Union monuments at Gettysburg > New York > Artillery & Engineers
The monument to Battery M, 1st New York Light Artillery is south of Gettysburg on the summit of Powers Hill. To reach it, park on Granite Schoolhouse Road and follow the trail into the woods right behind the 77th New York Infantry monument.
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The monument to Battery M taken after the face of Powers Hill was cleared of trees.
Battery M at Gettysburg
Lieutenant Charles E. Winegar commanded Battery M at the Battle of Gettysburg. It brought 96 men to the field serving four 10-Pounder Parrott Rifles. The battery only had the horses and manpower for two sections after its losses at the Battle of Chancellorsville. It suffered no casualties at Gettysburg.
Lieutenant John W. Woodbury commanded one section of the battery on Powers Hill while the second under Lieutenant Smith was positioned on the McAllister Farm. Both supported the 12th Corps fighting on July 3. Lieutenant Woodbury’s section moved across the Baltimore Pike to help suppress Confederate sharpshooters in the Z. Taney farmhouse.
At the time of the battle Powers Hill was partially cleared. This made it a good artillery position for Union guns to duel with Confederate pieces on Benner’s Hill and to provide support to 12th Corps infantry on Culp’s Hill and around Spangler’s Spring. Powers Hill also served as a signal post and 12th Corps headquarters. Over the years the hill became deeply wooded, as seen in the photos at the bottom of the page, leaving the few visitors who made it to the monuments to wonder at the usefulness of artillery there. But the Park Service recently cleared trees on the hill’s northeast side to restore it to its 1863 condition.
From the front of the monument
Battery M
1st N.Y. Light Artillery
1st Division, 12th Corps
Held this position
July 2d – 3d, 1863.
Right side of the monument
Organized Lockport, N.Y.
Mustered in Oct. 14, 1861.
Re-enlisted Dec. 10, 1863.
Left side of the monument
Mustered out
June 24, 1865
Rear view of the monument taken before the woods were cleared in 2014.
From the rear of the monument
Battles
Winchester, Cedar Mountain, Beverly Ford, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Resaca, New Hope Church, Dallas, Culp’s Farm, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Averyboro, Bentonville
Another view of the monument taken from before the woods were cleared
View from the monument to Battery M to the top of Powers Hill and the monuments to Knap’s Pennsylvania Battery and Rigby’s Maryland Battery.
Location of the monument to Battery M at Gettysburg
The monument to Battery M of the 1st New York Light Artillery is south of Gettysburg on the summit of Powers Hill. Park on Granite Schoolhouse Road and follow the trail into the woods behind the 77th New York monument (39°48’22.9″N 77°13’13.8″W)