The Second Brigade, Third Division, First Corps

The Pennsylvania Bucktail Brigade

Brigade marker for 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division of the 1st Corps
It is located near the McPherson Barn on Stone Avenue

 It reads:

 ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

First Corps Third Division 
Second Brigade
Col. Roy Stone Col. Langhorne Wister
Col. Edmund L. Dana
143rd 149th 150th Pennsylvania Infantry

July 1.     Arrived and went into position at McPherson buildings between Reynolds Woods and the Railroad Cut and was subjected to a heavy front and enfilading artillery fire from the right. Repulsed repeated attacks of Brig. Daniel's Brigade Major Gen. Rodes's Division from the right as well as front attacks until pressed on both flanks and in front by superior numbers. It retired to Seminary Ridge and held temporary breast works there until the Corps retired before overwhelming numbers to Cemetery Hill when the Brigade with the Division took position at the left of the cemetery on and near the Taneytown Road.

July 2.     Late in the afternoon moved to left and took position previously occupied by First Division Second Corps 

July 3.     Remained in the same position under the heavy artillery fire in the afternoon.

The strength of the Brigade July 1st 1315

Casualties Killed 4 Officers 105 Men Wounded 35 Officers 430 Men Captured or Missing 8 Officers 271 Men Total 853

Colonel Roy Stone 

Colonel Langhorne Wister

                   

Colonel Edmund Dana










143rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

143rd Pennsylvania Monument on Chambersburg Pike


Located on The Chambersburg Pike (modern US 30) the monument represents the position held by the regiment from 11am July 1, 1863 until they fell back to Seminary Ridge.  The soldier on the front of the monument represents Sergeant Ben Crippen shaking his fist at the Confederates as his regiment retreats.  He was killed shortly after this act of defiance, and his body was never recovered and most likely is in an unknown grave at the National Cemetery.


Dedicated:  September 11, 1889


Commander:  Colonel Edmund L. Dana, who took over the Brigade for Colonel Stone (after he was wounded in the hips and arm during the fighting.), Lieutenant Colonel John D. Musser then took command of the regiment.

Number Engaged: 515


Casualties: 21 killed, 141 wounded, 91 missing


Raised:  Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Lycoming counties.

Major Events and Battles:  Organized at Wilkes-Barre October 18, 1862; Chancellorsville; Bristoe Campaign; Wilderness; Spotsylvania; North Anna; Cold Harbor; Petersburg; Mustered out June 12, 1865

Medal of Honor Awardee
Sergeant James M. Rutter 
Company C, 143d Pennsylvania Infantry.
For actions at Gettysburg, Pa., 1 July 1863. 
Date of issue: 30 October 1896. 
Citation: At great risk of his life went to the assistance of a wounded comrade, and while under fire removed him to a place of safety.

Sergeant James M. Rutter MOH






Secondary Monument to the 143rd Pennsylvania

There is a secondary monument on Hancock Avenue that marks the position held by the regiment on July 3, 1863.  It is south of the Copse of Trees, and was erected in 1895.

149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment 

"1st Regiment Bucktail Brigade"

149th Pennsylvania Monument on the Chambersburg Pike

Located on the Chambersburg Pike at the McPherson Barn, it represents the position held by the regiment from 1130 on Juy 1 until they retired to the Seminary and eventually to Cemetery Hill in the afternoon.

On July 1, 1863 in fighting along the Chambersburg Pike the regiment endured heavy losses as a result of  Confederate artillery. On July 1, all of the officers of the 149th were either killed or wounded.  In fact, three men were killed by a single shot.   Lt. Col. Dwight sent the colors fifty yards north to draw fire away from the regiment. This worked, although when the regiment retreated the colors were lost, in spite of the heroic death of Color Sergeant Henry Brehm, who was shot down after he had fought off a party of attackers and was running to return the colors to the retreating regiment.

Dedication Date:  September 11, 1889.

Commander: Col. Walton Dwight. Wounded on July 1.

Number Engaged: 450

Casualties: 53 killed, 172 wounded, 111 missing (336 total)

Raised: Clearfield, Huntingdon, Lebanon, Mifflin, Potter, and Tioga counties Pennsylvania

Significant Battles and Events:  Organized at Harrisburg August, 1862, Chancellorsville, Bristoe Campaign, Haymarket, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Mustered out June 24, 1865

Secondary Monuments and Markers

There is a secondary monument located on Hancock Avenue, it was dedicated on October 20, 1866, it represents the position held by the regiment on July 3, 1863 when they were used in support of Stannard's Brigade.  It was originally located on Reynolds Avenue and was moved to this location in 1889.

