This is an excerpt by J. David Petruzzi from his book The Complete Gettysburg Guide.
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Picks up tour on Confederate Ave.
Continue to the stop sign at the intersection with the Emmitsburg Road (Rt. 15). If you wish to visit South Cavalry Field to examine fighting that took place on the Confederate right flank before and during Pickett’s Charge, turn right and reset your odometer to 0.0
After .7 miles, note the monument of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry (known as “Rush’s Lancers”) along the road to your left. Continue another .4 miles and you will see a small elevated open area with markers to your left. Continue ahead and turn around where safe to do so, then return to the grassy area and carefully park on the right side of the road (parking is limited and not easily available here along this busy road, so please exercise caution).
Merritt’s Fight on South Cavalry Field – July 3
Walk up to the clearing, and you are now on the part of the field called “South Cavalry Field.” On July 3 the surrounding area (all of which is in private hands except for this clearing and a small strip of land we will visit shortly) witnessed a great deal of skirmishing before, during, and after Pickett’s Charge between Federal cavalry and Confederate infantry. The amount of Federal cavalry that was available here and to the east just off the Federal left flank was considerable – two brigades totaling nearly 3,000 horsemen. In fact, the opportunity to use these cavalrymen following the repulse of Pickett’s Charge has led some modern historians to postulate that a coordinated assault by the horsemen and fresh Federal infantry may have been able to exploit a weakness in the Confederate right flank to the northwest.
One of the brigades, commanded by Brig. Gen. Elon J. Farnsworth of the Federal cavalry division of Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, fought over ground further along West Confederate Avenue (as it become South Confederate Avenue) that we will visit later in the tour (Kilpatrick’s other brigade, commanded by Brig. Gen. George A. Custer, fought at East Cavalry Field about four miles to the east on July 3).
The other brigade was a veteran group of U. S. Cavalry Regulars in Buford’s division commanded by newly promoted Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt. Merritt, twenty-seven-years-old and an 1860 graduate of West Point, had been elevated to brigadier only a few days before the battle. He was one of three young officers jumped from junior grades to brigadier general – the others being Custer and Farnsworth – nicknamed the “Boy Generals.” Merritt’s brigade consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th U. S. Cavalry regiments, plus the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, about 1,300 troopers. The 400 cavalrymen of the 6th U.S. Cavalry, however, had been sent to Fairfield eight miles to the southwest on the morning of July 3, so that regiment was not here on the field with the rest of Merritt’s brigade.
Merritt’s troopers had been performing picket and guard duty in Maryland since June 29, and were in Emmitsburg eight miles to the south on July 2. On the morning of July 3, Cavalry Corps commander Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton ordered Merritt to the Gettysburg battlefield. Face north back toward the main battlefield. Merritt arrived with his four regiments and many of his men dismounted and began advancing through the woods nearly a mile to your left (west) on the other side of the Emmitsburg Road.
Col. John L. Black, commanding a small detail of 100 troopers of the 1st South Carolina Cavalry on the Southern right near the Emmitsburg Road, spotted Federal cavalry, which was the advancing 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry of about 240 troopers (two companies of the regiment had been detailed to army headquarters). The cannonading preceding Pickett’s Charge had not yet begun. Black reported the presence of a force of enemy cavalry to Brig. Gen. Evander Law, commanding a brigade in Longstreet’s Corps. He then formed a dismounted line of battle with his little command to confront Merritt’s advance. Black’s force was augmented with both Confederate artillery and infantry. Two guns of Capt. James Hart’s horse battery from South Carolina unlimbered in the Emmitsburg Road about .3 miles north of where you passed the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry monument. The 340 men of the 9th Georgia Infantry of Brig. Gen. George “Tige” Anderson’s Brigade of Hood’s Division advanced along the Emmitsburg Road from their position west of Big Round Top and also began skirmishing with Merritt’s troopers.
The 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry had difficulty advancing through the fields to your north, but once Capt. William M. Graham’s battery of horse artillery began throwing shells at the Confederate skirmishers, the Pennsylvanians were able to move forward. Merritt’s other regiments came into the line and began pushing Anderson’s infantrymen back toward the Confederate guns. By this time, the cannonading preceding Pickett’s Charge to the north had gotten underway.
