Union Monuments at Gettysburg > Massachusetts
“Battery C”
The monument to the 3rd Massachusetts Battery is south of Gettysburg on the northeast corner of the intersection of Wheatfield Road and Crawford Avenue. (Crawford Ave. & J. Weickert Farm tour map) The State of Massachusetts dedicated the monument in 1885.
A marker on Wright Avenue shows the battery’s position on July 3 (Howe & Wright Avenues tour map).
The battery was attached to the Artillery Brigade of the Fifth Army Corps.
About the 3rd Massachusetts Battery at Gettysburg
Lieutenant Aaron Francis Walcott, a Boston clerk, commanded the 3rd Massachusetts Battery at the Battle of Gettysburg. It brought 124 men to the field, arriving at about Noon on July 2.
One of Sickles’ staff officers ordered the battery west to join the Third Corps in the Peach Orchard. But Walcott was just a little distance down Wheatfield Road when he was ordered back to his original position. They deployed on the northeast side of the Wheatfield behind a stone wall and some United States Regulars, with a relatively poor view of the battlefild. After two somewhat quiet hours Wofford’s Georgia Brigade burst on the scene. They swept away the Regulars and advanced to overrun the battery.
It was too late to limber up. Lieutenant Walcott ordered his men to spike the guns and run for it. Only one gun was spiked, but the men escaped capture. Then the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves, the famed “Bucktails,” swept down off the north slope of Little Round Top as part of Brigadier General Crawford’s counterattack. They forced the Georgians back and briefly recaptured the guns.
Walcott rallied his men, returned to the guns and brought them off the field by prolongue (ropes). In all the fighting and confusion the battery lost only six men wounded.
During the night the battery was moved to support the 1st Vermont Brigade in a quiet position on the far southern end of the Union flank. They remained there for the rest of the battle.
Main monument on Weickert Farm
The monument is inscribed with the crossed cannon symbols of the artillery branch of service and the Maltese Cross of the Union Fifth Corps.
The monument to the battery next to the driveway of the J. Weickert farmhouse is flanked by two Napoleons. The monument to the 93rd Pennsylvania Infantry is in the distance.
Text from the front of the monument:
3rd Mass. Battery
Text from the rear of the monument:
July 2 1863
Location of the monument
The monument to the 3rd Massachusetts Battery is south of Gettysburg on the northeast corner of the intersection of Wheatfield Road and Crawford Avenue, in front of the J. Weickert farm. (39°47’48.2″N 77°14’17.1″W)
Marker on Wright Avenue
Text from the Wright Avenue marker:
Army of the Potomac
Fifth Corps, Artillery Reserve
Battery C
Massachusetts Light Artillery
Six 12 pounders
Lieut. A. F. Walcott commanding.
July 3. At 3 a.m. moved to and occupied this position until the close of the battle.
Location of the position marker
The monument to the 3rd Massachusetts Battery is south of Gettysburg on the north side of Wright Avenue about 180 yards northeast of Taneytown Road. (39°47’05.0″N 77°13’54.5″W)