The Gettysburg National Museum

In 1921 George D Rosensteel opened the Gettysburg National Museum.  It was a family business and passion.  The collections from this museum are the foundation for the museum now located in the Gettysburg Military Park Visitors Center.

George D Rosensteel was the nephew of John Rosensteel.  John grew up in the Gettysburg area, and began collecting relics of the battle, within days of the battle's ending.  George worked for his Uncle, who owned and ran a series of businesses located on the east side of Little Round Top, which included a museum.

George opened the new Gettysburg National Museum in 1921.  He built the museum on land bought from his Uncle, across the Taneytown Road from the Soldiers National Cemetery.  He added to his collection of artifacts by buying other collections such as his Uncle's Rosensteel's Round Top Collection, the William Zinkand Collection, The Bushman Collection, The Henry Spangler Family Collection and others.  Over the years the building was expanded so family could live there, house the ever growing collection of Civil War relics, and in 1963 the addition of an Electric Map.

In the early 1970's the property was sold to the National Park Service.  Over 30,000 artifacts were donated to the Park Service at the same time.  The government operated the building as the Gettysburg Visitor Center and Museum until 2008.  On the last day of operation; 13 April 2008, about 160 people sat through the final showing of the Electric Map. The building was torn down in March 2009, to make way for rehabilitation of Ziggler's Grove.

A VMI Graduate

View from Oak Hill

On 1 July 1863 coming down from the north, fate put a division of Confederate soldiers on the far right of the Union line, and on highest point of Oak Hill.  This Division was led by the capable VIM graduate Major General Robert Rhodes.

Robert Emmett Rhodes was born in Lynchburg, VA, 29 March 1829.  After graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 1848, he stayed at the school as a professor until 1851.  Leaving it is believed because the promotion he expected went to Thomas J Jackson.  He went to work for the Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad.

Rhodes became the Colonel of the 5th Alabama, leading the men at the First Battle of Manassas.  He continued to raise in rank, and to the command of larger parts of the army, until landing in Divisional command in Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's Corps just before the Battle of Chancellorsville. Jackson himself recommended Rhode be promoted to Major General, which was done with the effective date of 2 May 1863.  He was the first Divisional Commander in the Army of Northern Virginia, who was not a graduate of West Point.

Rhodes' division was a part of Lieutenant General Richard Ewell's newly formed Corps at Gettysburg.  Arriving on the field from the north they took possession of Oak Hill, an excellent artillery platform.  Although there were a number of bad command decisions made by his division, they held their ground and eventually joined in routing of the Union forces on 1 July, driving them back to Cemetery Hill.

A little over a year letter, during the Battle of Third Winchester/ Battle of Opequon, Rhodes was leading his men in an attack, into a gap between the 6th and 19th Union Corps.  On 19 September 1864 an exploding shell killed Robert Rhodes instantly.  He left behind a wife, Virgina (Woodruff) and two children, Robert E and Bell Yancey Rhodes.

The Highest Casualties Rate

On the east side of Oak Hill, overlooking the McLean Farm, there are two artillery batteries.  The one shown in this old photo is of Page's Morris Battery.  A part of Confederate Lieutenant Colonel Henry Thomas Carter's Artillery Battalion.

Captain Richard Channing Moore Page was commanding the Morris Artillery at Gettysburg, PA.  Page was born 2 January 1841 in Albemarle County, VA.  When the Civil War started he enlisted in the Rockbridge Artillery, fighting with them during the Battle of First Manassas.  He transferred to the Morris Artillery in Oct 1861 as their Second Gun Sergeant.  When the Confederate artillery was reorganized in April 1862 Page was elected Captain of the Battery.

Page's Battery was part of the Artillery that made up Lieut Col Henry Carter's Battalion.  They were the Artillery of record in Maj Gen Robert Rhode's Division of Lieut Gen Richard Ewell's Corps.  They arrived on Oak Hill from the North with four Napoleons.  Page's Battery was ordered near the base of the hill, to the rear of Brig Gen George Doles brigade near the McLean barn.  The Union 11th Corps Artillery pounded them with a damaging fire.  The Battery lost 4 men killed, 26 wounded; including Capt Page and 17 horses, all during the 1 Jul fight.  This is the highest casualties rate for any Confederate artillery at Gettysburg.

Page would return to the Confederate Army; after recovering from his wound 27 Feb 1864, with a promotion to Major.  After the war he went to the University of Virginia, graduating in 1868 with a medical degree.  Page opened a practice in New York City, where he died 19 June 1898.

The farm property that Page's Battery fought on, on 1 July was owned by Moses McLean.  The farm is along and north of the Mummasburg Road.  At the time of the battle the farm was rented to David and Harriet Beams.  David was away during the battle fighting with 165th PA as part of Dix's Peninsula Campaign.  His wife and three year old daughter fled just ahead of the Confederates.  The farm was deeded to the Gettysburg National Military Park 14 April 1965.