The Ninety Pennsylvania Infantry is honored by a monument, a secondary monument, and a position stone.
About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? September 3, 1889.
What is it made out of? Sculpture: white granite with bronze elements;Base: granite.
What size is it? Overall: approx. H. 13 ft. x Circum: 8 ft.
Who made it? Unknown, sculptor.
What does it depict? Sculpture depicts a branchless oak tree trunk from which various objects hang. These objects include a knapsack, cartridge box, rifle, Corps disk insignia, shield and State Seal. A bird perches on an upper branch where her nest and chick are located. Vines are draped around the lower portion of the trunk. The most notable feature of the monument is the bird’s nest with baby birds nestled inside while the mother bird keeps close watch over her brood. It is alleged that during the battle a soldier saw a robin’s nest tumble to the ground and he climbed up to replace it with the babies still alive inside. The “tree” stands fourteen feet high. Interestingly, the flank markers that mark the right and left flank of the regiment are also miniature tree stumps.
What does it honor? It indicates the position held by the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry on the early afternoon of July 1, 1863, when attacked by Rodes’ Division until compelled to retreat.
How is it inscribed? 90TH P.V./2ND BRIG. 2ND DIV./FIRST CORPS (On shield:) RIGHT OF FIRST CORPS/HERE FOUGHT THE 90TH/PENNA. INFANTRY/ON THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 1, 1863./KILLED AND MORTALLY WOUNDED 11,/WOUNDED 44, CAPTURED OR MISSING/39, TOTAL 94, OF 208 ENGAGED./ORGANIZED AT PHILA. OCT. 1, 1861/MUSTERED OUT, NOV. 26, 1864.
When was this photograph taken? August 26, 2011.
Where is it located? Located Gettysburg National Military Park, Oak Hill, east side of Doubleday Avenue, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? Yes.
Has this monument been moved or changed? Items added in April 1989 include the birds, rifle, canteen (which was stolen ca. 1982), cannonball and scabbarded bayonet.
Monument Details, Alternative Views, and Contextual Views
Secondary Monuments and Markers
There are three additional monuments and markers related to the 90th Pennsylvania at Gettysburg.
Monument Title: Monument to July 2nd and 3rd Positions.
Photographed: June 5, 2011.
Location: Ziegler’s Grove, North Hancock Avenue. The location of this monument is marked on the above map by a BLUE pushpin.
Description: A bronze eagle with its wings spread rests atop a carved granite drum which rests atop a granite shaft. On the front of the granite shaft is a bronze plaque depicting a soldier’s canteen surrounded by oak leaves. It indicates the position held by the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry on the early afternoon of July 1, 1863, when attacked by Rodes’ Division until compelled to retreat. Items added in April 1989 include the birds, rifle, canteen (which was stolen ca. 1982), cannonball and scabbarded bayonet. Monument is a smooth granite shaft with a cap that contains a bronze drum and eagle set on a 4.6 foot square base. The shaft has incised and excised inscriptions, a bronze tablet on the left side and a bronze bas-relief on the right side. Overall height is 10.8 feet. Flanking markers are ten inches square.
Inscription: “This Regiment recruited in Phila. responded to the first call April 6, 1861. Served until Aug. 9, as the 9th P.V. Reorganized Oct 1, 1861, as the 90th P.V. Serving the First and Fifth Corps, and participating in all the important battles of the Army of the Potomac until mustered out Nov. 26, 1864. Non sibi sed patraie”
Monument Title: July 2nd Position Marker.
Photographed: September 18, 2009.
Location: South Hancock Avenue. The marker is located on Hancock Avenue near the Pennsylvania Monument. The location of this monument is marked on the above map by a PINK pushpin.
Description: A large native boulder with bronze plaque affixed, erected in 1889 by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Denotes position on July 2, 1863 against the attack by Confederate General Barksdale. 3.7×3.5 foot and 6.3 foot high
.
At Gettysburg
The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry served as a member of Baxter’s Brigade in Robinson’s Division of the First Corps, Army of the Potomac.
Commander: Col. Peter Lyle (December 24, 1821-July 17, 1879). Tobacconist from Philadelphia.
