Gettysburg Daily

Culp’s Hill Tree Cutting Part 2: The Ravine



These trees were recently cut west of Culp’s Hill in the ravine near Williams Avenue. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.

In our first post, the tree cutting continues in the area of Culp’s Hill (but not yet at Spangler’s Spring). We took a walk around the clearing in the area of Spangler’s Lane.

In today’s post we walk from the area of the monuments to the 5th Ohio and the 147th Pennsylvania towards the ravine west of Williams Avenue.



The tree cutting is near the intersection of Williams Avenue, Geary Avenue and Slocum Avenue. The blue star with the “5” marks the monument of the 5th Ohio Infantry Regiment. The blue star with the “29” marks the 1885 monument for the 29th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We are walking from the area of Spangler’s Lane towards the ravine west of Williams Avenue. Pardee field is in the glare in the background. In the foreground is the “Owl Boulder” of the 5th Ohio Infantry Regiment. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



The 5th Ohio Owl Boulder. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



A closer view of the owl. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We will walk from the 147th Pennsylvania to the 1885 monument of the 29th Pennsylvania. The monument to the 147th is on the left. In the center is the left flank marker of the 147th Pennsylavnia and the right flank marker of the 5th Ohio. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



The monument to the 5th Ohio is in the right background. The left flank marker to the 5th Ohio is in the right foreground. Pardee Field is in the left background. Geary Avenue is the road in this picture. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We’ll walk across the ravine from the left flank marker of the 5th Ohio to the 1885 monument of the 29th Pennsylvania which sits on a rock in the right background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We’re halfway across the ravine. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



Here’s a look up the ravine. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



Approaching the 1885 monument to the 29th Pennsylvania from this newly cleared direction shows how significant quarrying took place in this location. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We’re looking across the ravine from the other direction. The 1885 monument to the 29th Pennsylvania is on the left. In the left background by the trucks is the monument to the 5th Ohio Infantry Regiment. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We’re looking up the newly cleared ravine. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



To give you an idea of where we are, we’ve walked along the area which used to be the traverse. In the foreground is the plaque on the boulder for the 84th New York Infantry (14th Brooklyn). In the background is the 1885 monument to the 29th Pennsylvania. Slocum Avenue is in this view, but in the right background is the marker showing the junction with Slocum Avenue and Williams Avenue. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



Williams Avenue runs behind (west of) the statue to Brigadier-General John White Geary. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We’ve walked on the west side of Williams Avenue to look into the ravine. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



The ravine was used by Union soldiers not in the Culp’s Hill breastworks to clean their weapons, rest, and eat. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



We have moved farther along Williams Avenue, and we are looking down the ravine towards Pardee Field. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



From this same location we’re looking towards McKnight’s Hill/Stevens’ Knoll. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



On top of Stevens’ Knoll is the equestrian statue to Major General Henry W. Slocum. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



From the Slocum statue, we’re looking towards Williams Avenue. Notice the tree clearing on the left (northeast) side of Williams Avenue. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



From the Slocum statue, we’re looking towards the junction of Slocum Avenue on the left and Williams Avenue. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



While we’re here, we’ll look at the tree clearing in the fields in front of Stevens Knoll and East Cemetery Hill. The monument to Greenleaf Stevens 5th Maine Battery is in the foreground. The water tank in the center background is the most visible landmark for Cemetery Hill. The brick gatehouse of Evergreen Cemetery is in the left background. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



The stone walls in the fields have now had the trees removed along them. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.



Confederate Infantry from North Carolina closer to Stevens Knoll and Louisiana closer to the water tank moved right to left up the slopes of East Cemetery Hill the evening of July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.