Gettysburg Daily

Foggy Morning at North Carolina



The North Carolina Monument is located on Seminary Ridge east of West Confederate Avenue. North Carolina had 23 infantry regiments, 3 cavalry regiments, three artillery battalions, and one infantry battalion for a total of 14, 182 men. This placed North Carolina fourth of all the states engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg. Pennsylvania is first, New York second, and Virginia is third. This view was taken from the northeast facing southwest at approximately 6:15 AM on Sunday, May 4, 2008.

It is supposed to be breezy and sunny later today, but while the fog is still hugging the ground, the Gettysburg Daily decided to take some photographs of the North Carolina State Monument. A foggy battlefield is not the most pleasant time to give guided tours. Most of the objects you attempt to see from a distance are hidden. But a foggy battlefield gives one a tiny sense of what the battle smoke may have been like 145 years ago.



North Carolina had 6582 casualties during the battle. This placed it second in casaulties of all of the states engaged at Gettysburg. New York was first in casualties. North Carolina, of course, had the most casualties for the Army of Northern Virginia. This view was taken from the southeast facing northwest at approximately 6:15 AM on Sunday, May 4, 2008.



The North Carolina monument is located in the position where Pettigrew’s Brigade of Heth’s Division launched their assault towards the Union lines during the Pettigrew-Trimble-Pickett Assault/Longstreet’s Assault/Pickett’s Charge. This view was taken from the south facing north at approximately 6:15 AM on Sunday, May 4, 2008.



The sculptor is Gutzon Borglum. The monument was dedicated on July 3, 1929 at a cost of $50,000. At the same time as he was working on the North Carolina monument, Borglum was working on his South Dakota project, Mount Rushmore. This view was taken from the north facing south at approximately 6:15 AM on Sunday, May 4, 2008.



The Union line on Cemetery Ridge is lost in the morning fog. North Carolina suffered 46.4% casaulties of all of its men that participated in the Battle of Gettysburg. This tied them for the third most casualties during the battle. Minnestota was first. Tennessee was second. North Carolina was tied with Florida for third. This view was taken from the northeast facing southwest at approximately 6:15 AM on Sunday, May 4, 2008.



The monument depicts a veteran (second from the right) whispering words of encouragement to his younger comrade (second from the left). The colorbearer is bringing up the flag on the far left. The faces were supposedly modeled after actual Confederate veterans. However, many of them look very similar to each other, and have have the same look as the faces of Washington and Jefferson on Mount Rushmore. This view was taken from the southeast facing northwest at approximately 6:15 AM on Sunday, May 4, 2008.