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Battle of Gettysburg McPherson’s Ridge McPherson’s Farm Chambersburg Pike Cashtown Turnpike
General John Buford’s Cavalry Division General Henry Heth Iron Brigade John Reynolds Archer’s Brigade
| Viewing north at McPherson's Farm |
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| Chambersburg Pike is north of the barn (Gettysburg NMP) |
The Edward McPherson farm is situated on the Chambersburg Road (US Rt.30)
one half mile west of Gettysburg. Typical of many Pennsylvania farms, it included a house, barn, several outbuildings, pasture and cropland as well as a small
orchard. Nearby was a small forest (often referred to as "woodlots" by farmers), owned by a neighbor named John Herbst. Most
of McPherson's farm was pasture though two fields were planted in corn and wheat. A significant feature of the farm is the
two ridges that run perpendicular to the Chambersburg Pike and offered Union cavalry and infantry a good position to defend
against the Confederate attacks which took place here on the afternoon of July 1. It was on the McPherson Farm that Brig.
General John Buford's Cavalry Division camped while pickets and scouts stood watch from posts between the farm and Cashtown,
Pennsylvania, eight miles away. At approximately 8 A.M. on the morning of July 1, a Union picket post manned by the 8th Illinois
Cavalry on the Chambersburg (or Cashtown) Pike near Seven Stars confronted Confederate infantry commanded by General Henry
Heth. Heth's men brushed aside the first Union pickets and continued their advance toward Gettysburg while outnumbered Union
troopers slowly fell back toward town. Buford had wisely posted the bulk of his troops along Willoughby Run on the western
border of the McPherson Farm, with his artillery and other dismounted troopers resting on the ridge overlooking the stream
and the bridge that crossed it. "The two lines soon became hotly engaged," Buford reported, "we having the advantage of position,
he of numbers. The First Brigade held its own for more than two hours, and had to be... dragged back... to a position more
secure and better sheltered. The Brigade maintained this unequal contest until the leading division of General Reynold's corps
came up to its assistance."
The Union infantry was from the First Corps commanded by Maj. General John
F. Reynolds. Arriving on the scene at about 10 A.M., the Union troops threw back Heth's soldiers in a furious counterattack.
General Reynolds was shot dead while leading his troops into the woods south of the farm. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania,
Reynolds was a highly respected officer in the Army of the Potomac and well known by his Confederate counterparts.
| Gen. Archer |
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| Generals in Gray |
The vicious Union counterattack inflicted heavy losses on the Confederates, a brigade commanded by Brig.
General James Archer who taken prisoner by Private Patrick Maloney, a member of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry. General Archer
was being led to the rear when he encountered General Abner Doubleday, his old West Point classmate. Seeing the Archer for
the first time in many years, Doubleday thrust out his hand and remarked how glad he was to see him. "Well, I'm not glad to
see you by a damned sight, Doubleday," Archer vehemently replied before he was escorted back and eventually into a prisoner
of war camp.
| Herbst Woods adjacent to the McPherson Farm |
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| Location where Gen. John Reynolds was killed |
North of the Chambersburg Pike, Brig. General Joseph Davis' Brigade routed
a portion of Cutler's Brigade, opening the right flank of the Union troops battling Archer's men. Quick thinking Union officers
ordered a counterattack and Davis' men were driven back after a desperate struggle in an unfinished railroad bed where the
Confederates had taken refuge from Union fire. A short lull in the battle gave both sides time to reorganize. Major General
Abner Doubleday of New York assumed command of the Union First Corps and established a defensive line through the McPherson
Farm, northward along Seminary Ridge to Oak Hill. Other troops arrived and marched into the fields north of Gettysburg. Meanwhile, two additional Confederate divisions under
Robert Rodes and William Dorsey Pender arrived and went into battle formations west and north of the Union line.
| Brockenbrough's troops at the McPherson Farm |
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| Battles & Leaders |
At 1 o'clock that afternoon, the Confederate assault was renewed. General
Heth sent his two fresh brigades to press the attack on the McPherson Farm and heavy fighting quickly spread north and south
along the ridge. Colonel John M. Brockenbrough's Virginia Brigade splashed through Willoughby Run and moved toward the McPherson
buildings, surrounded by Colonel Roy Stone's Pennsylvania "Bucktail" Brigade. Positioned behind stout rail fences, Stone's
men threw back repeated attacks from General Junius Daniels' North Carolina Brigade attacking through the fields north of
the Chambersburg Pike. Meanwhile, Brockenbrough's men were forced to march across several hundred yards of open meadow in
front of the Pennsylvanians who unleashed a withering fire into the struggling Confederates. Brockenbrough mistakenly sent
in one or two regiments at a time, attempting to reserve some of his strength to exploit a break. The Virginians suffered
under the Union rifle and artillery fire, and each attempt to force the Bucktails out was met with renewed defiance. Pinned
by this murderous fire, Brockenbrough could only hold on and hope for support from Brig. General James J. Pettigrew's North
Carolina Brigade, advancing on his right into the trees on the southern edge of the McPherson property.
