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United States Department of the Interior G e r f t h o • U i . s . 10-23 (M ay 1929) UNITED STATES 30S//33 93? DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE -Gatiyshurg. n a t i o n a l ''p a r k F I L E N O . VISTA CUTTING PROJECT Area of Little Round Top, Devil's Den, the TTheatfield, and Peach Orchard. IMPORTANT Frederick Tilberg This file constitutes a part of the official records of the Assistant Research Technician National Park Service and should not be separated or papers December 28, 1939 withdrawn without express authority of the official in charge. All Files should be returned promptly to the File Room. Officials and employees will be held responsible for failure to observe these rules, which are necessary to protect the integrity of the official records. ARNO B. CAMMERER, O 8. OATBRNMEfT ntMTIWA O R IG I 6 7410 Director. 4$- VISTA CUTTING PROJECT - Gettysburg National Military Park Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Summary Account of the Battle in the Area of Little Round Top, Devil's Den, the hheatfield, and Ee'aoh Orchard. The Union line, upon its establishment by noon "of July 2, was entirely south of the town of Gettysburg, the right flank resting near Spangler's Spring, the left at Little Round Top. It was the center and left of the Union Line, extending from Ziegler's Grove southward, which was to bear the impact of battle on the afternoon of July 2. Beginning at this grove of trees and extending southward along the ridge were the Divisions of Hays, Gibbon and Caldwell of Hancock's Second Corps. To the left of the Second Corps, lay Sickles' Third Corps, prolonging the line of battle to Little Round Top. Arriving later in the day, the Fifth Corps, under General George Sykes, was posted in reserve on Baltimore Pike, near the Rock Creek Crossing. The Sixth Corps, under General John Sedgwick, after a long, forced march, reached the field still later and was posted in reserve to the southeast of Big Round Top, from which position parts of the Corps could be moved as circumstances demanded. Meade's line, three miles in length, resembled a fishhook, with the point of the hook at Spangler's Spring, -¿he Lend at Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill, and the snank extending southward on Cemetery Ridge to Little Round Top. The Confederate line, as established at the time of the opening of the attack on the afternoon of July 2, was nearly the same shape as that of the Federal but, being the outer line, was about six miles in length. On the Confederate right, facing the Round Tops were Hood's and KcLaws' Divisions of Longstreet's Corps. On the left of McLaws', extending along the line of Seminary Ridge, were the Divisions of Anderson and Pender of Hill's Corps, with Heth's Division in the rear in reserve. Ewell's Corps, composed of the Divisions commanded by Rodes, Early, and Johnson, held the line from Seminary Ridge east­ ward through the town of Gettysburg to Benner's Hill, east of Rock Creek. The absence of cavalry on the Federal left flank, left the Federal commander without definite information as to the movements of the Confederates. Gamble's and Devin's Brigades of Buford's Cavalry, who had faced the Confederate advance the morning of July 1, west of Gettys­ burg, had been occupying the valley west of Little Round Top. About 10 a.m., July 2, they were ordered, by some mistake, to move to Westminster, Maryland, before the arrival of Gregg's Cavalry Division from Hanover and Merritt's Brigade from Mechanicsburg— (now Thurmont), Mary1and. In the absence of information from the cavalry, and wishing to know what was in his front, General Sickles, commanding the Third Corps which occupied the ground from Little Round Top to the George Weikert farm buildings, sent the Berdan Sharpshooters and the Third Maine Infantry -3- forward on a reconnaissance. On reaching the Pitzer Woods beyond the Emmitsburg Road, shortly before noon, they found the Confederates there in force, and after a sharp engagement with Wilcox’s Brigade, withdrew and reported to Sickles. Believing that Lee planned a flank movement on the left of his line, and that the Emmitsburg Road afforded better positions for the artillery, General Sickles moved his Corps forward and posted Humphrey’s Division on the right along the Emmittsburg Road, his left extending to the Peach Orchard. Birney’s Division prolonged the line from the Peach Orchard southeastward across the Wheatfield and along the wooded ridge to Devil's Den. It was Lee's plan to attack the Federal left which, he thought, terminated at the Peach Orchard. General Longstreet was directed to place the divisions of McLaws and Hood on Warfield Ridge, across the Emmitsburg Road in order^to^artiallJVenvelope the Federal