6th Corps Artillery Continued - Massachusetts and New York

1st MA Light Battery A

The last three Artillery Batteries belonging to the 6th Corps at Gettysburg are the Massachusetts 1st Light Battery A, the New York 1st Battery, and the New York 3rd Battery.

The Massachusetts 1st Light Battery A arrived on the Gettysburg Battlefield about sunset 2 July, with 145 men and six 12 pound Napoleons.  They were commanded by Captain William H McCartney.  McCartney was a 28 year old Boston, MA lawyer.  He mustered into service as a First Lieutenant 3 October 1861.

They were held in reserve behind Little Round Top until about 2pm on 3 July, when under heavy Confederate artillery fire, they moved to the relief of the 1st New Hampshire Battery located on Cemetery Hill.  The men of this Battery fired only 4 rounds and sustained no casualties.

Their monument in located in the Soldiers National Cemetery, and was dedicated 8 October 1885.  William McCartney traveled quite a bit after the war, before marrying Katherine Searle in 1872 and opening a law practice in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  He died while on a fishing trip 11 May 1894.

Capt Andrew Cowan

The New York 1st Battery, also known as Cowan's Battery arrived on the field with the rest of the Corps and were initially held in reserve.   They came with six 3 inch Ordnance Rifles and 113 men.

Captain Andrew Cowen commanded this unit.  He was born 29 September 1841 in Ayrshire, Scotland, migrating to the United State with his family as a child.  When the Civil War began Cowan was living in Upstate New York.

Cowen's Battery

The Battery was moved into position just south of the Copse of Trees to relieve the 1st Rhode Island Battery B, just Pickett's Charge got underway.  As the Confederate troops broke through the Union line and advanced to within 10 yards; Captain Cowen ordered his gunners to fire double canister into them.  Brigadier General and Chief of Artillery Henry Hunt who was near this unit had his horse shot out from under him during this action.  They had 14 horse killed, 4 men killed and 8 wounded.

A monument to Cowan's Batter was dedicated in 1887 in the area of their action.  Andrew Cowen died 23 August 1913 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The final battery of the 6th Corps to be covered is the New York 3rd Independent Battery.  This Battery became a part of the 6th Corps when it was formed in May 1862.

The forced march of 36 miles brought Captain William Harn, 119 men and six 10 pound Parrott guns to the field.  Harn had been with the unit since late in 1862, but had been it's Captain only since 13 April 1863.  The 3rd New York was not engaged, but held in reserve near where it's monument is located on the Taneytown Road, just south of the National Cemetery.

After the war, William Harn became the keeper of the St Augustine Lighthouse in Florida.  He died 31 May 1889.

This concludes the 6th Corps Artillery at Gettysburg.

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.

Soldiers National Monument

This is the Soldiers National Monument located in the center of the semicircle in the Soldier's National Cemetery at Gettysburg.  The designer of the cemetery, William Saunders planned for a monument to be placed there at the highest point of the cemetery.

The monument was designed by James G Batterson, and the five figures which adorn the monument were sculpted by Randolph Rogers.  The monument is 60 feet high, with a 25 foot base made mostly out of Westerly, Rhode Island granite.  The cornerstone was laid 4 Jul 1865, in a ceremony with the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

The five figures on the Soldiers National Monument are carved from Italian marble.  The sculptures were done in Italy and shipped here.  These figures have meaning.  The one at the top of the monument is the Genius of Liberty.  She holds both a wreath of peace and a sword to represent the struggle for freedom.  The other four figures are a soldier epitomizing War, who is telling his story to Clio the Goddess of History.  A mechanic standing in for Peace and Plenty holding a shock of wheat.  You may also note that there are 18 stars circling the monument which are for each of the "States whose sons gave their lives."

The monument was dedicated 1 July 1869.  The prayer was given by Henry Ward Beecher.   The address was recited by George G Meade.