Database