"Peach Orchard Questions" Topic

Fellow Denizens,

Had a great time last weekend walking the lines of 2nd Day Peach Orchard fight. Friends and I are planning a refight using Regt Fire & Fury for HCON.

Some interesting issues for the hive mind to ponder:

* Monument locations are unreliable at best. Some are spot on from reading the various accounts, but some are just not. For example, the Excelsior Brigade markers are directly behind the Peach Orchard north of the Wheatfield Road---but this is contradicted by many accounts (PFanz, etc). Another example is the placement of Hart's battery. It has zero LOS to anything but perhaps Rebs crossing in front headed towards the Wheatfield, so can't firee at Kershaw until he advances very close.

* I could use some help on the location of Turnbull's battery. There are accounts that he and Selley's battery (also located on Emmmtsburg Pike but further south, engagged and drove off Pattgerson's battery. Problem is, from where it's placed, there is no LOS to Patterson's likely location, as the ground rises higher till it drops off towards Spangler's Farm. To get to a place where he could fire on Patterson, he would have to be at least 50 yeards west of Emmittsburg Pike. If any ACW guru on here has refs to AARs of Turnbull or Patterson, or even Wilcox brigade, I sure could use the help.

Long post, but thanks for listening. BTW, the new Visitor's Center is amazing!

Mike

I have not madei it out to Gettysburg in since they opened the new Visitor Center. Hope to get there June or July and check it out. I really like the previous one they had.

WarWizard, just be warned that this is already a busier year than usual here in Gettysburg. Don't wait until July!

You might want to consult the book The Maps of Gettysburg:

link

I don't have my copy close to hand at the moment or I would look it up myself.

JOhn the Greater,

Thanks. I have that book---good maps, but topo details not great. Smae for Gottfried's Atrillery at Gettysburg. It was only when I walked the ground that some of the issues were evident.

I was surprised at the crowds---thought maybe the 150th at Chancellorsville would have thinned them out. I can't imagine what it will be like in July!

Mike

Hart's battery, IIRC, is the one sent up at the request of Col. Moses Lakeman, of the 3rd Maine. His regiment was posted with it's right flank on the pike, and facing south. He had seen Hood's division crossing and requested a battery. That battery arrived, and shelled the Confederate columns, forcing them to retire out of range and delaying for a bit their deployment.

Lakeman also recounts engaging and driving off "clouds" of CS skirmishers for a fair amount of time before the general assault took place.

TKindred,

Hmm. That makes sense from the location of the battery marker (which has left and right flank markers---the only battery I saw with those). And confirms they were primarily targeting theose going against the Round Tops and Wheatfield.

Thanks,

Mike

Make note that the placement of all monuments was not always where they fought! It was where they were positioned at the beginning of the day's actions in the area. This is why some are strangely mislocated to the untrained eye. Sometimes it just doesn't make any sense and gives a false impression… and confusing too. Some markers/monuments are completely wrong too! You shouldn't use their location as gospel, just do the reserch instead and use the monuments as 'guides' at best. Col. John Batchelder had his own agenda.

Avidgamer,

Exactly! Tha twas very clear when we compared a mapr (from Pfanz, for example to the monument psoitions). For Hart's battery and Turnbull's battery, the two were close. But their positions don't make sense or are contradictory to the written accounts, from the perspective of that they could actually fire on. Although Hart's position is more understandable is he was placed to fire to the south rather than to the west.

Lakeman's comments may be found in his report in "Maine at Gettysburg". He also talks about the action at Pitzer's Woods earlier in the day, and more interesting tidbits.

FWIW, the 3rd Maine ended up at the Peach Orchard rather than with the rest of it's brigade due to it's seeing action with the 1st USSS at Pitzer's Woods. In it's retreat to the 3rd Corps lines, the 3rd was met by (I believe) a Captain Briscoe, of Sickle's staff, and ordered to remain at the orchard as the Corps was about to advance. The 3rd Maine provided the "point" of the angle for the two divisions.

Sadly more know about Gettysburg than Chancellorsville. I am surprised they know about Gettysburg anymore.