The Bullet that Killed Jennie
February 5, 2012Period attire isn’t the only new thing at Jennie Wade House—2012 brings a new display that features the bullet Jennie was shot with. This unique piece of history packs a tragic tale into a tiny ball of metal.
Also, look for exciting new souvenirs in the gift shop! Our inventory grows every day!
The “Harvard Regiment”
February 2, 2012“Scarcely any Union regiment was in the heart of the storm longer than the Twentieth Massachusetts,” says History Today magazine. They weathered through nearly every battle of the Army of the Potomac, and a few others to boot. At Gettysburg, the men defended a pivotal position during Pickett’s Charge—an assault that, if successful, could have turned the tide of the Civil War. For all that they accomplished, the War took its toll on them: they suffered the highest casualties of any Massachusetts regiment and the fifth highest in the Union.
Known as “The Harvard Regiment,” the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was formed in Roxbury, MA. All of the officers, and a portion of the enlisted men, were Harvard graduates, hence the nickname. The regiment was catapulted into battle in October, 1861, a mere month out of basic training; it was four years before they laid down their weapons at the end of the war. Among the Harvard men who served was Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who would go on to be nominated to the Supreme Court by Teddy Roosevelt and be remembered as one of the most influential Justices in American history.
One “celebrity” of the Harvard Regiment was Colonel Paul J Revere, who was killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. He was the grandson of his namesake, the midnight rider and patriot of the American Revolution. An unusual monument—a puddingstone boulder—was erected in memory of Revere and the 43 other men of his company who died at the Battle of Gettysburg. The 30-ton colossus, dedicated in 1886, was imported by train from Roxbury, where many of the soldiers grew up. Now, it can be visited on Hancock Avenue, near the immortalized “copse of trees” and the Confederate High Water Mark.
For more monuments that “rock,” click here and here!
The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry
January 4, 2012The battle-scarred skeleton of an oak tree marks the junction of Doubleday Avenue and Mummasburg Road in Gettysburg. From a distance, you might wonder why such a tree is left standing, why isn’t a lively sapling planted in its place? Only as you draw closer do you begin to realize that this forlorn tree is more than it appears…that it stands just a little too straight…that it, in reality, is a monument.
The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry is forever memorialized in the “Stalwart Oak Tree” just described, dedicated September 3, 1888. The sides are scorched, the limbs torn away, in an imitation of the artillery fire damage that claimed the lives of man and nature alike. Of the 208 men from the 90th who fought at Gettysburg, just 8 were killed, but 45 were wounded and 40 were missing. It doesn’t seem like a lot, on the grand scale, but that was 45% of their number.
Examine the Stalwart Oak with care—you’ll find, near the top, a nest with mother bird and hatchlings. Many have speculated over the meaning of this sculpted detail. There are two primary schools of thought: some believe it tells the story of a soldier under fire, risking his life to rescue the baby birds and their fallen nest; others postulate that the nest is symbolic, representing new life rising from the tatters of war, much like the Phoenix being reborn. Either way, the monument is a powerful testament that deserves to be revered.
What does the Stalwart Oak say to you? Read about another powerful monument here.
The Charley Weaver Display
December 24, 2011The Soldiers National Museum is bringing you a new display, featuring the works of the museum’s very own founder, Cliff Arquette! Of course, you probably know him better as Charley Weaver from The Tonight Show, but did you know he made wood carvings? The pride of Mamma and all of Mt. Idy will be available for your enjoyment, so come on down!
Learn more about Charley Weaver!
The Schoolteachers’ Regiment
December 14, 2011The 151st Pennsylvania Infantry was recruited from six different counties in the autumn of 1862. Many of the enlistees were educators who had laid down their grade books and left their classrooms to defend their families, students, and country. For that, they earned the nickname “The Schoolteacher’s Regiment.” Their orders carried them to DC and Virginia, where Confederates were disrupting the Union encampments with guerilla strikes. Soon after, they were reassigned to the Army of the Potomac and fought their first real battle at Chancellorsville, in Virginia.
A month away from discharge, the regiment moved on to Gettysburg, where Lieutenant Colonel George McFarland took temporary command. For the battle, they joined up with the Union defense of Seminary Ridge and McPherson’s Ridge on the left flank. The Confederate offensive was powerful, forcing one company to retreat and the rest to hide in the lee of a barricade. Gunsmoke completely obscured the soldiers’ vision, it was so thick on the field, but they maintained their defense.
McFarland was stooping down to see under the smoke and try to gain an advantage over the rebels, when a Confederate bullet pierced both of his legs. A heroic Private nearly died carrying him to the hospital—one of his brass buttons was severed by a bullet! The Lt. Col. was saved, while the rest of the regiment reformed and returned to battle on Cemetery Hill. In total, the Schoolteacher’s Regiment suffered 337 casualties of the 467 men present at Gettysburg. Their memorial stands at the intersection of Meredith and South Reynolds Avenues.
Read More about our fascinating monuments and the stories behind them!
The Florida State Memorial
November 20, 2011The ranks of Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg represented all of their eleven states—even Florida! Not many Floridians made that long trek, just 700 men in three small regiments: the 2nd, the 5th, and the 8th. On the Centennial of the battle, July 3, 1963, the Florida State Memorial was dedicated to these soldiers and the 445 (64 percent!) of them reported as casualties. You can find this beautiful granite monument on West Confederate Avenue.
