The 27th Connecticut embarked on their last fight of their nine-month service at Battle of Gettysburg, on July 1, 2 and 3, 1863. Here, in the late afternoon of July 2, the 27th entered the battle with a total of 3 companies only 160 men out of the original 829 who had joined just nine months earlier. They occupied the portion of the union line known as "The Wheatfield," where the regiment successfully held back the rebels. By the end of the battle, 10 men were dead, 23 wounded, and 4 were missing. Among the regiment's casualties was Regimental Commander Lt. Col. Henry C. Merwin, who was struck by a bullet. After his death, Maj. James H. Colburn took command of the regiment for the rest of its service.
Lt. Colonel Merwin led the 27th Connecticut Infantry Regiment through Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. He fell leading his men in their charge acrosss the Wheatfield on July 2nd. His last words were, "My poor regiment is suffering fearfully."
The monument was erected in 1880 at the location in the Wheatfield where Lieutenant Colonel Merwin was mortally wounded. In 1885 the regimental monument was placed at that location by the regimental association and Merwin's memorial was relocated to nearby Wheatfield Road, with the additional inscription at the bottom of the monument added.
The monument to Lieutenant Colonel Henry C. Merwin is south of Gettysburg along Wheatfield Road on the north edge of the Wheatfield. The monument is on the right or southwest side of the road if traveling southeast along Wheatfield Avenue. Two large boulders are in front of the monument as well as a vernacular fence of wood. Parking is available at small, cutout shoulders along the road, some wide, some narrow. Be sure to stay off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 4:54 P.M. I was at an elevation of 550 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 me offers the following information: The monument was dedicated on July 1, 1880 by the State of Connecticut. The monument is a gravestone-sized, granite monolith marker with an inscription cut into the north face. The overall height is 18 inches. The monument was moved in 1897 and 1987. There is an inscription on the front side of this monument which reads:
In memory Of
Lt. Col. Henry C. Merwin
27th C.V.
Who Fell Mortally
Wounded Where
The Monument of His
Regiment Stands.
The Henry Merwin Marker 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 MN770.
From the Nomination Form:
Civil War Marker of the GBMA Era (1863-1895). Marker commemorates Col. Henry Merwin of the 27 Connecticut Infantry. Marker was originally erected to mark spot where Merwin fell, spot is now occupied by regimental mn. 1 of earliest mns in Park. Located on Wheatfield Road.
Short Physical Description:
Gravestone-like monolith, 14" wide, 4 3/4" thick, 18" high. Inscriptions cut into north face only.
Long Physical Description:
Gravestone-sized granite monolith marker with an inscription cut into the north face. Overall height is 18 inches. Located on Wheatfield Road.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
Stone Sentinels
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Draw the Sword
5.
Historical Marker Database
6.
Wikipedia
7.
Battlefield Back Stories