Eleventh Corps at Gettysburg Part 46 With Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey
January 30, 2012
The north side of the Jennie Wade House (McClellan/McClain House), located on the north slope of Cemetery Hill, along the Baltimore Pike/Baltimore Street. The minie ball that killed Jennie Wade went through the door. Captain Emil Koenig of the 58th New York Infantry Regiment stated in his report of the Battle of Gettysburg: “On the morning of July 3, the firing commenced very early, ceasing at different intervals. At 6 o’clock in the morning, we were ordered to the right of the road leading to Gettysburg. We were posted behind a stone fence to the left of Captain Wiedrich’s battery. Lieutenant Schwartz, with one company, was sent to take possession of the next houses of the town to the left of the road. The enemy’s sharpshooters kept up a brisk fire at these houses, and killed a girl who was living in one of them. Our men escaped uninjured, although they had possession of the house until the end of the battle, and the house was completely pierced by bomb-shells and rifle-balls. The fire of these sharpshooters was very annoying to us, as we could not show our heads above the fence without being fired at; however, they did us no damage.” This image was taken by the Rotrograph Company of New York City facing southeast circa 1904.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is our host for a series on the Eleventh Army Corps during the Battle of Gettysburg. Stuart had two relatives in the Eleventh Corps (73rd Ohio Infantry Regiment) and both were killed/mortally wounded at Gettysburg. They are both buried in the National Cemetery. Stuart has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 2004.
In addition to tours at Gettysburg National Military Park, Stuart also conducts tours at other historic sites in North America and Europe. He invites you to have a look at his website: www.battlegroundhistorytours.com.
In today’s Eleventh Corps post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey describes the skirmish line of the Eleventh Corps near the base of the north slope of East Cemetery Hill.
This map shows the location of where our Eleventh Corps at Gettysburg videos were produced. Videos #1-#131 were shown in our previous Eleventh Corps posts. Video #132 was taken near the Jennie Wade House along the Baltimore Pike/Baltimore Street. Video #132 was taken near Alumni Park at the junction of Baltimore Street and Lefever Street.This map was created facing north at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, January 20, 2012.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is the host for our Eleventh Corps series. He is standing on Baltimore Street near the Jennie Wade House, which is out of sight on the right. The hotel to the front right occupies an area that would have been an open lot/field in 1863. The service station on the left with the yellow and red/orange awning occupies the site of the Wagon Hotel. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 1:15 PM on Monday, December 19, 2011.
In Video #132 (Videos #1-#131 were shown in our previous Eleventh Corps posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is standing along the Baltimore Pike near the Jennie Wade House. Unfortunately our filming at this location left off the first few seconds of his narration. Stuart describes how skirmishers from the Eleventh Corps occupied the Wagon Hotel and other buildings close to the Confederate lines in the town. This view was taken facing northwest to north to northwest at approximately 1:15 PM on Monday, December 19, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is standing in Gettysburg School District’s Alumni Park. Baltimore Street is behind the camera. In the left background, on the other side of Lefever Street is the John Winebrenner House (also known as Twin Sycamores). In the center background is the Gettysburg Middle School. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 1:15 PM on Monday, December 19, 2011.
In Video #133 Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey is standing near the intersection of Baltimore Street and Lefever Street. His discusses how members of the Eleventh Corps entered the town of Gettysburg on July 4, 1863, after much of the Confederate army had been withdrawn. This view was taken facing north at approximately 1:15 PM on Monday, December 19, 2011.
There are not yet any histories of the Eleventh Corps that are in print. Here is the autobiography of Oliver O. Howard, who commanded the Eleventh Corps at Gettysburg. For ordering information, click here.
To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides,click here.