149th Pennsylvania Monument on Hancock Avenue

There is also a monument to D company of the 149th located at the intersection of West Confederate Avenue and Fairfield Road.  

It was dedicated in 1886 and honors the memory of Joseph Baldwin who was killed near this spot, and Alex Stuart who was mortally wounded near this spot.  Company D was detached as Provost Guard.  They held this location on the evening of July 1, 1863 for about 20 minutes covering the regiment's retreat.

Monument to Company D, 149th Pennsylvania

150th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

150th Pennsylvania Monument on Stone Avenue
(McPherson Barn in background)

Located on Stone Avenue by the McPherson Barn it represents the location held by the regiment on the afternoon of July 1, 1863.

The regiment was initially under the command of Colonel Wister, who took over command of the brigade.  Lt Col Huidekoper held command of the regiment until he was wounded, Capt. Jones then took command.  Huidekoper received the Medal of Honor for continuing in a command role after being wounded.

Dedication Date:  September 11, 1889.

Commander: Col. Langhorne Wister

Number Engaged: 397

Casualties: 35 killed, 152 wounded, 77 missing (264 total)

Raised: Philadelphia and the counties of Crawford, McKean, and Union, 

Major Battles and Events:  Organized at Philadelphia and Harrisburg September 4, 1862, Chancellorsville, Bristoe, Mine Run, The Wilderness,  Spottsylvania, North Anna, Petersburg, Cold Harbor, Mustered out June 23, 1865.  Company K assigned as body guards to Lincoln from Febrary 63 to muster out.

Secondary Monuments and Markers

There is a secondary monument on Hancock Avenue.  It represents the position held by the regiment on July 3, 1863.  It was originally in the area of the main monument shown above, but moved when the larger monument was placed in 1889.

Secondary monument to the 150th Pennsylvania
Located on Hancock Avenue




Medal of Honor Awardees
Lt. Colonel Henry S. Huidekoper
150th Pennsylvania

For actions at Gettysburg Pennsylvania, July 1, 1863.

Issued May 27, 1905.

Citation: While engaged in repelling an attack of the enemy, received a severe wound of the right arm, but instead of retiring remained at the front in command of the regiment.

 

Lt. Colonel Henry S. Huidekoper, MOH



Corporal Monroe J. Reisinger

Company H, 150th Pennsylvania

For actions at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863

Awarded January 25th 1907

 Citation: Specially brave and meritorious conduct in the face of the enemy.

Grave of Sergeant Monroe J. Reisinger MOH 
Note that he was promoted after the actions for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor

Sadly I couldn't find a picture of  Corporal Reisinger.  As always, if you have anything you'd like to add, please feel free to comment.

More on the First Corps from Gettysburg

Today’s post features the 1^st Corps, 1^st Division, 2nd Brigade.  The Brigade consisted of the following regiments:  76th New York; 84th New York (also known as the 14th Brooklyn); 95th New York; 147th New York; and nine companies of the 56th Pennsylvania.

The 2nd Brigade  saw action July 1, 1863 along the Chambersburg Pike (US Rt 30), notably at the area of the railroad cut and along Oak Ridge.  After the Brigade assisted in the capture of a large portion of Iverson’s Brigade they retreated to Cemetery Hill and then were sent to Culp’s Hill, where the 7^th Indiana joined back up with the brigade.


On Culp’s Hill, the 84^th and 147^th NY went to the aid of the 3^rd Brigade, 2^nd Division, of the 12^th Corps where they actively engaged Confederate troops on July 2^nd, and on the morning of July 3^rd the Brigade also repulsed a Confederate attack.  They remained there until the close of the battle.


With the exception of the 7^th Indiana, all of the major monuments shown here are located along the railroad cut (or in close proximity to it).  The 7^th Indiana’s monument is on Culp’s Hill.  Secondary monuments aren’t pictured in this post, maybe somewhere down the road I will do several posts on secondary monuments.
One additional thing to make note of, when I list the casualties below, a wounded soldier could die of his wounds weeks or months later and not be counted as battle killed.

Brigadier General Lysander Cutler

At Gettysburg, the 2nd Brigade served  under the leadership of Brigadier General 

Lysander Cutler.  Cutler was originally commissioned in July 1861 as Colonel of the 6th Wisconsin (of Iron 

Brigade Fame, see previous posts).  

He was wounded in the thigh at the Battle of Brawner's Farm which caused him to miss the Battle of Antietam.  Following the First Battle of Fredericksburg where Cutler distinguished himself, he was promoted to Brigadier General, eventually leading to appointment as 2nd Brigade Commander (1st Division, 1st Corps). 

