Cavalry Field Monument

The Cavalry Field Monument is also sometimes known as the Gregg Cavalry Shaft Monument. Made of light gray New Hampshire granite, it stands on the East Cavalry battlefield at the location where the 1st Michigan of Custer’s brigade clashed with Stuart’s charging troopers.

The monument was dedicated on October 15, 1884. It honors the troops of both the blue and gray who fought here. The monument consists as follows: “Four-sided obelisk stands on a square pedestal and tiered base. Midway up the shaft on each side of relief images of crossed cannons, flags of carbines. The obelisk is topped by a sphere.”

my favorite monument

I have featured images of it before, but it’s my birthday AND it’s my blog, so I can do as I like. :) Today’s monument is MY PERSONAL FAVORITE ON THE WHOLE FIELD.

My favorite monument on the Gettysburg battlefield is Henry K. Bush-Brown’s bronze equestrian of Union Left Wing Commander Major General John F. Reynolds. Reynolds, a native of nearby Lancaster, was killed leading his troops into battle early on July 1, 1863.

Writing of Reynolds, noted Gettysburg historian Edwin Coddington noted, “He was a first class fighting man, universally respected and admired. If the fates had decreed other than they did, he might have gone down in history as one of the greatest generals of the Civil War.”

The Reynolds Equestrian is located along US 30 (the Chambersburg Pike) near the bronze statue to General Buford, and the guns of Hall’s Second Maine Battery. Across the road is the McPherson Barn. The statue is among the first monuments to greet visitors coming from the west to the Gettysburg battlefield.

Born on September 21, 1820, John Fulton Reynolds grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, no more than 50 or so miles from where he would eventually meet his death in the battle of Gettysburg. He attended and graduated from West Point and served in a variety of antebellum positions.

On June 2, 1863, Reynolds met with President Abraham Lincoln in Washington to discuss General Hooker’s conduct in command at the battle of Chancellorsville. It is said that Lincoln offered Reynolds the command of the Army of the Potomac. Reynolds was both distinguished and aggressive, a quality usually lacking amongst the Union high command in the East. It is said Reynolds replied he would only accept the command if he were guaranteed not interfered with by the authorities in Washington. Lincoln could not promise this and Reynolds therefore refused to accept the prestigious command. When Lincoln asked who he should put in command, Reynolds named his old friend, George Gordon Meade. When Meade received the command, Reynolds graciously greeted his friend and congratulated him.

On June 25, Reynolds was assigned to command of the Left Wing of the Army of the Potomac, commanding three corps (the First, Third, and Eleventh).

On the morning of July 1, 1863, Reynolds galloped into the fields west of Gettysburg at the head of the First Corps.

Leading the “Iron Brigade” into action, Reynolds called “Forward men! Drive those fellows out of that woods. For God’s sake forward!” and turned in the saddle to look for more troops. At that moment he was shot behind the right ear and instantly killed. He was buried next to his parents in Lancaster.

As the tragically fated native son, Reynolds is the most honored officer on the Gettysburg battlefield. There is a stone that marks the location where he fell on the McPherson farm, the bronze equestrian that is the subject of this post, and two bronze standing sculptures — one on the Pennsylvania Monument, the other in the National Cemetery.

But it is the equestrian executed by Bush-Brown that I think captures Reynolds the best.

The monument was executed by a noted American artist named Henry Kirke Bush-Brown (1857-1903). Bush-Brown also created the equestrian statue of George Meade that sits on Cemetery Ridge near the Angle, as well as the bust of Lincoln on the Gettysburg Address Monument in the National Cemetery. He executed other sculptures and bronzes in his career as well.

The monument cost $27,666.00. It was paid for by the state of Pennsylvania.

Reynolds is mounted upon his black charger, stern eyes fixed ahead on the approaching enemy, hand on hip. His face is the picture of determination.

His horse is an engineering marvel — the entire 9,000 pound weight of the bronze horse and rider is balanced on just two hooves. Modeled off a Russian Arabian stallion owned by Bush-Brown, the animal exudes fire. Known as an excellent horseman, one can’t help but think Reynolds would be pleased to spend eternity atop such a fiery and beautiful steed.