Hearing that the Federal cavalry advance in this area was heavier than expected, General Law ordered more Georgians of Anderson’s Brigade to bolster the line of the 9th Georgia, and sent a section of Capt. James Reilly’s batter to unlimber on this side of the Emmitsburg Road to Hart’s left rear. Once exposed to converging Southern artillery fire, however, Merritt’s advance slowed until the Federals began overlapping the 9th Georgia’s line, causing the Southerners and Hart’s infantry to fall back. The arrival of the 7th and 8th Georgia Infantry, probably slightly less than 500 soldiers total, forced Merritt to extend his line further, and the arrival of several hundred more infantrymen from the 11th and 59th Georgia meant that the two sides had become evenly matched. The fighting had continued for nearly three hours, and Pickett’s Charge on the main battlefield was coming to an end.
Before continuing back along the Emmitsburg Road to the north to a stop seldom seen by battlefield visitors, you may wish to take a moment to examine the markers here. Note that although one of the markers lists the 6th U. S. Cavalry of Merritt’s brigade, as previously mentioned that regiment was not present here. Just prior to 1900, when the War Department was mapping the possible locations of Park roads, a road to be called “Cavalry Avenue” was proposed to begin here at the Emmitsburg Road, proceed generally northeast, and terminate at South Confederate Avenue just northeast of Bushman’s Hill. The road would allow visitors to ride the area of the positions of Merritt’s and Kilpatrick’s cavalry on July 3. It never came to fruition, but in this small clearing you may be able to distinguish the trace of the old lane that passed in that direction.
Reset your odometer to 0.0 and continue north on the Emmitsburg Road. After a little more than .1 miles you will see a narrow grassy lane on the left side of the road that proceeds to the west. Carefully park on the right side of the road (be mindful of traffic and exercise caution). This lane is on ground through which Merritt’s cavalry advanced and skirmished with Anderson’s Brigade and Black’s South Carolina cavalry. Walk the short distance back to the markers for the 1st and 2nd U. S. Cavalry and the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry. With his sizable infantry force, General Law counterattacked over the ground to the north on this side of the Emmitsburg Road, threatening to overlap Merritt’s left flank (held by the 5th U. S. Cavalry) near the far end of this lane. Law claimed to have to have doubled Merritt’s line back upon itself to the road, but the cavalrymen had already begun to retreat. Law halted his advance, and Merritt reorganized his troops in this area. “Everyone fought like a tiger,” claimed a member of the 1st U. S. Cavalry, but each side recognized that little was to be gained by pressing an attack. Law and Merritt held their ground until after dark.
Depending on the amount of foliage, you may be able to see the Eisenhower Farm and the open ground directly to the north, ground that would have been directly behind Lee’s right flank and center on the afternoon of July 3. General Farnsworth’s brigade, which fought against the Confederate line next to Merritt northeast of this position, was not coordinated in its efforts with any other Federal unit, Merritt’s brigade in particular. Following the repulse of Pickett’s Charge, Federal army commander Maj. Gen. George Meade could have sent a force of fresh regiments from Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick’s 6th Corps and these 3,000 cavalrymen on a foray into the rear of Lee’s right flank to capitalize on that repulse. In his memoirs, General Longstreet opined: “Kilpatrick’s mistake was in not putting Farnsworth in on Merritt’s left, where he would have had an open ride, and made more trouble than was ever made by a cavalry brigade. Had the ride been followed by prompt advance of the enemy’s infantry in our line beyond our right and pushed with vigor, they could have reached our line of retreat.”
If such a counterattack had any chance of significantly damaging Lee’s line, and changing either the outcome of the day or Lee’s ability to effect a successful retreat, will never be known.
Tour Stop 4. Farnsworth’s Charge of July 3
After .3 miles, note the large boulder on the right side of the road and the path beside it that leads up the slope of this hill southwest of Big Round Top, called Bushman’s Hill. From near the top of this hill, Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, commanding the Federal 3rd Cavalry Division of approximately 3,300 troopers, launched an attack with one of his brigades against the Confederate right following the repulse of Pickett’s Charge.
To walk the path that leads to monuments and markers of Kilpatrick’s division and the point where Farnsworth’s Charge originated, park your vehicle on the right side of the Park road here. About 120 feet along the path is a War Department marker for Kilpatrick’s division on the left side. Behind this marker is a path that will lead you to the monument of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry about 200 feet further up the slope. On Pennsylvania Day, September 11, 1889, veterans of the 18th Pennsylvania dedicated this monument to mark the ground through which they advanced against Confederate skirmishers below. Keep this location in mind, then return to the Kilpatrick divisional marker and then continue back to the main path.
