West Point’s Class of 1861 Part 5 With Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon
June 29, 2011
This oil painting by the artist Edwin Forbes (1839-1895) shows Battery D, 5th United States Artillery on Little Round Top. At this point, the battery was commanded by Benjamin Rittenhouse. The painting is titled, “View from the summit of Little Round Top at 7:30 PM July 3rd, 1863.” However, the sketch from which this painting was created is labeled “Sketch of the field on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon from Rocky Hill on the left of Gen. Meades position.” A question that might be asked is where is Forbes showing the location of this battery? This painting, created between 1865-1895 is courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon is our host for a series on members of the West Point Class of 1861 who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. With the coming of the Civil War, the academy had two classes graduating that year because the original class of 1862 petitioned to graduate a year early. So the original class of 1861 graduated in May, 1861. The original class of 1862 graduated in June, 1861. We will refer to them throughout the series as the May and June classes. Christina has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 2008.
In the first West Point Class of 1861 post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon discusses the life of May, 1861 graduate Adelbert Ames who commanded a brigade and a division in the Eleventh Corps. At Gettysburg, Ames’ Brigade had 1337 engaged and suffered 778 casualties (68 killed, 366 wounded, and 344 captured) for a total percentage loss of 58.2%.
In our second West Point Class of 1861 post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon presents the life of Colonel Emory Upton who commanded the 121st New York Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg.
In today’s West Point Class of 1861 presentation, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon shows the different possibilities for the placement of Hazlett’s Battery on Little Round Top.
This Hazlett post would not have been possible without the help of some really wonderful, knowledgeable people. Thanks go out to Bob George for your countless hours spent traversing the slopes of Little Round Top to help with my understanding of the approach and the look of the terrain in 1863. Thanks also go to my friend Steve Sollott for bringing important documentation to my attention. And of course, many thanks to my wonderful colleagues in the Guide Room, notably George Newton, who are always ready and willing for a good discussion on the battle and will gladly give their input and add their knowledge and understanding of events to what happened on these fields for those three days in July of 1863. I am most grateful to all of you for all of your help with this project!
This map shows the location of where our West Point Class of 1861 at Gettysburg videos were produced. Videos #1-#13 were shown in our previous posts. Video #14 was taken from the path leading from Slocum Avenue to the area of the the monuments to the 44th New York and the 140th New York. Video #14 actually ends near video 15A. Video #15A was taken on the top of Little Round top west of the monument to the 140th New York. Video #15B was taken near the summit of Little Round Top, southwest of the position which today marks Hazlett’s guns. Video #16 was taken at the large flat rock south of the Warren statue. This map was created facing north at approximately 5:30 PM on Wednesday, June 22, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon is the host for our series on West Point’s Class of 1861. She is standing west of the monument to the 140th New York. The monument to the 16th Michigan Infantry is to the left of Christina. Devil’s Den is in the right background. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday June 2, 2011.
In Video #14 (Videos #1-#13 were shown in our previous Class of 1861 posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon walks from the east side of Little Round Top to the summit in the area near the monument to the 140th New York Infantry Regiment and the 44th New York Infantry Regiment. She discusses where Lieutenant Hazlett’s Battery D, 5th United States Artillery could have been placed in this area on July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing northwest to southwest to west to south to north at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday June 2, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon is standing on Little Round Top. The monument to the 16th Michigan is in the left background. Devil’s Den is in the right background. She is holding a sketch by the artist Edwin Forbes. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday June 2, 2011.
In Video #15A Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon is standing on Little Round Top. She shows a sketch by Edwin Forbes of Hazlett’s Battery and gives some possible locations of where it could have been produced. In Video 15B she explains why she doesn’t think Hazlett had artillery pieces on the summit of Little Round Top. This view was taken facing west (15A) and north (15B) at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday June 2, 2011.
A closer view of the Edwin Forbes sketch. This image was created in July, 1863.
Christina Moon is standing by the marker and cannon showing the position of Hazlett’s Battery. This image was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday June 2, 2011.
Christina doesn’t think the artillery pieces were in the position now shown because their recoil would have taken them off the right (east) side of the slope of Little Round Top. This image was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 2, 2011.
A closer view of the plaque on the marker for Hazlett’s Battery. This image was taken facing east at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 2, 2011.
Christina Moon is standing on the large flat rock south of the Warren statue. This image was taken facing north at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 2, 2011.
In Video #16 Christina Moon is standing on the large “flat” rock south of the Warren statue. She explains where another section of Hazlett’s battery might have been placed in this area, and how Hazlett was killed on July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing north to northwest to north at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday June 2, 2011.
Christina Moon is standing by the first monument to the 91st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, which is located among the guns marking Hazlett’s position. This image was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 2, 2011.
Christina Moon is cheerfully pointing out the rock inscription which states that Weed was mortally wounded and Hazlett killed on this rock. This image was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 2, 2011.
One of our readers, John Wells, sent us this video to confirm how far a 10-pounder Parrott recoils on flat ground. John wrote us the following: “Actually, a Parrott shooting normal military loads will recoil 8-10 feet on solid level ground. I shoot a my own Parrott in both N-SSA competition with reduced loads (2-4 feet recoil), as well as in the Historic Artillery Matches at Camp Grayling, Michigan. At Grayling we use full military loads shooting at 4’x6′ targets about 3/4 mile (1200 yards) distant. For the Parrott a full military load is 1 lb of GOEX 1FG with a 10 lb bolt (solid shot) Recoil is 8-10 feet at each shot on solid ground. (By the way, at that range we can hit that tiny target 10 out of 12 times.)”
To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides,click here.
