Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Bucktails on McPherson’s Ridge Part 4
February 1, 2010
Corporal Frank Lehman was a color bearer for the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry. During the Battle of Gettysburg, he was responsible for the State of Pennsylvania flag. This view, courtesy of Rich Kohr, was taken circa the 1860s.
The original “Bucktails” were the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves Regiment (42nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment). They were so named because of the regiment’s custom of having each man wear on his hat the tail of a deer he had shot. The Bucktails were said to be all superior marksmen, and during the first year of the war they distinguished themselves as skirmishers and sharpshooters.
In July 1862, because of this excellent record, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton directed Roy Stone, a major in the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves, to enlist an additional brigade of Bucktails. Stone raised 20 companies of recruits by the end of August to send to Harrisburg for official organization into the 149th and 150th Pennsylvania regiments. The new volunteers, having proudly adopted the distinctive badge of the earlier group, also called themselves the “Bucktails” or sometimes the “New Bucktails.” The 143rd Pennsylvania would join the brigade in February, 1863.
At the beginning of the war, most of this brigade’s time had been spent within the fortifications of Washington, D.C. They were not significantly engaged at Chancellorsville, so Gettysburg would be their first major battle. Their most important contribution to the Battle of Gettysburg occurred on McPherson’s Ridge on July 1, 1863.
In our first Bucktails’ post Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr showed us the positions and actions of the Bucktails around the McPherson Farm and the Railroad Cut on July 1, 1863.
In our second post, Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr showed how the 149th and 150th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiments reformed on the western arm of McPherson’s Ridge to face Brockenbrough’s Virginia Brigade.
In our third post, Rich Kohr shows us how the McPherson Barn was attacked, some rock carvings, and revisits the story of the flags of the 149th Pennsylvania.
In today’s post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr describes how the State colors of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry were captured on July 1, 1863.
This map shows the locations where our videos were recorded. The number in the star matches the number of the video listed on this post. Video #10 was taken by the monument to the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Video #11 was taken farther down the slope of McPherson’s Ridge overlooking Willoughby Run and the Willoughby Run Quarry. Video #12 was taken between the monument to the 150th Pennsylvania and the McPherson Barn. Video #13 was taken east of the McPherson Barn. Video #14 was taken at the south side of the McPherson Barn. Video #15 was taken on the south side of the Chambersburg Pike. Videos #16-#18 were taken near the location of the colors of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. This map was made facing north at approximately 6:00 PM on Saturday, January 30, 2010.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr is standing near the site where the flags of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment were placed. The South Mountain Range of the Appalachian Mountains is in the background. The farm silo sits atop Herr’s Ridge. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 2:15 PM on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
In Video #16 (Videos #1-#15 were shown in our previous Bucktail posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr revisits the position of the color guard of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. He describes how one of the members left to seek orders on what they should do after their regiment fell back to East McPherson’s Ridge, and later to Seminary Ridge. Some members of the 42nd Mississippi of Joseph Davis’ Confederate Brigade, advanced toward the colors. This view was taken facing south to southwest to northeast to northwest at approximately 2:15 PM on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr is still at the site of the colors for the 149th Pennsylvania. In the background, from left to right are: buildings at the Lutheran Theological Seminary on Seminary Rige, the left flank marker for Hall’s 2nd Maine Battery, the equestrian statue to Major General John Reynolds, cannon marking the position of Hall’s 2nd Maine Battery, the monument to the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, the McPherson Barn, the monument to Hall’s 2nd Maine Battery, and part of the monument to Brigadier General John Buford. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 2:15 PM on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
In Video #17 Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr describes how on approaching the position of the color guard of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, Sergeant Frank Price of the 42nd Mississippi Infantry “fell into a pile of live Yankees.” This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 2:15 PM on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
Corporal Henry Spayd was seventeen years old at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, and a member of the color guard of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry. This view, courtesy of Rich Kohr, was taken circa the 1860s.
In Video #18 Rich Kohr describes the fight for the State colors of the 149th Pennsylvania. This view was taken facing southeast to northwest to southeast at approximately 2:15 PM on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