| McPherson's Farm (present-day) |
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Yet Pettigrew's men had also run into a stone wall. When his "Tar Heels" waded Willoughby Run and ascended the wooded slope of the Herbst Farm woods (mistakenly called "McPherson's Woods" by some
participants), they ran headlong into the "Iron Brigade". Major Jones of the 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment recalled: "The fighting was terrible- our men advancing, the enemy stubbornly resisting, until the two lines were pouring
volleys into each other at a distance not greater than 20 paces." During one of the last charges, the 26th's twenty one year-old
colonel, Harry Burgwyn, grasped the regimental flag and led his men up to the faces of the 24th Michigan Infantry. As Burgwyn
turned to see his men follow him, he was struck through the side by a bullet that spun him around and flat to the ground.
Lt. Colonel Lane picked up the flag and continued to encourage his men in the charge leaving the 26th's mortally wounded commander
to the care of others. Within minutes, Lane was also shot, the bullet passing through his neck muscles, shattering his jaw
and knocking out several teeth. Remarkably Lane survived his horrible wound, though Colonel Burgwyn died that evening.
The Iron Brigade's soldiers were down to their last cartridges and the position was beginning to break. Heavy
losses and the arrival of fresh Confederate units compelled the Union regiments to give way, but losses in the Confederate
ranks were equally bad and included many regimental and company officers. Among those severely injured was General Heth, wounded
while directing his troops around the stubborn Union defense on the McPherson Farm. A Union bullet struck the general a glancing
blow to the head though it could have been much worse- he was wearing a new hat that he had stuffed the interior sweat band
with newspaper for a proper fit. The bullet hit at such an angle that it ringed the inside of his hat, knocking him senseless
and leaving a mark around his scalp similar to a burn. General Pettigrew took command of the division as the dazed Heth was
helped from the field.
General Lee arrived on the field by mid-afternoon, disturbed that a major battle had been initiated against his orders. Despite the fact
that a large portion of his army was still miles away from the battle site, the general quickly realized that he had an advantage
in numbers and was anxious to press the attack on the Union positions. Lee immediately ordered his generals to continue the
attack and drive back the Union troops north and west of Gettysburg. After several hours of bitter fighting, the northerners
withdrew from the McPherson Farm area to Seminary Ridge where they made one final stand prior to retreating to Cemetery Hill south of Gettysburg.
The fighting which swirled around this farm was heavy and bloody for both sides. After the battle, the McPherson
buildings were used as a temporary hospital by Confederate surgeons. Of the original McPherson buildings only the McPherson
Barn remains. Time and the elements had taken a heavy toll on the barn until 1978 when it was restored by the National Park
Service. The barn is currently under lease to a local farmer who also uses land around it for pasture under a Park Service
lease agreement.
McPherson's Ridge and "The Old Gettysburg Hero"
| "The Old Gettysburg Hero" |
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| John Burns (LOC) |
One of the more interesting personalities to participate in the battle that day was Gettysburg civilian
John Burns. The 70 year-old veteran of the War of 1812 took up his flintlock musket and walked out to the scene of the fighting
that morning. Approaching an officer of a Pennsylvania Bucktail regiment, Burns requested that he be allowed to fall in with
the officer's command. Not quite believing his eyes nor ears, the officer sent the aged Burns into the woods next to the McPherson
Farm, where he fought beside members of the Iron Brigade throughout the afternoon until he was wounded. Injured and exhausted,
the old man made his way through groups of victorious Confederates who remarkably allowed him to go home unmolested. After
the battle, he was elevated to the role of national hero. Hearing about the aged veteran, Mathew Brady photographed Burns
while recuperating at his home on Chambersburg Street and took the story of Burns and his participation in the battle back
home to Washington. Others soon became interested in the story and when President Lincoln came to Gettysburg to dedicate the
Soldiers National Cemetery that fall, it was John Burns who the president wished to meet. Burns' fame quickly spread and a
poem about his exploits was published in 1864. His notoriety faded after the war, but Burns was proud of his service to his
country and his hometown. John Burns died in 1872 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg.
| Monument to John Burns |
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| Gettysburg NMP |
"John Burns, although past his three score years and ten, learning
of the enemies army approach took down his flintlock rifle, joined our troops in defence of his home and fireside..."