The Virginia Monument
October 18, 2011The Civil War saw our country split in two—North and South, Union and Confederate—but regardless of who was right, both sides were fighting for their beliefs, their families, and their way of life. It’s impossible to look at it as good guys vs. bad guys because it isn’t that simple. Good men fought and died on both sides of the battlefield, and it is only right to honor them. That is why Gettysburg features statues of both Union heroes, like the Pennsylvania State Memorial, and statues of Confederate heroes, like The Virginia Monument.
The Virginia Monument was the first of the Confederate monuments to be built at Gettysburg, and it remains the largest. It was commissioned on March 9, 1908 and cost $50,000, which, in today’s money, is the equivalent of $885,000. That’s pretty expensive! It towers forty-two feet above Seminary Ridge, just East of Spangler Woods and accessible by West Confederate Ave.
The primary sculpture is a 14-foot bronze portrait of General Robert E. Lee, mounted upon his horse Traveller. Lee rides high on a 28-foot granite pedestal with seven Confederate soldiers beneath him. Their bronze eyes survey the field before them: site of the famous infantry assault of Pickett’s Charge. On the other side of the field is Cemetery Ridge, where the Union lines made their stand. There, a statue of General George Meade meets Lee’s gaze.
The seven Confederate soldiers, according to sculptor Frederick William Sievers, are representative of the men of all walks of life who left home and trade behind to serve in the military. First, there are two riflemen, one symbolic of a professional man, the other a mechanic. Beside them, a man who was an artist now aims a pistol. In the center, a boy on horseback raises the Confederate flag. To his right, a businessman swings a bayonet, a farmer raises a rifle, and a youth sounds a bugle call. These smaller portraits remind us that they were more than just soldiers.
The monument, minus the sculptures, was installed in 1913 and dedicated at the Gettysburg reunion—the 50th anniversary of the battle, which saw over 50,000 veterans gathered together from both sides of the war. The completed statue was unveiled in 1917 by Miss Virginia Carter, General Lee’s own niece, and presented by Henry C. Stuart, the governor of Virginia.
To visit this remarkable piece of history, plan your trip to Gettysburg Battlefield Tours today!
The Haunted Orphanage
October 8, 2011Do you know the truth about Gettysburg’s spookiest locations? Joe shares the stories behind Gettysburg’s Haunted Orphanage and the Jennie Wade House.
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The Pennsylvania State Memorial
September 20, 2011Nothing seems to stand the test of time quite like a monument. Buildings, cities… even civilizations come and go, leaving little behind for us to glean their nature from. Monuments last. The Pyramids of Giza, the Maoi heads of Easter Island, the Parthenon: all still standing. What might future archaeologists determine about us from the Washington Monument? The Statue of Liberty? Or how about the Pennsylvania State Memorial?
If you’re not in the know, the Pennsylvania State Memorial adorns the Gettysburg Battlefield, a tribute to the Pennsylvanian soldiers who fought there. Standing an impressive 110 feet tall, you can’t miss it; it’s the largest monument on the battlefield. The base is a pedestal, accessible by stairs, from which four grand supporting towers rise to support the dome and arches. The Northeast column houses a spiral staircase that leads to an observation deck with a breathtaking view of the battlefield: don’t miss it!
As you walk the perimeter of the monument, you will notice ninety bronze, name-covered tablets embedded in the granite surface. Each plaque represents a Pennsylvanian regiment, and each name belongs to one of the 34,530 Pennsylvanian fighting men who served his family and his country in the Battle of Gettysburg. Those who were killed in the line of duty are marked with stars beside their names, to help us remember the cost of war.
Also noteworthy are the larger-than-life statues that are incorporated in the monument. Eight portrait statues, two facing in each direction, depict the heroic leaders who took part in the battle. Seven are Pennsylvanians, including General George Meade, who commanded the Army of the Potomac, and Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin, who delayed Lee’s troops in Virginia and put together a state militia. The eighth statue is of President Abraham Lincoln, whose Gettysburg Address is among the nation’s most famous speeches.
Crowning the Pennsylvania State Monument is an even larger statue (21 feet tall) made with the bronze of melted-down cannons and known as The Goddess of Victory and Peace. This was modeled by sculptor Samuel Murray, who also did some bas-relief scenes and detail work on the monument. The goddess sculpture is symbolic of our preference for peace and our willingness to do what’s necessary to protect it.
What else might future archaeologists find in and around the battlefield? Visit Gettysburg and find out! Or go on our website!
12th Massachusetts Infantry
August 23, 2011Located on Doubleday Avenue, near the observation tower in Gettysburg, sits the 12th Mass Infantry monument. The monument is one of twenty-five honoring Massachusetts troops who participated in the battle of Gettysburg. The monument overlooks Oak Ride, an important battlefield and scene of fierce fighting – it designates the place where seven companies of the regiment were placed behind the stone wall on July 1st 1863, pouring a deadly crossfire into Inverson’s brigade.
The 12th Massachusetts infantry is better known as the Webster Regiment raised up from Essex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties. It was organized at Fort Warren and mustered into service on June 26th 1861. The regiment was named after its first colonel, Fletcher Webster, and in honor of his father, Daniel Webster. The 12th brought 301 men to the field during the Civil War, losing 5 killed, 52 wounded and 62 missing.
The monument itself is in the shape of a large granite Minnie bullet that is draped in an American flag. Artistic relief elements include a medallion of Daniel Webster’s profile with a cartridge box, sling and bayonet on the base.
Have you seen it yet? If not, you need to visit Gettysburg and check it out! Learn more about taking a tour of Gettysburg on one of our famous double decker buses on our website.