The walk to the summit of Bushman’s Hill will take about ten minutes. As you walk, take note of the large boulders scattered to your left and right, and keep in mind that this hill was not nearly as densely wooded in 1863 as it is now. Follow the main path until you reach the top, where you will see the monument of the 5th New York Cavalry on a large boulder. Nearby is the War Department marker for Battery E of the 4th U.S. Artillery, commanded by Lt. Samuel S. Elder, which was attached to Kilpatrick’s division.
Kilpatrick’s division consisted of the brigades of Brig. Gens. George A. Custer and Elon J. Farnsworth. Following the fight at Hunterstown about four miles northeast of Gettysburg on the evening of July 2, against the Confederate cavalry brigade of Brig. Gen. Wade Hampton, Kilpatrick’s brigades camped near Two Taverns a few miles south of Gettysburg. Like Merritt, Kilpatrick was ordered to the battlefield on the morning of July 3. Farnsworth’s brigade departed first and passed behind much of the Federal line to march toward the left flank.
When Custer’s brigade reached the area behind the right flank to follow Farnsworth, Brig. Gen. David Gregg, commanding the Federal 2nd Cavalry Division, asked Custer and his men to stay there. Gregg had seen an advance by Jeb Stuart’s Confederate cavalry upon that flank, and needed Custer’s support to protect the vulnerable area. Custer and his troopers won fame that afternoon in the fight at East Cavalry Field; Kilpatrick, consequently, was without Custer’s brigade here on the left flank.
As Pickett’s Charge reached its height to the north, Kilpatrick felt that an assault from his position atop Bushman’s Hill against the Confederate right flank in his front could successfully roll up the Southern line upon its center. Skirmishers of the 1st Texas and 47th Alabama Infantry were posted in an east-west line that generally followed a portion of today’s South Cavalry Avenue. Beyond them, Kilpatrick saw what appeared to be vulnerable Confederate artillery posted just south of the Michael Bushman farm.
From his line here that faced north, Kilpatrick ordered the 390 troopers of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, commanded by Col. Nathaniel Richmond, to assault the 1st Texas skirmish line in the valley below. The West Virginians began at a trot, then sped their pace as they tried to negotiate the large boulders on the slope. When they reached the bottom, a stout rail fence in front of much of the Confederate skirmish line brought them to a stop. As the Texans fired on them, the cavalrymen slashed at the rails with their sabers while some dismounted and attempted to knock over the posts. Once enough holes were made in the fence, the West Virginians galloped toward the Confederates. One of the southerners remembered that “the ground trembled as they came, they rode down our skirmishers and charged us, and in a few seconds were [up]on us.”
The Texas skirmishers fired a volley into the cavalrymen, and guns of Reilly’s Confederate artillery posted near Warfield Ridge to the west also opened up on the horsemen. When they hit the line of Texans posted behind a large stone wall, hand-to-hand combat erupted in a wild melee as the cavalrymen used their pistols and sabers. One Southerner thought the West Virginians to be in “a state of intoxication.” With no time to reload, many Texans swung their muskets like clubs and knocked several cavalrymen out of their saddles. Soldiers of the 9th Georgia Infantry, posted near the Emmitsburg Road, also fired into the Federals. Realizing that he had ridden into a maelstrom and nearly surrounded by the enemy, Col. Richmond ordered his men to retreat back toward Bushman’s Hill.
The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry on the left of Kilpatrick’s line had not yet moved out. “Why in hell and damnation don’t you move those troops out?” Kilpatrick barked at their commander, Lt. Col. William Penn Brinton. At Brinton’s order, the more than 400 Pennsylvanians trotted down the slope, flanked by squadrons of Maj. John Hammond’s 5th New York Cavalry on either side (the balance of the 5th New York supported the Federal artillery battery of Lt. Samuel S. Elder posted here on the summit). The Pennsylvanians, however, suffered the same fate as their West Virginia comrades and were likewise forced to retreat.
Brig. Gen. Evander Law, who had been shifting troops to deal with Merritt’s threats along the Emmitsburg Road to the west, grew increasingly worried about the aggressiveness of the Federal cavalry in this area. The 300 men of the 4th Alabama Infantry were marched from its position at the western base of Big Round Top to near the Slyder Farm to face south. The balance of his brigade – the 44th, 48th, and 47th Alabama (facing east to Big Round Top) were turned around and moved slightly forward to face west across the Plum Run Valley. With the 1st Texas Infantry and Capt. William Bachmann’s guns (plus perhaps a section of Reilly’s) facing east on the other side of the valley, any of Kilpatrick’s forces that advanced would find themselves nearly surrounded.