The popularity of John Burns' participation in the battle grew in the post
war years. His home on Chambersburg Street was razed after his death and veterans of the battle remarked that something should
be done to commemorate his services. Reacting to a proposal by a Pennsylvania chapter of the Sons of Union Veterans, the state
enacted legislation to provide funds for a fitting monument. The Pennsylvania Board of Commissioners on Gettysburg Monuments
desired that the monument be placed on the field where Burns had fought with the 150th Pennsylvania and 2nd Wisconsin regiments,
and a site was chosen on McPherson's Ridge next to Herbst Woods. Sculptor Albert G. Bureau chose to depict a defiant Burns
with clenched fist, stubbornly carrying his flintlock musket in battle. In reality, Burns used a rifle musket borrowed from
a wounded Union soldier. Placed upon a boulder taken from the battlefield, the monument was dedicated on July 1, 1903, on
the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the battle.
Source: National Park Service; Gettysburg National Military Park
Recommended
Reading: Stone's Brigade and the Fight for the McPherson Farm
(Hardcover). Description: As part of the I Corps at Gettysburg, Stone's (Bucktail) Brigade fought one of the
most desperate actions of the battle. The defense of the McPherson farm bought valuable time for more Union units to arrive
in the area and deploy for the ultimate victory. The Bucktail Brigade consisted of the 143rd, 149th, and 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers. The 149th were the original "Bucktails" and
became as well-known for the deer tails stuck in their hatbands as for their distinguished work as a light infantry unit in
the Virginia campaign of 1862. As with many other governments,
the Pennsylvania authorities sought to increase their number
of elite units by expanding a renowned regiment to brigade strength. Giving two new regiments, bucktails to wear, it was hoped
would create an entire elite brigade who all fought as well as the original unit. Continued below...
The men of the 149th took the
extension of the bucktail distinction with bad grace, and the two junior regiments initially were given all the least desirable
assignments. At Gettysburg
on July 1st, 1863, the two new units proved themselves by their gallant stand at McPherson's Farm and the entire brigade remained
highly regarded throughout the Army of the Potomac for the rest of the war. James Dougherty
describes this action in unprecedented detail, with extensive reference to the surviving diaries and eyewitness accounts.
The author's extensive background in emergency medical services also gives him considerable expertise in describing the fearsome
wounds sustained in this action and their subsequent treatment.
Recommended
Reading: Gettysburg--The First Day, by Harry W. Pfanz (Civil War America)
(Hardcover). Description: Though a great deal has been written about the battle of Gettysburg, much of it has focused on the events of the second and third
days. With this book, the first day's fighting finally receives its due. Harry Pfanz, a former historian at Gettysburg National Military
Park and author of two previous books on the battle, presents a deeply
researched, definitive account of the events of July 1, 1863. Continued below…
After sketching the background
of the Gettysburg
campaign and recounting the events immediately preceding the battle, Pfanz offers a detailed tactical description of the first
day's fighting. He describes the engagements in McPherson Woods, at the Railroad Cuts, on Oak
Ridge, on Seminary Ridge, and at Blocher's Knoll, as well as the retreat of Union forces through Gettysburg and the Federal rally on Cemetery Hill. Throughout, he draws on
deep research in published and archival sources to challenge some of the common assumptions about the battle--for example,
that Richard Ewell's failure to press an attack against Union troops at Cemetery Hill late on the first day ultimately cost
the Confederacy the battle.
Recommended
Reading: Damn Dutch: Pennsylvania Germans at Gettysburg, by David L. Valuska (Author), Christian B. Keller (Author), Don Yoder (Foreword),
Scott Hartwig (Contributor), Martin Oefele (Contributor) (Hardcover). Review:
This is the first work to highlight the contributions of regiments of the Pennsylvania Dutch and the post 1820 immigrant Germans
at the Battle of Gettysburg. On the first day, the 1st Corps, in which many of the Pennsylvania Dutch regiments served, and
the half-German 11th Corps, which was composed of five regiments of either variety, bought, with their blood, enough time
for the federals to adequately prepare the high ground, which proved critical in the end for the Union victory. On the second
day, they participated in beating back Confederate attacks that threatened to crack the Union defenses on Cemetery Hill and
in other strategic locations. Continued below...
