GDG- 71st Pennsylvania and PA Monument

Thu Apr 17 21:18:50 CDT 2008

Hi John,

Here's some info about the 71st PA on 3 July:

"On the following morning, July 3d, the decisive day, occasional picket
firing was heard along the line, which continued until a little past
noon, when the enemy opened from one hundred and fifty pieces of
artillery, which had been speedily and in a most orderly manner run to
the front, concentrating his fire upon the left centre, in the midst of
which, in the exposed part of the field, stood Webb's brigade. Though
this part of the line had now been occupied for nearly forty-eight
hours, it still had little or no protection. A low stone wall surmounted
by a rail, back of which the men had thrown a little earth dug with
their bayonets, was all the shelter afforded them from the unparalleled
storm of shells and fiery bolts which was hurled upon them. To the right
of the position held by the Seventy-first, the wall was higher, and
stood upon a shelving ledge five or six feet in height, and upon the
left were groves, and clumps of trees and bushes both of which afforded
better shelter; but the ground where it stood was swept by concentring
ranges of artillery that made its occupation appalling. The batteries of
Cushing, Arnold, and Brown, posted upon the left and a little to the
rear, belched forth in reply over the heads of the men, a perfect
torrent of shot and shells. Rarely in the world's battles has there been
an infantry line more fearfully exposed to artillery fire than that held
by this regiment. For two hours was this terrible duel incessantly
maintained, in which the crash of the guns, the shrieking of shells and
solid shots, the bursting and whirl of the shrapnell, and the flying
fragments of rock shattered by the solid shot, formed a combination of
terrors which the mind falters in conceiving. 

Cushing's Battery was at length silenced, its commander dead, its
cannoneers stricken down, and some of its guns disabled. Seeing its
crippled condition, volunteers from the regiment and from the
Sixty-ninth flew to its relief, and soon brought it again into play.
Arnold's on the right, its guns having become overheated, many of its
men cut down, struggled with the few spared to keep its voice in chorus,
and thanks to their training and heroism were equal to the task. A shot
struck one of Cushing's caissons, and instantly three of these standing
near, and loaded down with fixed ammunition, were blown up, hurling into
the air the fragments of this once powerful battery, which descended in
a perfect shower upon companies A and F, lying near them. Men, horses,
and limbers were hurled together in confusion.

When the battle with artillery, the best and most destructive which the
wit of man has yet devised, had ceased, a body of eighteen thousand
infantry, the flower of the rebel army, which during the morning had
been concentrated, organized, and inspired with the belief of possessing
resistless power, issued from the wood which crowns the Seminary Ridge a
mile away in front, and in well-dressed lines of battle, with flags
defiantly displayed, moved forward with all the steadiness and precision
of a parade. Making as if to strike upon Doubieday's position farther to
the rebel right, it suddenly veered to the left, and when the centre
came opposite the position held by Webb's Brigade, it advanced full upon
the Union line. 

The artillery at first hurled shot upon it, but as it approched nearer,
caniister was delivered in rapid rounds. But still the well ordered
lines marched steadily on, and, as they came within musket range, a
rapid fire was poured upon them. The ground was strewn with the dead and
wounded. They quickly climbed the fences at the Emmittsburg Pike, and
were soon in the open field skirted by the Union line. At this moment,
Colonel Smith ordered the regiment up, and poured in a staggering volley
upon the advancing foe. Still he came on in overwhelming force. The
position of the Seventy-first was now most critical. The artillery,
posted a few paces in the rear on more elevated ground, with the
infantry supports, were pouring in a ceaseless fire over the heads of
the men, who were in hardly less danger from this fire than from that of
the enemy. Seeing this, and desirous of saving his men for a final
determined resistance, leaving the left wing, which was less exposed, in
command of Lieutenant Colonel Kochersperger, Colonel Smith posted the
right behind a rude stone wall to the right and rear of the left wing,
which had been entirely unoccupied. As he was leading his men to this
new position, he ordered officers and men to seize as many of the loaded
arms, which had been collected on the previous day, as they could take,
and when they had reached the shelter were able, with these, to keep up
a steady and well directed enfilading fire upon the foe, as with the
madness of furies they rushed on, crossed the walls, and forced
themselves up among the Union batteries. The left wing of the regiment,
overborne by vastly superior numbers, was obliged to yield. As the
enemy, with wild shouts, rushed over the slight wall and up through the
little grove where were the guns, Smith, with the right wing, from his
partial cover, poured in volley after volley with terrible effect. 

But the impetus of the enemy's attack was now spent. In passing that
fearful plain in front, it had been almost annihilated. General
Armistead, who had reached the farthest point in this advance, and had
his hand upon a Union gun, with the flags of his brigade about him, fell
mortally wounded.

The left wing, though forced back, was still in good order, and joined
with the Seventy-second posted in the second line, again moved forward,
pushing the foe from the slight advantage gained. Supports came up
rapidly. Stannard's Brigade sallied out upon the left, and, coming in
upon the enemy's flank, swept in a goodly number of prisoners. The line
was made secure, and that proud defiant body of men, which a few minutes
before had advanced with banners, in measured tread, lay bleeding upon
the plain.

The regiment lost one-half of its effective strength. Captains John A.
Steffan and William H. Dull were among the killed. Of fifteen officers
who entered the engagement, nine fell. When the cloud had lifted and the
smoke of battle had cleared away, the field presented a ghastly
appearance. Says one who was an eye witness to the scene, 

"We had scarcely given way to a feeling of exultation over our victory,
when we were filled with sadness at the evidence, on every hand, of the
terrible sacrifice of life with which it had beeni purchased. Here lay a
dead rebel stretched across the body of a wounded Federal. By their side
was a pile of wounded and dead struggling to escape each other. The
crippled and dead artillery horses lay scattered upon all the field.
Disabled artillery, muskets, canteens, knapsacks, and all the munitions
of war, were strewn thick on every hand. At the spot where the enemy
made his last feeble charge, many were killed. The regiment buried these
on the spot where they fell, and at one end of the huge grave a board
was placed bearing this inscription,' 
The remains of the Ninth and Seventeenth Virginia, Regiments. A worthy
foe. 
Generals Hancock, Gibbon, and Webb, commanding the corps, division, and
brigade respectively, were wounded. General Webb was able to keep the
field, and assumed command of the division, Colonel Smith of the
brigade. The regiment captured in the battle four stands of rebel
colors. Among them were the Ninth and Nineteenth Virginia."

(from the website "Pennsylvania in the Civil War)

VR, Rick Schaus

-----Original Message-----
From: gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com
[mailto:gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com] On Behalf Of John Gross
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 5:53 PM
To: GDG
Subject: GDG- 71st Pennsylvania and PA Monument

Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:

According to the NPS at
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/getttour/tstops/tstd3-20p.htm , eight
companies of the 71st PA were at the stone wall on July 3rd. Is this
true,
and if so which two companies *were not* at the wall and where were they
during the charge?

Also does anyone have a list of the names on the PA Monument? I would
like
to know if Benjamin Flood of the 71st is listed.

Thank you,

John Gross
floridarebel at bellsouth.net

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