Kilpatrick likely wished that the 600 men of the 1st Vermont Cavalry had attacked sooner, but now the young commander, known to many of his men as “Kill-Cavalry” due to his penchant for costly mounted charges, ordered the Green Mountain troopers to advance. According to many accounts, Farnsworth and several other subordinates initially protested, citing the ill-suited, rugged terrain, and the repulse of the West Virginians and Pennsylvanians. Recall how the ground looked as you walked up the slope, and examine the boulders and uneven ground that surrounds you. Ultimately, Farnsworth decided to personally lead the mounted charge of the 1st Vermont Cavalry.
To examine the ground over which the 1st Vermont collided with the Confederates, walk back down the path to return to your vehicle.
Reset your odometer to 0.0 and continue on South Confederate Avenue. After .2 miles waysides describing Farnsworth’s Charge are on the left side of the road. At the 1st Vermont Cavalry’s position atop Bushman’s Hill behind you, the regiment was divided into three battalions for the charge. Four companies were in each battalion. Lt. Col. Addison Preston, commanding the regiment, led one battalion. Maj. William Wells and Capt. Henry Parsons led the others. Preston’s battalion was dismounted, however, and supported the charge of the other two by deploying behind a stone wall at the base of Bushman’s Hill.
On the right of the attacking column (about .2 miles further down South Confederate Avenue), Parson’s charging battalion aimed for the Slyder farm, which you can see in the distance beyond the waysides. They quickly came under fire from the recently arrived 4th Alabama Infantry. Wells’ battalion charged through the area where you are standing and came under not only infantry fire but from Bachmann’s artillery as well, posted near Warfield Ridge to your left front as you face the waysides.
Parson, wounded, went down, and the rest of his battalion began to break formation under the heavy fire from the Alabamans. The troopers turned west but, seeing the heavy Confederate forces near Devil’s Den to the north, continued turning west and then south. They soon, too, ran the gauntlet of the Confederate artillery. General Law, standing and watching from near Bachmann’s guns, later stated that the Federals galloped “in gallant style.”
Farnsworth’s horse was shot, but he was given a replacement and continued riding with Wells’ battalion. Due to the rocky ground, fences, and Confederate infantry and artillery fire, Wells’ battalion lost cohesion. Soon small groups of mounted cavalrymen, like Parson’s men to the east, tried to gallop and cut their way out back to Bushman Hill.
Continue on South Cavalry Avenue. About 300 feet ahead is the statue monument of Brig. Gen. William Wells of the 1st Vermont Cavalry on the right. Through this area, Wells’ battalion charged to the northwest toward the Slyder farm. A major at the time of the battle, Wells rose to brigadier general by the end of the war. For his bravery during Farnsworth’s Charge, Wells was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1891. J. Otto Schweizer sculpted the statue, dedicated on July 3, 1913, the fiftieth anniversary of the battle. Note the bas relief in the boulder on the front – it depicts Wells’ battalion during the charge, and many of the figures, including that of General Farnsworth in the lead, were modeled after actual members.
After another .2 miles the “D-shaped” field of the Slyder Farm, which contains the monument of the 1st Vermont Cavalry, is on the left. To visit the monument of the 1st Vermont Cavalry at the high point of the field, park your vehicle on the right side of the road.
Farnsworth and his small mounted group burst over the stone wall behind the monument. From the opposite end of this field, infantrymen of the 15th Alabama commanded by Col. William Oates fired on them. Farnsworth and his horse were both shot. When the twenty-five-year-old brigadier crashed to the ground in the vicinity of the monument, he suffered from five bullet wounds and died soon after.
Besides losing their brigade commander, the 1st Vermont Cavalry suffered heavily – sixteen were killed or mortally wounded, over a dozen more wounded, and thirty-five were missing when the remnants of the regiment finally made it back to safety. General Kilpatrick’s attempt at glory on the Federal left was over. On October 9, 1889, surviving members of the 1st Vermont came to this spot to dedicate their monument near where Farnsworth went down. The mention of his death on the monument is the only memorial on the battlefield to the sole Federal brigadier general killed behind Confederate lines while making a charge.
From the 1st Vermont Cavalry monument, you may also easily walk the short distance to the buildings of the Slyder farm. A path leading to the farm begins on the west side of the monument. As you stand near the stone home, you have a good view of the very rocky and undulating terrain in all directions over which Kilpatrick’s cavalry charged. The Slyder farmhouse, incidentally, was used in the 1993 motion picture Gettysburg to depict Gen. Robert E. Lee’s headquarters at the Mary Thompson home.
Clik here to view.