left flank. General Ewell was instructed to make a demonstration simultaneously against the Federal positions on Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill, to be converted into a real attack if opportunity offered. General A. P. Hill was ordered to threaten the Federal center to prevent reinforcements being drawn to support the Federal left or right. General G. K. Warren, Chief Engineer of the Federal Army, after inspecting Sickles advanced line, rode to Little Round top which he found unoccupied except by a signal station. Viarren at once realized the tactical importance of the hill on Meade's left flank, and realizing -4- that Confederates had already reached the woods nearly a mile to the southwest and were in line of battle, he sent a member of his staff to Sickles for troops. Sickles informed him that troops could not be spared. Warren sent another staff officer to Meade who immediately ordered Sykes to move his Fifth Corps to Little Round Top. Barnes' Division of this Corps had already been called for by Sickles to defend his line, and three brigades commanded by Vincent, Tilton, and Sweitzer, were moving toward the Wheatfield. Learning of the need of troops on Little Round Top, Vincent moved back, skirted the east side of Little Round Top and took a position on the southern slope of Little Round Top, arriving Just before the Confederates from Hood's right advanced over the west slope of Big Round Top in the direction of Little Round Top. Having watched these movement, Warren rode down to Wheatfield Road at the northern base of Little Round Top where he met Colonel Patrick O’Rorke, in command of the 140th New York regiment, and ordered his command to the crest of the hill. The regiment reached that point Just as General E. M* Laws' Alabama Brigade was advancing on the opposite slope of the hill. With the support of Weed's Brigade, the combined forces held the crest of the hill after a desperate engagement on the southern and western slopes. During the struggle for the possession of Little Round Top, other Confederate brigades were moving against the Sickles line at Devil's Den, and the woods adJacent to the Wheat- field. In echelon manner, the Confederate attack was forced by the brigades of Robertson, Benning, Anderson, Kershaw, Senimes, Barksdale, Wofford, Wilcox, Perry and Wright against the Divisions of Birney and Humphreys, and Hancock's Second Corps. The Valley of Death between the Round Tops and the ridge extending northward from Devil's Den was now a seething mass of opposing forces, enshrouded in clouds of smoke. Meade had already depleted his right flank by ordering Geary's and Ruger's Divisions and Lockwood's Brigade in support of the Third Corps. He now sent all of the Fifth Corps to the defense of Little Round Top and the Sickles line, and ordered Caldwell's Divisions of the Second Corps, in position south of The Angle, to the Wheatfield section of the Sickles line. Willard's Brigade of Hays' Division, in position at Zeigler's grove, was ordered to move southward and to oppose the advance of the Confederate, Barksdale, who after crossing the Emmitsburg Road north of the Peach Orchard, and the woods and fields north of the Trostle farm buildings, reached Watson's Federal Battery near the main Federal line on Cemetery Ridge. General Sickles was severely and Barksdale mortally wounded in this drive. On Barksdale's right, Y/offord's brigade of McLaws* Division broke through the salient at the Peach Orchard and reached the valley between Devil's Den and Little Round Top where they were met by a charge of the Pennsylvania Reserves, of Crawford's Division, led by Colonel William McCandless. Wofford was forced to withdraw to the wroods west of the Wheatfield; McCandless' Reserves advanced across the valley from their position on the north of Little Round Top and reached the stone wall on the east side of the Wheatfield. At the time that Sickles was wounded, Meade directed Hancock to assume command of Sickles' Corps in addition to his own. Newton, now in command of the First Corps, sent in Doubleday's Division. With these troops, Hancock checked the advance of the Confederate brigades of Barksdale, Wilcox, Perry and Wright, while the entire Fifth Corps, now in position on Little Round Top and in support of the Sickles line, checked the advance of Hood's and McLaws' Confederate Divisions. Brigades of the Federal Sixth Corps reached the field near the close of the engagement. Withdrawing from its advance position on the Wheatfield Road near the Peach Orchard, Bigelow's Battery made a determined stand at the Trostle buildings and succeeded in checking the Confederate advance until the gap on Sickles' first line was protect­ ed by a line of guns on Cemetery Ridge.
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