The Louisiana State Monument is located on Seminary Ridge to very generally represent a position of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
This week’s snow and ice enticed us to take some photographs of the Louisiana State Monument on Wednesday morning. The monument, located along West Confederate Avenue near the intersection with the Millerstown Road, was erected in 1971. The sculptor, Donald Delue, has two other monuments at Gettysburg: The Soldiers and Sailors of the Confederacy Memorial (1965), and the Mississippi State Monument (1973).
See our previous post on the Louisiana State Monument on June 18, 2008.
The monument consists of the “Spirit of the Confederacy” soaring over a mortally wounded or dead Louisiana artilleryman. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
The artilleryman is nine feet long… This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
…and is clutching a Confederate battle flag to his chest. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Wednesday’s snow did not quite cover a flower left by a visitor. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
The “Spirit of the Confederacy” is also said to be Saint Barbara, the patron-saint of artillerymen because of the flaming cannonball she is holding in her right hand. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
In the reeds beneath Barbara is a dove of peace. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Louisiana’s 1860 total population, according to the 1860 Federal Population Census, was 708,002. This ranked Louisiana as the 17th most populous state. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Of the 708,002 Louisiana residents in 1860, 357,456 or 50% were listed as “white.” 302,592 or 43% of the 1860 Louisiana population were listed as “black.” 47,781 or 7% of the population was listed as “mulatto,” and 173 individuals were listed as American Indians. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Of the “black” Louisiana population in 1860, 331,726 were listed as slaves, and only 3489 were listed as “free blacks.” This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
The Louisiana Monument is in the foreground, and the Mississippi State Monument, also by sculptor Donald Delue, is in the background, just to the left of the Louisiana Monument. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
This view shows the Mississippi State Monument in the right background. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
At the Battle of Gettysburg, the Washington Artillery Battalion had three men killed and 26 wounded. 16 men were listed as missing. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
At Gettysburg, the Washington Artillery also had 37 horses killed, three guns disabled, and one limber “blown up.” This view was taken from the facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Joseph Sherfy’s Peace Orchard is the snow covered piece of high ground in the background between the bench on the right and the Louisiana Monument. Joseph Sherfy’s farm is located in the left background along the Emmitsburg Road. This view was taken facing east at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
The Washington Artillery’s position on July 3, 1863 was “about 100 yards to the left of the peach orchard.” This would place them in the background between the Sherfy Farm on the left and the snow-covered Millerstown Road on the right. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Louisiana had 3031 soldiers “engaged” at the Battle of Gettysburg. This placed it 16th among all the states that had military units at Gettysburg. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Louisiana soldiers suffered 724 casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg, which placed Louisiana 15th in rank of all the military units. The Alexander Spangler Farm is in the right background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Louisiana suffered 23.9% casualties, which placed it 22nd among all the states that supplied military units to the battle. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
The Louisiana State Memorial, or Louisiana State Monument was dedicated on June 11, 1971 at a cost of $100,000. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
The overall height of the monument is 22 feet. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
See the following related posts:
Soldiers and Sailors of the Confederacy Memorial on March 22, 2008.
Louisiana State Monument on June 18, 2008.
Mississippi State Monument on January 30, 2009.