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Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

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  • Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

    Hallo!

    Whether due to the cyclical changing banks of Plum Run, or a change casued by deforesting the base of Big Round Top to its 1863 condition causing increased run-off, etc...

    Erosion is altering the "lay of the lay" in the Alexander Gardner "Slaughter Pen" images (likely) taken July 6 or 7m 1863.

    In years past, Plum Creek flowed around the split boulder curving to the viewer's left (image right) gradually carving away the high ground where the two bodies were and the edge of the "land" where Gardner set up the camera for the close-up of the second body.

    However, since the deforestation, Plum Creek now has cut between the boulders carrying away most of the ground that used to extend to the split boulder (and the ground and rocks that support its one end causing the widening of the crack or split to accelerate.











    Side note... NUG, the two dead Confederates are identified as belonging to either the 44th or 48t Alabama Infantry. Howeverm, IMHO, they are lying where the 4th Texas went through the valley on the assauilt on Little Round Top- on the 4th's right or on the 5th Texas' left.

    Curt

    (Deforestation of the base of Big Round Top in the Slaughter Pen should enable (or help) locating the sites of the dead in the other Gardner images in the winter season when the brush is not blocking the view of rocks and boulders. Just as recently with the Gardner original "Confederate sharpshooter" body location roughly 70 yards south of west down hill from Devil's Den.)
    Last edited by Curt Schmidt; 05-22-2009, 05:46 PM.
    Curt Schmidt
    In gleichem Schritt und Tritt, Curt Schmidt

    -Hard and sharp as flint...secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
    -Haplogroup R1b M343 (Subclade R1b1a2 M269)
    -Pointless Folksy Wisdom Mess, Oblio Lodge #1
    -Vastly Ignorant
    -Often incorrect, technically, historically, factually.

  • #2
    Re: Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

    That erosion has been happening for a few years now. If I remember right, it was going on before the deforesting. You would think the park would do something to prevent this??

    If the other Gardner pictures you are talking about is the ones of the confederates just inside the woodline at the base of BRT it is pretty easy to find. It is almost right on the old trolly path heading away from the Slaughter pen. The ground there has changed drastically and it is now not in the woodline.


    Bill Fean

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    • #3
      Re: Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

      Sir, these are two photos of this area we took about 1996 .Click image for larger version

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      Click image for larger version

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      Right click on photo to enlarge.
      Last edited by yeoman; 08-02-2009, 08:58 AM. Reason: right click photo
      Mel Hadden, Husband to Julia Marie, Maternal Great Granddaughter of
      Eben Lowder, Corporal, Co. H 14th Regiment N.C. Troops (4th Regiment N.C. Volunteers, Co. H, The Stanly Marksmen) Mustered in May 5, 1861, captured April 9, 1865.
      Paternal Great Granddaughter of James T. Martin, Private, Co. I, 6th North Carolina Infantry Regiment Senior Reserves, (76th Regiment N.C. Troops)

      "Aeterna Numiniet Patriae Asto"

      CWPT
      www.civilwar.org.

      "We got rules here!"

      The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies

      Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Being for the most part contributations by Union and Confederate officers

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      • #4
        Re: Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

        Hallo!

        Thanks!

        (A left click on my mouse...)

        Curt
        Curt Schmidt
        In gleichem Schritt und Tritt, Curt Schmidt

        -Hard and sharp as flint...secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
        -Haplogroup R1b M343 (Subclade R1b1a2 M269)
        -Pointless Folksy Wisdom Mess, Oblio Lodge #1
        -Vastly Ignorant
        -Often incorrect, technically, historically, factually.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

          Interesting to note that the single soldier lying dead has NCO stripes on the leg of his trousers...
          Tom "Mingo" Machingo
          Independent Rifles, Weevil's Mess

          Vixi Et Didici

          "I think and highly hope that this war will end this year, and Oh then what a happy time we will have. No need of writing then but we can talk and talk again, and my boy can talk to me and I will never tire of listening to him and he will want to go with me everywhere I go, and I will be certain to let him go if there is any possible chance."
          Marion Hill Fitzpatrick
          Company K, 45th Georgia Infantry
          KIA Petersburg, Virginia

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          • #6
            Re: Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

            Great photo's!!! I became very knowledgeable with the battlefield when I did an internship at GNMP back in '98, and I remember the deforestation projects where just getting underway, and there was much debate over the efforts within the NPS. The original charter of the NPS is "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." There is an inherent division in the NPS between natural parks and historic parks... and the term "land management" means different things in each. There were those that felt that clear cutting land and altering natural habitat that exsisted for decades or even longer in the name of "historical preservation" violated this charter. Likewise there were many who believed that the preservation of the battlefield as "frozen in 1863" should be the goal of GNMP. Keep in mind too that "historical preservation" has been interpreted as meaning different things over the years. The fact is the battlefield has a near 150 year history since the battle that is just as interesting as the battle itself. I personally am not stating my position here... just the various arguments I've heard over the years. Personally, I think GNMP has done a good job of balancing historical preservation over the past decade or so... the truth is nature will do her thing... and to manage that takes money.

            Of course 3 million visitors a year tramping around the place doesn't help either!
            Last edited by Cyclesmith; 06-16-2011, 10:28 PM.
            Todd Reynolds
            Union Orphan Extraordinaire

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            • #7
              Re: Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

              Just noticed the possible NCO stripes myself. Interesting for sure. ~Gary
              Gary Dombrowski
              [url]http://garyhistart.blogspot.com/[/url]

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              • #8
                Re: Gettysburg Slaughter Pen dead...

                Mr. Reynolds brings up an interesting question. Is the erosion due more from the deforestation or from the "tramping" of millions of visitors every year? At any rate at least there isnt a Walmart standing on top of it.
                Robert Johnson

                "Them fellers out thar you ar goin up against, ain't none of the blue-bellied, white-livered Yanks and sassidge-eatin'forrin' hirelin's you have in Virginny that run atthe snap of a cap - they're Western fellers, an' they'll mighty quick give you a bellyful o' fightin."



                In memory of: William Garry Co.H 5th USCC KIA 10/2/64 Saltville VA.

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