 In 1864 Cutler suffered a severe wound at The Battle of Globe Tavern when he was struck in the face by a shell fragment.  Although he was brevetted to the rank of Major General, he was an invalid for the remainder of the war.  Cutler died of a stroke in July 1866. 

Brigadier General Lysander Cutler


76th New York

  With 375 men engaged in battle they suffered 32 killed, 132 wounded and 70 missing.  They were organized in January 1862 at Courtland and Albany New York and served until January 1865 when their remaining veterans were absorbed into the 147^th NY.  This monument was dedicated July 1, 1888 on the 25^th anniversary of the battle.  There are secondary unit markers for the 76th NY located on the summit of Culp's Hill where they were located on July 2nd and 3rd.  

76th New York Monument, located on Reynold's Avenue.

84th New York (14th Brooklyn Militia)

The 84^th New York (also known as the 14^th Brooklyn Militia) entered the battle with 356 men and suffered 13 killed, 105 wounded and 99 missing.  Raised in King’s County New York in May 1861, they served until June 6, 1864.  Their monument was dedicated October 19, 1887.  They have two secondary markers indicating their positions:  one on McPherson's Ridge indicating the position they held on the morning on July 1 prior to advancing on Davis' Brigade at the railroad cut; The second is on Culp's Hill where they engaged Johnson's Division (of Ewell's Corps) on July 2 (and where they remained on July 3).

84th NY (14th Brooklyn Militia) Monument.  Located on Reynolds Avenue (McPherson Barn in background)

95th New York

The 95th New York entered the battle with 261 men, and suffered 7 killed, 62 wounded and 46 missing.  They were organized at New York City and the counties of Rockland, Schoharie, and Westchester New York and served through July 16, 1865.  They were present for Lee’s Surrender and the Grand Review.  The monument was dedicated July 1, 1893 (the 30^th anniversary of the battle), and it was moved in 1960 due to the bridge that was built over the railroad cut.

They have 4 secondary markers on the battlefield indicating various locations they held.  The first 3 represent locations held on July 1 and are located in the following areas:  The Railroad Woods, showing position held @ 10am on July 1; Wadsworth Avenue on Oak Ridge showing position held @ noon on July 1; Chambersburg Pike at Confederate Avenue showing position held @ 4pm on July 1.  The final secondary monument is on the summit of Culp's Hill showing position held on July 2 and July 3, 1863.

95th New York Monument (Railroad Cut in background)


147th New York

The 147^th NY has a secondary unit marker on Culp’s Hill.  This memorial was dedicated on July 1,  1888, the 25^th anniversary of the battle.  They had 430 men engaged in the battle and suffered 60 killed, 144 wounded, 92 missing.  Organized at Oswego, New York in September 1862, they served until June 1865 and were present at both Lee’s Surrender and the Grand Review.

147th New York Monument.  Located on Reynolds Avenue by the Railroad Cut.


56th Pennsylvania

The 56th Pennsylvania entered the battle with 252 men in 9 companies, and suffered 14 killed, 61 wounded and 55 missing.  They were organized in the Pennsylvania counties of Centre, Luzerene, Susquehanna, Indiana, and the city of Philadelphia.  They served with the Army of the Potomac through July 1865, and were present for both Lee’s Surrender and the Grand Review.  While they also served on Culp's Hill, there are no secondary markers for this unit.  Their monument was dedicated on September 11^th 1889 at a cost of $1500.

56th Pennsylvania Monument.  Located on Reynold's Avenue by the Cut Bridge.


7th Indiana

The 7^th Indiana missed most of the action on July 1^st as they were detached from the brigade in Emmitsburg by Maj Gen Reynolds for a guard detail.  They rejoined the 2^nd Brigade late afternoon / early evening on the 1^st.  This monument is on the summit of Culp’s Hill where they were in position until July 5^th 1863.  They were organized in Dearborn, Decatur, Johnson, Hendricks, Marion and Ohio counties, Indiana in September 1861 and served until September 23, 1864 when the remaining members of the regiment were absorbed into the 19^th Indiana Infantry of Iron Brigade fame.  They entered the battle with 431 men and suffered 2 killed, 5 wounded and 3 missing.  Their monument was dedicated on October 28, 1885.

Night shot of the 7th Indiana Monument on Culp's Hill.

I hope you found this informative.  My plan is to continue every couple weeks with new posts on another brigade (1st Corps through 12th), and I will occasionally pepper the site with additional Civil War tidbits that I think may be interesting.  As always, feel free to comment, I will reply to all.