Category: Battlefield Highlights
Joseph Latimer and Benner’s Hill
April 8, 2025Joseph Latimer and Benner’s Hill
Joseph Latimer was Born on August 27th, 1843, in Prince William County Virginia. Latimer would go on to study at the Virginia Military Institute (V.M.I). During the beginning of the American Civil War Latimer would first serve as Cadet Drill Master for the Richmond Hampden Artillery. In the fall of 1861, he would be promoted to first lieutenant and would see action with Richard Ewells Division in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign 0f 1862. In March of 1863 he would be promoted to major at just 19 years old. Known for his small stature and young age the major was often called “The Boy Major” by men within the division.
Benner’s Hill is a small rise about 1,400 yards northeast of Cemetery Hill. At the time of the battle the crest of the hill was open with corn and wheat being grown on the hill. The hill was part of Christian and Susan Benner’s 208-acre farm (the family lived closer to Wolf’s Hill). On the first day of the battle the 35th Virginia Battalion of Cavalry would report Union forces near the hill. These forces would play a factor in delaying Richard Ewell on the evening of July 1st.
On the morning of July 2nd Major Latimer would ride along the Confederate left looking for a platform to allow his batteries to engage union batteries on Cemetery Hill and Culps Hill. He would eventually settle on Benner Hill his only real option. In the late afternoon the pieces of Latimer’s Battalion would open on Cemetery Hill and Culps Hill. His artillerymen would be outnumbered by the responding union pieces Benner Hill was quickly becoming a disastrous place to be. The 1 ½ hour duel would begin to tear apart Latimer’s guns. Near dusk some brigades of Major General Edward Allegheny Johnson would march through Latimer’s remaining guns on their way to Culps Hill (the guns would go quiet only for a few moments while this happens). Around this time Latimer would be struck by a piece of artillery shell that would pierce his left arm and kill his horse with the horse then pinning him to the ground. By the end of this fighting only 4 guns would remain on Benner’s hill.
The boy major would have his arm amputated and he was evacuated with the army to Winchester. Fearing the approach of the union army the confederates would move Latimer to Harrisonburg Virginia where his wound would eventually become gangrenous and he would die August 1, 1863, 3 weeks shy of his 20th birthday. The men who served with him would eventually purchase a headstone monument for his burial site. Benner’s Hill today is a quiet spot on the battlefield it is not as heavily visited as other popular spots on the battlefield but is just as packed with history as any spot on the battlefield. To reach Benner’s hill head east on York Street, continue straight onto the Hanover Road. Follow the Hanover Road and turn Right onto Latimer Avenue You are now at Benner’s Hill.
Sources
https://emergingcivilwar.com/2016/03/01/gettysburg-off-the-beaten-path-benners-hill/
https://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/battlefield-terrain/benners-hill-terrain/
Myers, David Thomas, The Boy Major of the Confederacy, Joseph White Latimer, Sprinkle Publications, Harrisonburg, VA, 2006
Virtual Tour of the 10 Most-Visited Gettysburg Battlefield Sites
February 26, 2025The Gettysburg Battlefield is a historical treasure, preserving the memories of one of the most pivotal battles in American history. For those who can’t make the trip in person, virtual tours offer an incredible opportunity to explore the battlefield’s most iconic sites from the comfort of your home. This article offers a virtual tour of the 10 most-visited Gettysburg Battlefield sites, complete with links to panoramic 360° online views of each location. Let’s step onto hallowed ground and experience a sneak peek at these historical locations.
Battlefield Highlights: The Peach Orchard – Where The Battle Converged
October 29, 2024The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, remains one of the most significant engagements of the American Civil War.
In the many long years since that famous battle, countless modern-day visitors to the southern part of the preserved battleground have been drawn to Devil’s Den and Little Round Top — the rocky hill is a must-stop for its panoramic views, and kids love the Den’s immense boulders. As the park evolved, these sites have received a lion’s share of attention, whether through preservation efforts, interpretation, or tourism. But throughout the actual battle itself, another nearby location known as The Peach Orchard would prove to be just as important (if not more so) to the outcome of the battle than many of those other, more famous locations.
Little Round Top: Steadfast Bulwark in the Defense of Gettysburg
July 29, 2024The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, stands as one of the pivotal moments in American Civil War history. Among the numerous strategic locations within this battle, Little Round Top holds a place of particular significance. This small, rocky hill on the southern end of the battlefield became the site of intense fighting on the second day of the battle and played a crucial role in the Union Army’s ultimate victory.
Gettysburg’s Evergreen Cemetery: Keystone of the Battleground
January 26, 2024Imagine standing on hallowed ground, where the echoes of the past linger—a quiet sanctuary of bereavement and rest, centrally placed to witness pivotal moments in our nation’s history. Evergreen Cemetery is not just another burial ground; it’s a living testament to the town and inhabitants of Gettysburg and their sacrifices before, during, and since the Civil War.
Battlefield Highlights: Culp’s Hill – The Long Fight
July 21, 2023One of the most important geographical features that played a prominent role in the Battle of Gettysburg is Culp’s Hill, located on the eastern side of the battlefield. The hill offered a high-ground advantage, providing Union troops an excellent vantage point to observe and defend against Confederate movements, while its elevation and rocky terrain made it an ideal defensive position.
Battlefield Highlights: The Wheatfield
June 29, 2023The second day of the Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest day of the battle. Throughout that day, fighting at numerous locations around the battlefield involved 100,000 combatants, 20,000 of whom would end the day either killed, wounded, captured, or missing, making July 2nd, 1863, a truly dire day in the history of our nation. And centered amidst the near-constant ebb and flow of the ongoing carnage was a small patch of land… 19 acres of wheat owned by local farmer George Rose, that history would come to know as “The Wheatfield.”
Battlefield Highlights: Where the Battle Began – Buford Holds The High Ground
May 30, 2023Have you ever wondered about the pivotal moments that shaped the outcome of the American Civil War? One such moment occurred on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.
General John Buford’s actions on that first day at Gettysburg were crucial in determining the final outcome of the battle. By holding the line against Confederate forces, he helped buy time for the Union army to reinforce its position, an action that ultimately determined the course of the entire conflict.
Revisiting Pickett’s Charge: Marching into the Fire
March 30, 2023The Battle of Gettysburg is often identified as the definitive turning point in the American Civil War. Fought from July 1st to July 3rd, 1863, in and around the Pennsylvania town from whence it takes its name, the famous battle resulted in the loss of over 50,000 soldiers on both sides, making it one of the bloodiest engagements in American history.
One of the most famous and controversial moments of the battle was “Pickett’s Charge,” a failed Confederate direct assault against the Union battlefront that has since become a symbol of gallant bravery and terrible sacrifice. Even today, 160 years later, the grim details of that terrible feat still echo across the empty fields where that final, brutal charge took place, and where so many desperate Confederate soldiers faultlessly obeyed their orders to march into the fire.
The Devil’s Den: Exploring the Key to Little Round Top
January 28, 2023One of the most famous battlefield locations at Gettysburg is Devil’s Den, a boulder-strewn hill rock formation located on the southmost end of Houck’s Ridge, about 500 yards west of the hill known as Little Round Top. Used extensively as a firing position by artillery and sharpshooters on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, it was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war and is an important stop on battlefield tours of the area.