A few more images of the monument from various angles:

General G.K. Warren

One of the most popular monuments for photographers on the battlefield is the bronze portrait statue to General Warren on Little Round Top. The monument was dedicated on August 8, 1888. It was erected at the cost of $5,000.00. The Warren statue has a height of 9′. It was sculpted by Karl Gerhardt. Gerhardt was a machinist who dabbled in sculpture. Interestingly, his education as an artist was paid for by Mark Twain. He executed Grant’s death mask.

Warren was the chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg. He later commanded it’s Fifth Corps.

Members of Warren’s former command, the 5th New York Infantry, spearheaded the monument project. All of the money was privately raised. The boulder upon which the monument sits is all considered part of the memorial and visitors to the Park are forbidden to climb upon it (though many still do anyway).

Father William Corby

Not all monuments at Gettysburg are dedicated to military men. A notable exception is the bronze monument to Father William Corby (1838-1897).

Corby was the chaplain of the 88th Pennsylvania in the Second Corps famous Irish Brigade. A Catholic priest, Corby requested he be allowed to speak to the men of the Brigade before they entered battle in the Wheatfield. Corby climbed atop a boulder and requested that God grant them courage. He then pronounced a general absolution.

General Absolution allows for the forgiveness of mortal sins. It is generally allowable only where there is an imminent danger of death. As Corby performed this Catholic rite, the battle in the Wheatfield was already raging nearby.

Corby survived the War and served two terms as President of Notre Dame College in Indiana.

The monument was erected using funds raised by Maj. St. Clair Mullholland (commander of the 116th Pennsylvania at Gettysburg), mainly from the Catholic community. Tradition states that the statue is placed upon the actual boulder on which Corby performed the Absolution. The monument was dedicated on October 29, 1910 and was sculpted by Samuel Murray. It is located on South Hancock Avenue between the G. Weikert Farm and the Pennsylvania Monument.

An identical copy of this staute is located at Notre Dame. It was dedicated in 1911.

General James S. Wadsworth

The monument to Union First Corps Division commander James Samuel Wadsworth is located along North Reynolds Avenue, near the Railroad Cut.

One of several portrait bronzes dedicated to New York-born Division commanders, the monument was dedicated on October 6, 1914 at a cost of$7,788.28. The base is made of dark Barre granite and was designed by Edward P. Casey. The statue itself is of standard bronze; it was sculpted by R. Hinton Perry. Perry executed several bronze busts and reliefs on display at Vicksburg (including ones to Samuel French, William “Red” Jackson, Neely, etc.). Most of these were done between 1913 and 1916.

Wadsworth, a wealthy man who contributed a great deal of money to the cause of preserving the Union, was killed leading a Fifth Corps division at the battle of the Wilderness in May 1864.

General John Buford

The bronze statue to cavalry division commander John Buford is located near the Reynolds equestrian on the Chambersburg Pike. This seems especially appropriate because Reynolds and Buford worked closely together to choose this ground as the battlefield.

The Buford monument was dedicated on July 1, 1895. The monument was sculpted by James E. Kelly. It is an excellent likeness of the tough Kentucky cavalryman.

The sculptor, James Kelly, was a sculptor and illustrator. He executed the famous engraving of Meade’s council of War at Gettysburg and was responsible for several other bronzes of other Civil War generals in various locations around the country, including Fitz-John Porter and Horatio Wright.

An interesting feature of this monument is the four Ordnance Rifles tubes located along the base. Number 233 features a plaque denoting that it was the gun that fired the first artillery shot of the battle. The tube was part of a gun in John Calef’s horse artillery battery located near here.

It was Calef’s idea to include the tubes and during the dedication, Calef symbolically spiked the four cannon barrels.

Buford (1826-1863) commanded the Army of the Potomac’s First Cavalry division. Fighting dismounted, Buford’s “defense in depth” purchased time for Reynolds to come up to the battlefield.