Number Engaged: 208
Casualties: 8 killed, 45 wounded, 40 missing
Officers Killed at Gettysburg:
- Chaplain Horatio S. Howell, of Brooklyn, New York, killed on July 1
Soldiers Buried in the Pennsylvania Plot of the Gettysburg National Cemetery:
- Pvt. James Keating, Company H, B-70
- Pvt. Wilson Miller, Company G, E-17
Medal of Honor Winners: SELLERS, ALFRED J. Rank and organization: Major, 90th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Gettysburg, Pa., 1 July 1863. Entered service at: Pennsylvania. Born: 2 March 1836, Plumsteadville, Bucks County, Pa. Date of issue: 21 July 1894. Citation: Voluntarily led the regiment under a withering fire to a position from which the enemy was repulsed.
General Information
Raised: Philadelphia.
Notable Facts: The 90th wore a chassuer uniform.
Regimental History ~ Dyer’s Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:
Organized at Philadelphia October 1, 1861. Moved to Baltimore, Md., March 31, 1862, thence to Washington, D.C., April 21 and to Aquia Creek Landing, Va., and duty there until May 9. Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army Potomac, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, to May, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, to June, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to November, 1864.
SERVICE.–Duty near Fredericksburg, Va., until May 25. Expedition to Front Royal to intercept Jackson May 25-June 16. Duty at Manassas, Warrenton and Culpeper until August. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9. Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the Rappahannock August 21-23. Thoroughfare Gap August 28. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Chantilly September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-24. Battles of South Mountain September 14. Antietam September 16-17. Duty near Sharpsburg, Md., until October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Burnside’s 2nd Campaign, “Mud March,” January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth and Belle Plains until April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Pollock’s Mill Creek April 29-May 2. Fitzhugh’s Crossing April 29-30. Chancellorsville May 2-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Duty on Orange & Alexandria Railroad until May. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania C. H. May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Ford May 25. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. White Oak Swamp June 13. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16 to November 26, 1864. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Reconnaissance to Dinwiddie C. H. September 15. Consolidated with 11th Pennsylvania Infantry November 26, 1864. Regiment lost during service 5 Officers and 98 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 126 Enlisted men by disease. Total 230.
Pennsylvania at Gettysburg
1st Reserve :: 2nd Reserve :: 5th Reserve :: 6th Reserve :: 9th Reserve :: 10th Reserve :: 11th Reserve :: 12th Reserve :: 13th Reserve :: 11th Infantry :: 23rd Infantry :: 26th Infantry :: 26th Emergency :: 27th Infantry :: 28th Infantry :: 29th Infantry :: 46th Infantry :: 49th Infantry :: 53rd Infantry :: 56th Infantry :: 57th Infantry :: 61st Infantry :: 62nd Infantry :: 63rd Infantry :: 68th Infantry :: 69th Infantry :: 71st Infantry :: 72nd Infantry :: 73rd Infantry :: 74th Infantry :: 75th Infantry :: 81st Infantry :: 82nd Infantry :: 83rd Infantry :: 84th Infantry :: 88th Infantry :: 90th Infantry :: 91st Infantry :: 93rd Infantry :: 95th Infantry :: 96th Infantry :: 98th Infantry :: 99th Infantry :: 102nd Infantry :: 105th Infantry :: 106th Infantry :: 107th Infantry :: 109th Infantry :: 110th Infantry :: 111th Infantry :: 114th Infantry :: 115th Infantry :: 116th Infantry :: 118th Infantry :: 119th Infantry :: 121st Infantry :: 139th Infantry :: 140th Infantry :: 141st Infantry :: 142nd Infantry :: 143rd Infantry :: 145th Infantry :: 147th Infantry :: 148th Infantry :: 149th Infantry :: 150th Infantry :: 151st Infantry :: 153rd Infantry :: 155th Infantry :: Cavalry :: 1st Regiment :: 2nd Regiment :: 3rd Regiment :: 4th Regiment :: 6th Regiment :: 8th Regiment :: 16th Regiment :: 17th Regiment :: 18th Regiment :: 21st Regiment :: Artillery :: 1st Artillery B :: 1st Artillery F&G :: 3rd Artillery H :: Independent C&F :: Independent E
