Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer: East Cemetery Hill Part 3
October 26, 2011
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is the host for this series on East Cemetery Hill. He is standing near the summit of East Cemetery Hill, near the equestrian statue of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:45 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Though Yankee born and bred, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer dates his interest in the Civil War from his childhood discovery of Confederate ancestors on his family tree. He graduated from the University of Hartford where he received a B.A. in Psychology. After 25 years mixing music as a sound engineer, John rediscovered to his Civil War roots, and moved lock, stock, and barrel to Gettysburg in 1995. He has researched and written articles for Gettysburg Magazine, Civil War Times, America’s Civil War, and Blue & Gray. His first two books, East Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg, and Culp’s Hill at Gettysburg are interpretive guides to these less understood areas of the battle. His first work of fiction, After the Rain: A Novel of War & Coming Home, is due to be released this fall. In addition to serving as a Licensed Battlefield Guide, John is also on staff at Gettysburg College. He resides in Gettysburg with his wife Darlene.
To see the previous East Cemetery Hill posts by John Archer, click here.
In the today’s East Cemetery Hill post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer shows us some instances of how the hill has changed over the years, both physically and in importance to historians.
This map shows the location of the videos for the East Cemetery Hill posts. Videos #1-3 were shown in our previous East Cemetery Hill post. Videos #4-9 were taken on East Cemetery Hill in the area of the Hancock Equestrian monument. This map was created facing north at approximately 2:30 PM on Friday, August 19, 2011.
The view of the Borough of Gettysburg from the top of the Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse a few days after the Battle of Gettysburg. The Baltimore Pike is in the foreground. This view was taken facing northwest by Timothy O’Sullivan circa July 7, 1863 and is courtesy of John Archer.
In Video #7 (Videos #1-6 were shown in our previous John Archer East Cemetery Hill post) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer discusses the importance of Cemetery Hill at the time of the battle and today. In this video, John, of course, meant to say that Hancock was the commander of the Second Corps. This view was taken facing east to northwest to west at approximately 4:45 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is standing on the top of East Cemetery Hill. The plaque for Samuel Carroll’s Brigade is to the left of the gravel path. The artillery pieces of Wiedrich’s New York Battery are in the area of the Oliver O. Howard equestrian statue. The monument with the figure of the soldier is to the 7th West Virginia. The monument in the left background is to the 73rd Pennsylvania. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:45 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
In Video #8 Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer discusses how the armies arrived at Gettysburg. This video was taken facing northeast to northwest at approximately 4:45 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
John Archer is standing near the top of East Cemetery Hill. The Baltimore Pike is visible to the left of the tree near the whiet structure. The Gettysburg Tour Center is marked by the vehicles on the other side of the “second” stone wall. The monument in the center background is to the 27th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. The monument in the right background is to the 134th New York Infantry Regiment. The small monument in the right background is to the 106th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:45 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
In Video #9 John Archer describes how the Union army began to reform on Cemetery Hill. This video was taken facing facing northwest to northeast to east to northeast to west to northeast to northwest to north at approximately 4:45 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
