The Fight for Culp's Hill

Culp's Hill was the end of the Union Line, which was in the shape of a fish hook. The shank of the hook ran in a straight line, in a north-south direction along Cemetery Ridge, the end of the shank resting on Little Round Top. Southeast of Cemetery Hill the Union line turned and ended on Culp's Hill, the barb of the hook.

Culp's Hill is composed of two hills with a valley in between them. Both are wooded with large rocks throughout. The top hill is 180 feet above Rock Creek and the second hill is 80 feet above Rock Creek. Eight Hundred feet to the southeast is Cemetery Hill, the key to the Union line. To reach the crest of the larger hill is very steep and a hard climb.

Rock Creek, which the confederates had to cross in their attack against Culp's Hill, was in 1863 very deep in places. McAllister's Mill was in operation at that time, thus a dam was build to operate the mill.

Culp's Hill was important for the Union to hold because if the Confederates could take and hold the hill, they Cemetery Hill would be untenable. Baltimore Pike which was an important road to the Union would eliminate its use if Culp's Hill was taken. Artillery if placed on Culp's Hill could impact on Union's position on Cemetery Hill forcing a withdrawal of the Union forces.

On the afternoon of July 1^st, the 1^st and 11^th Corps was retreating back to Cemetery Hill after being routed by the confederate forces. Maj Gen Winfield Scott Hancock arrived to take charge of the situation and seeing Capt Stevens' 5^th Maine, Battery E by the cemetery gatehouse ordered Stevens' to place his battery on Culp's Hill. Capt Stevens placed his six Napoleons on an open knoll between East Cemetery and Culp's Hill. To support the battery, Gen Hancock ordered the remnants of the Iron Brigade to the northwestern slope of Culp's Hill.

Soon after getting into position, Capt Stevens' open fire on a confederate force advancing east of town towards Culp's Hill. This was Avery's Brigade of Gen Early's Division, receiving fire from Stevens' guns and the guns on Cemetery Hill, the advance was stopped. Later on that night a squad of 25^th Virginia was ordered to recon the heights of Culp's Hill to see if it was occupied by the enemy. In the dark, they ran into a union picket line and most were captured. On hearing that union forces were on the hill and also from a captured dispatch, that the 12^th Corps was nearby, Gen Johnson decided to delay his advance to Culp's Hill.

At about 5:00 am on the morning of July 2^nd, Gen Meade moved the Geary's Division from its position near Little Round Top to Culp's Hill. William's First Division was moved to Geary's right and the Fifth Corps to the west side of Rock Creek. Facing down the eastern slope was 1,400 troops of Gen George S. Greene. He placed the 78^th NY next to the right of the 7^th Indiana and the 60^th, 102^nd, 149, and 137^th NY in a line that reach down to the edge of the saddle that divided the two hills. Gen Greene ordered his men to build breastworks, which proved to be a vital issue for the forthcoming battle. Southwest of Gen Green's line was Col Candy's brigade, 5^th, 7th, 29th and 66^th Ohio and 28^th and 147^th Pa. They were support for Gen Greene's line. Extending Green's line to the right across the log ground of the saddle to the crest of the lower hill was Gen Kane's Second Brigade, 109^th,111^th and 29^th PA regiments. On Kane's right was McDougall's brigade that stretched from the top of the lower hill to its southern slope. The 123^rd NY and 46^th Pa in front and the 3^rd Md, 145^th NY, 5^th and 20^th Conn in support. On McDougall's right and the meadow on the south side of the hill, Ruger's brigade commanded by Col Silas Colgrove placed the 107^th NY and the 13^th NJ on the lower slope and the balanced of the brigade, the 2^nd Mass, 3^rd Wis and 27^th Ind 100 yards to the south in William McAllister woodlot. The 1^st Maryland Potomac Home Brigade and the 150^th NY arrived and was placed to the right of Colgrove's line facing the pond above McAllister's Mill.

As dawn broke over Culp's Hill, Johnson was in position northeast of the hill. Johnson's Division consisted of Nicholls', Jones', Steuart's and Walker's Brigades which were in a line from Wolf Farm near the York Pike to past the Daniel Lady Farm on the Hanover Rd. The early morning action was between skirmish lines as the confederate probe the union line.

Young Major Latimer, who commanded Johnson's divisional artillery was only 19 year old, but had proved to be a very capable artillery officer. He placed his guns on Benner's Hill out of sight of the union guns on Cemetery Hill. When the sound of cannon and gun fire was heard from the South, Longstreet's attack, Latimer moved up his guns and began to shell Cemetery Ridge. The return fire from Cemetery Hill was devastating to the men and guns of the confederates. He would lose fifty-one men and thirty horses and would be fatally wounded himself.

At about 6:00 p.m. Jones' 44^th, 48^th and 42^nd Virginia Brigade moved up to Benner's Hill on the left of the 50^th Virginia. As the confederate line move forward to attack Culp's Hill, Walker Brigade was still engaged with union skirmishers in the woods to the east. Steuart's Brigade, 10^th, 23^rd and 37^th Virginia regiments and 1^st Maryland Battalion plus the 3^rd North Carolina regiment with the 1^st North Carolina following in a support role. As they moved forward the tangle mess of rocks and trees made it very difficult to keep alignment and confusion resulted as the brigade climb up the north slope of Wolf's Hill.

