6th New York Cavalry

One of the largest and most impressive monuments on the first day battlefield is dedicated to the 6th New York Cavalry.

The regiment was known as the Second Ira Harris Guard. It was recruited from New York City and the counties of Columbia, St. Lawrence, and Steuben. Their commander was Maj. William E. Beardsley (1826-1884), a tailor in New York City.

Although the regimental monument is located on Buford Avenue, near Oak Hill, this regiment was actually scattered about the Gettysburg battlefield.

Company A was at Third Corps headquarters; Companies D and K were at 2nd Corps headquarters. Company L was part of Buford’s division’s provost guard, while companies F and H were left behind at Yorktown, Virginia.

The regimental monument is impressive. It marks the regiment’s main July 1 position.

Shaped something like a castle, it is one of the largest and most grand monuments in the area.

The front features an excellent bronze relief of a cavalry charge. Carved granite horse heads are featured on each side of the castle turret.

6th New York Cavalry

Cavalry Corps, 1st Division, 2nd Brigade

407; 1 killed, 3 wounded, 8 missing

Monument: Buford Avenue

1st Vermont Cavalry

The 1st Vermont Cavalry was raised from the counties of Chittenden, Addison, Bennington, Franklin, Lamoille, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, and Windham in November 1861.

It was a large regiment, numbering just under 700.

It’s commander at Gettysburg was Lt. Col. Addison W. Preston (1830-1864), a farmer from Danville. Preston was killed at the battle of Haw’s Shop on June 3, 1864.

The regimental monument is rather simple in design. It is located in the “D shaped field” on the Slyder Farm, west of Big Round Top (it can be viewed from a distance from Confederate Avenue). It was dedicated in October 1889.

The monument marks the position where the regiment fought in an ill-advised charge on July 3. Near this spot, General Elon J. Farnsworth was killed leading his brigade in that charge. Also nearby is a monument to Maj. William Wells, a Medal of Honor winner from this regiment.

1st Vermont Cavalry

Cavalry Corps, 3rd Division, 1st Brigade

Lt. Col. Addison W. Preston (1830-1864)

Engaged: 687; 13 killed, 25 wounded, 27 missing

Monument: Slyder Farm

1st West Virginia Cavalry

The modest monument to the 1st West Virginia Cavalry is located along the Taneytown Road, near it’s intersection with Pleasanton Avenue.

The regiment was recruited from Mason and Wayne counties in West Virginia; Wirt and Wood counties in Ohio also contributed men. It was organized at Wheeling and Clarksburg in the summer and fall of 1861. There were ten companies at Gettysburg; companies A & I were not with the regiment. At Gettysburg, the 1st W.V.C. was commanded by Col. Nathaniel P. Richmond (1833-1919), a farmer and lawyer from Kokomo, Indiana. After the War, he returned to Indiana and was mayor of Kokomo.

1st West Virginia Cavalry

Cavalry Corps, 3rd Division, 1st Brigade

Engaged: 436; 4 killed, 4 wounded, 4 missing

Monument: Taneytown Road

4th United States Artillery Battery E

4th U.S. Artillery, Battery E, was known as “Clark’s.” It was a horse artillery battery.

The original unit was recruited in 1821; the men mainly came from New York City and St. Louis, Missouri. When Fort Sumter was fired upon, this battery was located at Fort Randall in the Nebraska Territory.

The battery was made up of 4 Ordnance Rifles under the command of Lt. Samuel S. Elder (1830-1885), a teacher and regular soldier from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The unit had 64 men. The monument is located on a hill southwest of Big Round Top and requires a walk down a single track trail to reach.

4th United States Artillery Battery E

Cavalry Corps (attached to 3rd Division)

4 Ordnance Rifles, 64 men; 1 killed

Monument: Near Big Round Top, accessible off Confederate Avenue

3d Indiana Cavalry

The 3d Indiana Cavalry, like all the Indiana units, has a very simple monument. It is a white granite obelisk located off Reynolds Avenue a short distance from the infamous “Railroad Cut.”

The regiment had 6 companies (A-F) at Gettysburg. It was raised from the counties of Dearborn, Fayette, Jefferson, Harrison, and Switzerland during the summer of 1861. It was also known as the “45th Volunteers.” The commander at Gettysburg was Col. George H. Chapman (1832-1882), a lawyer from Indianapolis.

The monument along Reynolds Avenue marks the unit’s position on the cavalry battle line on the morning of July 1, 1863.