About the Authors: David L. Valuska is Freyberger
professor of Pennsylvania German studies at Kutztown University
and executive director of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center. Christian B. Keller is assistant professor of
American history at Dickinson College.
Scott Hartwig has been an interpretive park ranger at Gettysburg
National Military Park
since 1980. Martin Oefele is a former professor of American history at the University
of Munich.
Recommended
Reading: The Maps of Gettysburg: The Gettysburg
Campaign, June 3 - July 13, 1863 (Hardcover). Description: More academic and photographic
accounts on the battle of Gettysburg exist than for all other
battles of the Civil War combined-and for good reason. The three-days of maneuver, attack, and counterattack consisted of
literally scores of encounters, from corps-size actions to small unit engagements. Despite all its coverage, Gettysburg remains one of the most complex and difficult to understand battles of the war.
Author Bradley Gottfried offers a unique approach to the study of this multifaceted engagement. The Maps of Gettysburg plows
new ground in the study of the campaign by breaking down the entire campaign in 140 detailed original maps. These cartographic
originals bore down to the regimental level, and offer Civil Warriors a unique and fascinating approach to studying the always
climactic battle of the war. Continued below...
The Maps of
Gettysburg offers thirty "action-sections" comprising the entire campaign. These include the march to and from the battlefield,
and virtually every significant event in between. Gottfried's original maps further enrich each "action-section." Keyed to
each piece of cartography is detailed text that includes hundreds of soldiers' quotes that make the Gettysburg
story come alive. This presentation allows readers to easily and quickly find a map and text on virtually any portion of the
campaign, from the great cavalry clash at Brandy Station on June 9, to the last Confederate withdrawal of troops across the
Potomac River on July 15, 1863. Serious students of the battle will appreciate the extensive
and authoritative endnotes. They will also want to bring the book along on their trips to the battlefield… Perfect for
the easy chair or for stomping the hallowed ground of Gettysburg,
The Maps of Gettysburg promises to be a seminal work that belongs on the bookshelf of every serious and casual student of
the battle.
Recommended
Reading: The
Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command (928
pages). Description:
Coddington's research is one of the most thorough and detailed studies of the Gettysburg Campaign. Exhaustive in scope and
scale, Coddington delivers, with unrivaled research, in-depth battle descriptions and a complete history of the regiments
involved. Continued below...
This
is a must read for anyone seriously interested in American history and what transpired and shaped a nation on those pivotal
days in July 1863.
NEW!
Recommended Reading: The Gettysburg
Companion: A Guide to the Most Famous Battle of the Civil
War (Hardcover). Description: There have been many books about Gettysburg, but never one to rival this in scale or authority. Based on extensive research,
The Gettysburg Companion describes the battle in detail, drawing on firsthand accounts of participants on all sides in order
to give the reader a vivid sense of what it was like to experience the carnage at Gettysburg
in early July 1863. The many full-color maps--all specially commissioned for the book--and the numerous photographs, charts,
and diagrams make this book a feast for the eyes and a collector's dream. Includes
a massive library of 500 color illustrations.
Recommended
Reading: Hallowed Ground: A
Walk at Gettysburg, by James M. Mcpherson
(Crown Journeys) (Hardcover). Review From
Publishers Weekly: The country's most distinguished
Civil War historian, a Pulitzer Prize winner (for Battle Cry of Freedom) and professor at Princeton,
offers this compact and incisive study of the Battle of Gettysburg. In narrating "the largest battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere," McPherson walks readers over its presently hallowed ground, with monuments numbering
into the hundreds, many of which work to structure the narrative. They range from the equestrian monument to Union general
John Reynolds to Amos Humiston, a New Yorker identified several months after the battle when family daguerreotypes found on
his body were recognized by his widow. Indeed, while McPherson does the expected fine job of narrating the battle, in a manner
suitable for the almost complete tyro in military history, he also skillfully hands out kudos and criticism each time he comes
to a memorial. Continued below...
He praises
Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine, but also the 140th New York
and its colonel, who died leading his regiment on the other Union flank in an equally desperate action. The cover is effective
and moving: the quiet clean battlefield park above, the strewn bodies below. The author's knack for knocking myths on the
head without jargon or insult is on display throughout: he gently points out that North Carolinians think that their General
Pettigrew ought to share credit for Pickett's charge; that General Lee's possible illness is no excuse for the butchery that
charge led to; that African-Americans were left out of the veterans' reunions; and that the kidnapping of African-Americans
by the Confederates has been excised from most history books.
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