Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is the host for our series on the Eleventh Corps at Gettysburg. He is standing on East Cemetery Hill. The statue to Major-General Oliver O. Howard is in the background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 7:30 AM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is our host for a series on the Eleventh Army Corps during the Battle of Gettysburg. Stuart had two relatives in the Eleventh Corps (73rd Ohio Infantry Regiment) and both were killed/mortally wounded at Gettysburg. They are both buried in the National Cemetery. Stuart has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 2004.
In in our first post, Stuart introduced himself and showed us some of the routes that the 11th Corps took as they approached the Gettysburg Battlefield.
In our second post he brought Major-General Howard to the Peach Orchard, and showed the route that two of Howard’s divisions took to get to Gettysburg.
In today’s post he describes the reasons Howard found Cemetery Hill and thought it was an important position. Howard also wanted to get a closer look at the fighting to the west and north of town. He moved into the town for that look.
This map shows the location of where our Eleventh Corps at Gettysburg videos were produced. Videos #1-#7 were shown on other maps on our previous posts. Videos #8 and #9 were taken on East Cemetery Hill. Video #10 was taken near the intersection of Baltimore Street and Middle Street. This map was created facing north at approximately 8:00 PM on Tuesday, July 28, 2009.
In Video #8(Videos #1- #7 were shown in our previous Eleventh Corps posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is standing on East Cemetery Hill. The monument to Major-General Oliver O. Howard is in the background. Stuart tells us why Howard arrived at Cemetery Hill on July 1, 1863. The view was taken facing northeast at approximately 7:30 AM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
Major-General Oliver Otis Howard was 32 years old at the time of the Gettysburg Campaign. On June 1, 1862, while commanding a Union brigade in the Battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, this West Point graduate was wounded twice in his right arm, which was subsequently amputated. Howard was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1893 for his heroism at Fair Oaks. Brigadier-General Howard recovered quickly enough to rejoin the army for the Battle of Antietam, in which he rose to division command in the Second Army Corps. He was promoted to Major-General in November, 1862 and assumed command of the Eleventh Corps in April, 1863, three months before Gettysburg. This image was taken in the 1860s.
In Video #9 Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is standing on East Cemetery Hill. The Gettysburg Battlefield Tour Center is in the right background. The buildings in the left background are on the other (west) side of the Baltimore Pike. Stuart tells us why Howard chose Cemetery Hill as an important position on July 1, 1863. The view was taken facing northwest at approximately 7:30 AM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
In a video with which we had some technical difficulties, Stuart said that Cemetery Hill was a key area because it controlled the road network leading into Gettysburg. Also, Howard was supposed to bring his command “quite up to Gettysburg,” and Cemetery Hill would have provided that close support position on highly defensible ground. Howard then wanted to take a closer view of the fighting west of town. He would go into Gettysburg. The headquarters marker for Howard is in the foreground. The equestrian statue for Howard is in the background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 7:30 AM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey has now moved to Baltimore Street in the town of Gettysburg. The Adams County Courthouse is in the left background. The Fahnestock Building is in the center background, above the blue jeep. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 7:30 AM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
In Video #10 Stuart Dempsey is standing on Baltimore Street. Stuart tells us that Major-General Oliver O. Howard wanted to get a closer view of the action taking place west and north of town. He moved into the town and eventually was offered a view from the top of the Fahnstock House. The view was taken facing southwest to northwest at approximately 7:45 AM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
The Fahnestock House (Fahnestock Brothers Store) was a three story building in 1863. Today it is a four story building. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 7:45 AM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
The Fahnestock Brothers Store became the home of the United States Sanitary Commission on July 9, 1863. This photograph, courtesy of the United States Military History Institute, was taken facing northwest by Alexander Gardner’s group on July 9, 1863.
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