3d Indiana Cavalry

Cavalry Corps, 1st Division, 1st Brigade

Col. George H. Chapman (1832-1882)

Engaged: 369; 6 killed, 21 wounded, 5 missing

Monument: Reynolds Avenue

1st Maine Cavalry

The monument to the 1st Maine Cavalry is located along the heavily traveled (and extremely dangerous) Hanover Road near the park entrance to the East Cavalry battlefield.

The monument consits of a large bas relief of a cavalryman mounting his steed.

The 1st Maine Cavalry came from the counties of Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Penobscot, Somerset, and York.

It was formed at Augusta in the fall of 1861.

Their commander at Gettysburg was Lt. Col. Charles H. Smith (1827-1902), a teacher and law student in Eastport, Maine at the beginning of the War.

Smith was wounded at the battle of Saint Mary’s Church on June 24, 1864 and was later awarded a Medal of Honor for that fight. He remained in the Army after the War.

(Company L served at First Corps Headquarters while Company I served at Cavalry Corps headquarters.)

1st Maine Cavalry

Cavalry Corps, 2nd Division, 3rd Brigade

Lt. Col. Charles H. Smith (1827-1902)

Engaged: 438; 1 killed, 4 wounded

Monument: Hanover Road

6th United States Cavalry

The monument to the 6th U.S. Cavalry is located on what is known as the “South Cavalry Battlefield” — a short distance down the Emmitsburg Road south of Confederate Avenue.  This plot of land contains the monuments for Merritt’s Brigade of Buford’s Division.  The unit was recruited mainly from Pennsylvania, western New York, and Ohio.

The commander of the 6th United States Cavalry at Gettysburg was Maj. Samuel H. Starr. The Regiment engaged the enemy in a sharply fought action near Fairfield on July 3, 1863.

6th United States Cavalry

Cavalry Corps, 1st Division, 3rd (Reserve) Brigade

Maj. Samuel H. Starr

Monument: South Cavalry Battlefield, Emmitsburg Road

Purnell Legion (Maryland Cavalry)

The Purnell Legion Maryland Cavalry, Company A came from Hartford County and was raised in the fall of 1861.  The Legion numbered under 80 men at Gettysburg.  Their commander was Capt. Robert E. Duvall (1812-1890), a farmer and state legislator from Bel Air.

The Legion’s monument is located along Gregg Avenue on the East Cavalry battlefield.  It is a bas relief of a cavalry soldier kneeling with his carbine, a “tribute” to Maryland’s “loyal sons.”

Purnell Legion (Maryland Cavalry)

Cavalry Corps, 2nd Division, 1st Brigade

Capt. Robert E. Duvall (1812-1890)

Engaged 78; no loss

Monument: Gregg Avenue East Cavalry Field

1st Massachusetts Cavalry

The eight companies of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry (A-H) were temporarily attached to Sixth Corps headquarters during the battle of Gettysburg.  Raised from the counties of Essex, Hampden, and Suffolk, the regiment was commanded by Lt. Col. Greely S. Curtis (1830-1897), a Boston engineer.

The simple monument is located in front of the large equestrian to General Sedgwick along Sedgwick Avenue.

A nicely carved relief of a horse’s head, crossed sabers, and a lucky horseshoe are the monument’s most prominent features.

1st Massachusetts Cavalry

Sixth Corps Headquarters

Lt. Col. Greely S. Curtis (1830-1897)

Engaged: 292; no loss

Monument: Sedgwick Avenue

8th Illinois Cavalry

This was only one of three units from the state of Illinois at Gettysburg. Commanded by Maj. John L. Beveridge (1824-1910), a lawyer from Evanston and future Congressman and Governor, the 8th Illinois Cavalry was raised from the counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Whiteside, and Winnebago in the fall of 1861. This monument marks the unit’s position that it occupied until relieved by the First Corps. A secondary marker to the alleged first shot fired in the battle is at the intersection of US 30 and Knoxlyn Road.

The main monument was dedicated on September 3, 1891 at a cost of $1500.00. The monument consists of Blue Westerly Granite from Rhode Island. The monument’s salient feature is a carved cavalryman’s saddle at the capstone; it is a detailed replica of the essential items carried by a Union calvaryman.

8th Illinois Cavalry

Cavalary Corps, 1st Division, 1st Brigade

Maj. John L. Beveridge (1824-1910)

Engaged: 491; 1 killed, 5 wounded, 1 missing

Monument: Reynolds Avenue