Struggle for the Bliss Farm Part 10 With Licensed Battlefield Guide Woody Christ

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Elwood “Woody” Christ is the author of the book, Over a Wide, Hot,…Crimson Plain: The Struggle for the Bliss Farm at Gettysburg, July 2nd and 3rd, 1863. He is the host for our series on the fighting for the Bliss Farm. Woody is standing in the area of the Bliss Farm. The bank of the Bliss Barn is the area covered by green foliage to the left of Woody. The marker to the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment is the small gray marker on the left of this picture. It marks the site of the Bliss House. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009.

Although many individuals know the fields of Pickett’s Charge, fewer know the action which took place in those fields around the Bliss Farm. Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Elwood “Woody” Christ begins a series on the struggle for the Bliss Farm. His book, Over a Wide, Hot,…Crimson Plain: The Struggle for the Bliss Farm at Gettysburg, July 2nd and 3rd, 1863 was published by Butternut and Blue in 1993. Woody is a Gettysburg College graduate, and has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 1982.

In our first post Woody Christ concentrated on some terrain in the area of the Bliss Farm, specifically in what is now the subdivision, Colt Park.

In our second post he continued his emphasis on the “broad flat knoll” which is Colt Park.

In our third post he showed us the first positions of the United States troops that would be involved at the Bliss Farm. He also showed the route that many of them used to access the Bliss Farm from Cemetery Ridge.

In our fourth post he took us to the sites of the Bliss House and Barn.

In our fifth post, he described the arrival of the Confederate and United States at the Bliss Farm area.

In our sixth post he described the beginning of the skirmishing at the Bliss Farm on July 2, 1863.

In our seventh post he finished describing the fighting on the second day.

In the eighth Bliss Farm post Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Woody Christ described some incidents on the skirmish lines the evening of July 2nd and early morning of July 3rd. He also told how the 12th New Jersey occupied the Bliss buildings the morning of July 3, 1863.

In our ninth post Woody described how the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment came out to the Bliss Farm to burn the buildings the morning of July 3, 1863.

In our final Bliss Farm post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Woody Christ describes the final action at the Bliss Farm the morning of July 3, 1863.

This map was provided to us by Woody Christ for the Bliss Farm posts.

This map shows the location of where our Bliss Farm videos were produced. Videos #1-#30 were shown in our previous Bliss Farm posts. Video #31 was taken near the Bliss House site. Video #32 was taken near the marker to the 14th Connecticut near the Bliss Barn site. Video #33 was taken from the top of the bank of the Bliss Barn. This map was created facing north at approximately 8:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.

In Video #31 (Videos #1-#30 were shown in our previous Bliss Farm posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Woody Christ is standing near the Bliss House. He describes how the 14th Connecticut sets fire to the barn and the house and retreated back to Cemetery Ridge. This view was taken facing south to east at approximately 4:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009.

Licensed Battlefield Guide Woody Christ is standing by the marker to the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment near the bank of the Bliss Barn. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009.

In Video #32 Licensed Battlefield Guide Woody Christ is standing near the monument to the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment by the Bliss Barn. He tells us how the smoldering ruins of the Bliss Farm buildings were not mentioned much by the participants in Pickett’s Charge later that afternoon. He also shares with us some statistics from the fighting around the Bliss Farm. This view was taken facing west to north to northwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009.

Woody Christ is still standing near the marker to the 14th Connecticut. The photographer is standing on the bank of the Bliss Barn. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009.

In Video #33 Woody Christ is standing near the monument to the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment by the Bliss Barn. He explains the significance of the fight for the Bliss Farm to the Battle of Gettysburg. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009.

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