GDG- The Bliss Farm Torching

[JIM COOKE]

BG Alexander Hay's report concering July 3 states in part: 

About 11 AM an entire lull occurred, which was continued until nearly 2 PM. Anticipating the movement of the enemy, I caused the house and barn in our front, which interrupted the fire of our artillery, to be burned. At the hour last named, they opened upon our front the most terrific and uninterrupted fire from artillery... until 4:30 o'clock, when a heavy column of the enemy moved forward in three lines....

So Hays places the burning of the property in the above timeframe and the cannonade from 2 until 4:30.

Major Ellis of the 14th CT writes:

Having received orders to destroy these buildings, they were fired in several places.... we then returned to the picket reserve...we remained under the terrific shell fire of Friday afternoon, from 1 PM until the battery (Arnold's) retired... I moved the regiment forward... to cover the space previously occupied by the battery.

So Ellis places the burning earlier than 1 PM when the cannonade began.

That may be as close as we can get in terms of a timeframe for the firing of the structures. And the Bliss's damage claim was denied.

JC
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert G. Pielke <rpielke at ca.rr.com>
To: GDG <gettysburg at arthes.com>
Sent: Sun, 4 May 2008 13:49:32 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: GDG- The Bliss Farm Torching

Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


Thanks...I was hoping there was something more exact -- just because of the lack of standard time. [BTW -- I thought I read somewhere that Sgt. Hitchcock of the 111th gave or transmitted the orders to the 14th....but I could be wrong]

Bob Pielke