The woods of Gettysburg farmer John Herbst are west of the Lutheran Seminary on the south side of Chambersburg Pike. (Tour map: Reynolds Avenue South) Here Union General Solomon Meredith’s Iron Brigade launched a surprise counterattack on Confederate General James Archer’s Brigade on the first day of the battle. At the very beginning of the fighting Major General John Reynolds, senior Union commander on the field, fell mortally wounded at the edge of the woods. The photo above is taken from the east edge of the woods and shows the monument marking the spot where Reynolds fell.

In spite of the sign the War Department placed over 100 years ago, the woods are known both as Reynolds Woods and Herbst woods, their pre-battle name. They are also sometimes incorrectly called McPherson Woods after the ridge and the nearby farm.

This view of the woods from Chambersburg Road (US 30) shows Stone Avenue, the fence-lined road that runs across the photo and into the woods, where it becomes Meredith Avenue. The 150th Pennsylvania Infantry monument is in the center, with the monument to John Burns just visible to the left of the curve of the road before it disappears into the woods and becomes Meredith Avenue. McPherson’s Barn is a short distance to the left out of frame.