Regiments Present at Gettysburg Address/Soldier's National Cemetery Dedication

[Illini77]

Have been looking at pictures of the Gettysburg Address/Soldier's National Cemetery Dedication (such as http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cwpb.00651/) and noticed quite a few Union soldiers in dress uniform (Hardee, white gloves, etc.). I was wondering if there was any information on what specific units/regiments these soldiers were from and the back story on why they were there. Were these grizzled veterans or heavy artillery from a local fort? Were those particular soldiers there because they had served honorably or were they just assigned to guard the event since they were stationed close to it?

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Re: Regiments Present at Gettysburg Address/Soldier's National Cemetery Dedication

The 5th New York Heavy Artillery, which had been stationed in Baltimore, had the job. A detail from Co. B, 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry, which was from the immediate region, also served as escort. The Marine Band and 2nd U.S. Artillery Band were present, too, as was Adolph Birgfield's band from Philadelphia.

[Illini77]

Re: Regiments Present at Gettysburg Address/Soldier's National Cemetery Dedication

Received this message from John Heiser of NPS:

Dear Sir or Madam,

The military units that participated in the November 19 ceremony at Gettysburg were the United States Marine Band, a battery of the 2nd United States Artillery (most likely Battery I brought up from Baltimore), a detachment of US Cavalry from Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, the 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Battery A, 5th US Artillery, and the 5th New York Heavy Artillery including the regimental band. Also in attendance was Maj. General Darius Couch, commander of the Department of the Susquehanna, and his staff.

The Marine Band was transported from Washington for the dedication ceremony. The 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry, raised as a six-month regiment combined with several companies of state “Emergency troops” in late summer 1863, was assigned guard duty on the C&O Canal and in West Virginia that fall. The regiment was in the process of being recalled to Harrisburg for mustering out and Gettysburg was a perfect stopping over place for the five or so companies that were in Gettysburg for the cemetery dedication.

The 5th New York Heavy Artillery was stationed in Baltimore though its Third Battalion- companies I, K, L and M- were stationed along the Potomac River and C&O Canal in the fall of 1863. Though it’s not clear from any records as to whether the entire regiment was at Gettysburg, we believe it was only the Third Battalion of the 5th NY HA that was present for the cemetery dedication. The First and Second Battalions were stationed in Baltimore until the following year while the Third Battalion was the closest to Gettysburg, and was ordered to Harpers Ferry after the November 19 event was over. The soldiers seen standing with arms and equipment in the Gardner photographs of the dedication cemetery are members of this regiment. For the most part, the 5th NY HA had not seen combat; only Companies A and F were engaged in the 1862 siege of Harpers Ferry and subsequent surrender to “Stonewall” Jackson’s command there on September 15, 1862.

What is unclear is the role of Battery A, 5th US Artillery, which was assigned to the defenses of Portsmouth, Virginia in August 1863 and was supposed to be there in that department through April 1864. It’s not clear how this battery was assigned to the event at Gettysburg and whether it was actually this particular battery that participated in the ceremony but it receives the credit for being here.

We hope this information will be of service.

Sincerely,

[rake]

Re: Regiments Present at Gettysburg Address/Soldier's National Cemetery Dedication

The 5th Artillery could have been represented for two reasons - batteries of the 5th were present at Gettysburg, and the 5th Artillery also has the only direct descendant unit from the Continental Army in the US Army. All of the Continental Army except for one company of artillery was disbanded in 1783, leaving that sole battery as the link between the Continental Army and the US Army. That battery makes appearances for certain historical occasions, and the Address may have been seen as such an event.