Union monuments at Gettysburg > Connecticut
“Sterling’s Battery”
The monument to the 2nd Connecticut Light Battery at Gettysburg is south of town on Hancock Avenue. (Hancock Avenue Part 1 tour map)
About the monument
The granite monument to the 2nd Connecticut Battery is 4′ 9″ tall. A relief of the Coat of Arms of the State of Connecticut is on the front. The two sides feature a relief of crossed cannon barrels and crossed rammers over a pile of cannonballs. The monument was dedicated on July 3, 1889 by the State of Connecticut.
The 2nd Connecticut Battery at Gettysburg
Captain John William Sterling, a Bridgeport merchant, commanded the battery at the Battle of Gettysburg. It brought 106 men to the field, of whom three were wounded and two missing.
The Second Battery was armed with four 14-pounder James Rifles and two 12-pounder howitzers. It was the only Federal battery to be armed with either type of piece at Gettysburg. The battery was assigned to the 2nd Volunteer Brigade of the Army Artillery Reserve.
From the front of the monument:
Artillery Reserve
Position July 3, 1863.
2d Conn. Light Battery
Detail from the monument
From the rear of the monument:
Tribute from the State of Conn.
Mustered in Sept. 10, 1862.
Mustered out Aug. 10, 1865.
Engagements
Gettysburg, Fort Morgan,
Fort Gaines, Blakely
The 2nd Connecticut Battery monument, flanked by a pair of 12″ howitzers
See more about the history of the Second Connecticut Light Battery in the Civil War.
Location of the monument
The monument to the 2nd Connecticut Light Battery is south of Gettysburg. It is on the west side of Hancock Avenue 190 yards north of United States Avenue. Hancock Avenue is one way northbound. (39°48’13.5″N 77°14’04.6″W)