Buford was stricken with typhoid fever in the fall of 1863. He died in December of that year, having been promoted on his deathbed to major general to rank from July 1, 1863.

General Francis Barlow

The monument to General Francis C. Barlow is located on Barlow’s Knoll (known during the battle locally as Blocher’s Knoll). The monument is one of several bronze full length statues on the battlefield executed by sculptor Rhind. The memorial was erected by the state of New York.

At Gettysburg, Barlow — a Harvard educated attorney from Brooklyn — commanded the 1st Division of the 11th Corps. His division was overwhelmed (at least in part due to poor deployment) by Jubal Early’s men. Barlow was severely wounded and captured. He survived the wound to fight during the Overland Campaign in the Second Corps.

An oft told story relates Confederate General John B. Gordon as coming upon the wounded Barlow and offering him assistance. Gordon later embellished this story in his memoirs which were published after Barlow’s death.

After the War, Barlow returned to the practice of law. He was a founder of the American Bar Association and active in Republican politics.

General Abner Doubleday

General Abner Doubleday’s bronze monument (aka the “fat dude who invented baseball” monument as I heard one visitor call it) is located at the intersections of Meredith Avenue and South Reynolds Avenue, near where Reynolds was killed. This was the center of Doubleday’s line on July 1. It was dedicated on September 25, 1917. The $7,357.00 was paid by the state of New York. Doubleday — who was sometimes called 48 Hours (apparently he wasn’t fast, something he had in common with much of the Army of the Potomac high command) — commanded the First Corps following the death of Reynolds. He seems to have done a good job and his troops fought very well, but his reputation was sullied on the evening of July 1 by statements from General Howard to General Meade that the First Corps broke and ran. This was not true. But Doubleday was replaced and spent the rest of his life trying to regain his reputation.

The monument was sculpted by J. Massey Rhind. Rhind, a Scottish born sculptor, is responsible for several monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield including:

• Doubleday (of course) (1917)
• Webb (1915)
• John C. Robinson (1917)
• Francis C. Barlow (1922)

General Andrew A. Humpherys

Located at the intersection of Sickles Avenue and the Emmitsburg Road is the monument to Brig. Gen. Andrew Atkinson Humphreys, commander of the 2nd Division of Sickles’ III Corps (Berry’s old division). Humphreys (1810-1883) was a career officer and graduate of West Point (1831). A native of Philadelphia, Humphreys’ division held the Emmitsburg Road line on the July 2 where it was virtually destroyed. This was not any fault of Humphreys, however. His varied Civil War assignments after Gettysburg include serving as Meade’s chief of staff and he finished the War in command of the storied Second Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Humphreys was known to his men as “Old Goggle Eyes” because of his eyeglasses; although an older general at Gettysburg, he was trim and fit. He was known widely as a very strict discplinarian who was personally very brave.

Humphreys monument was erected along the Emmitsburg Road around 1915 along with the stautes of fellow Pennsylvania division commanders John Geary and Alexander Hays.

Major William Wells

Located on South Confederate Avenue, this monument is a staute of Major William Wells, who won a Medal of Honor, for his role in the futile charge of Farnsworth on the afternoon of July 3, 1863.

Costing $6,000.00, the monument was sculpted by  J. Otto Schweizer.  Schweizer took care to use several of Wells’ possessions (including his uniform, hat, revolver, boots, and belt) to make the monument more authentic and true to life.  The larger-than-life memorial stands at 8′ high.  An exact replica of this monument was erected in Battery Park in Burlington, so pleased were the friends of Wells with the likeness.

The monument was also meant to honor the men of the 1st Vermont Cavalry who had participated in the charge.  To that end, an additional $2,000.00 was raised.

The bronze plaque’s faces are actually modeled after photographs of men who participated in the charge.  Wells is depicted out in front of the charge, with sword drawn.  Next to him, General Farnsworth falls mortally wounded.

(The First Vermont Cavalry has a monument located not far away from this which will be featured as a future monument study.)

The monument to Wells was dedicated on July 3, 1913.