As the confederate line neared Rock Creek, they encountered the skirmishers of Greene's Brigade. Fighting was heavy with both sides taking causalities; finally the union line fell back slowly fighting all the while.

Meanwhile, Longstreet's attack was breaking the union lines on Cemetery Ridge. Therefore, Gen Meade ordered reinforcement sent from Culp's Hill. Leaving only Gen Greene's Brigade of 1,400 men to cover an area covered by 6,400 men. Gen Greene began to shift his men, the 137^th NY moved right down to the saddle and lower crest. The 149^th NY and 102^nd NY filed to their right to cover the open breastworks. Greene also moved the 78^th NY to the crest covering the vacated spot of the 28^th PA.

Finally the union skirmishers reached the breastworks with the confederate attacking force close behind. Finding the climb very ruff and receiving heavy fire from the federals behind breastworks Johnson's men did not reach the union line. After attacking three times and their ammunition exhausted, they fell back down the hill.

Nicholls' Brigade had better success in their attack. Charging up a more gradual hillside south of the crest, they made a series of attacks against the union breastworks. Some may have even gotten into the works. On Nicholl's left Steuart's regiments had a rough time of it. The 3^rd NC and 1^st Md formed the end of the line and received the brunt of the fire from the breastworks, many caught in crossfire.

In the dark and confusion, the 1^st NC that was in reserve advanced up the slope and thinking that union forces were in their front opened fire. It was confederates in their immediate front not yankees, wounding and killing their own comrades. Steuart's left regiments, 10^th, 23^rd and 37^th Virginia advanced up the southeast side of the lower crest, flanking the 137^th NY and getting into the breastworks.

Reinforcement arrived for Gen Greene from the 1^st, 2^nd and 11^th Corps. He placed the 147^th NY on the left of the 149^th NY helping to hold against Nicholls' 14^th Louisiana regiment. Down to the lower crest Greene sent the 71^st PA, they performed poorly. Col Robert Smith said that they were flanked, so he pulled his men back and returned to camp without orders. The 6^th Wis was ordered to a part of the breastworks thought to be unoccupied, but when they arrived it was full of rebels. After a brief fight, the 6^th Wis regained the works and held it and that would prove to be invaluable in the defense of Culp's Hill. The 84^th NY also when on the line, probably next to the 6^th Wis.

By 1000 p.m. the lower summit of the hill was in confederate hands. By this time the attack was grinding to a halt. It had been a gruelingly, confused fight up steep rocky wooded hill, most of in darkness, hard to tell friend from foe.

On Baltimore Pike, Gen Geary ordered Kane and Candy's Brigade back to Culp's Hill. Thinking that they could enter their breastworks from the southern end they crossed Spangler's Meadow and received a volley from Steuart's men, killing or wounding 14 men. They quickly withdrew and when down Baltimore Pike to Abraham Spangler Farm to reach the end of Greene's line.

Gen Ewell was ordered to continue the attack on Culp's Hill early on July 3^rd. Gen Johnston was reinforced with other confederate units so his force to begin the attack was almost doubled. Unknown to Johnston, Gen Meade also had ordered an attack at daylight to retake the lower breastworks.

Union artillery was moved into positions to cover the lower breastworks, over 25 guns in total. At 4:30 am they began a series of barrages for fifteen minutes, the federals formed for the attack. The 2^nd Mass and 27^th Ind were selected for the assault. The 2^nd Mass had 316 men and the 27^th Ind had 339 men. The 27^th Ind got within 100 yards of the confederate line before being stopped and retreated back. On their left the 2^nd Mass reached the base of the lower hill before retreating diagonally across the meadow, while keeping up a fire on the rebel line. Along with the rest of the brigade, they finally forced the confederates out of the breastworks and out of the meadow.

All morning long, the federals kept up a steady fire on Johnston's men, often replacing units on line with fresh ones. Unlike the federals, the confederates could not replace their units for rest and to get more ammo. Steuart's men made a desperate attack against Geary's line, across what today is name Pardee Field. At the same time Walker's Stonewall Brigade was ordered to attack on the eastern slope. That fight was described as "we were hotly engaged for some three-quarters of an hour, under a murderous and enfilading fire. The line of the left began to give way, which was soon followed by the whole line", wrote a member of the 5^th Virginia[1].

The confederates did all they could to take Culp's Hill. They had to attack up very steep hillsides strewn with boulders and trees. They had no reinforcements to replace tired and exhausted troops. Not only was the terrain against them, darkness made it twice as hard. Battle lines could not be kept, units becoming separated because of the large boulders and trees.

In the end the outcome of the battle for Culp's Hill was decided by the side that commanded the high ground. The union had the reinforcements to replace tired men and replenish ammo. They were fighting behind strong breastworks, shooting down hill, able to take steady aim.

Gen Johnston pulled by his division across Rock Creek to rest his troops and to wait for further orders. The battle for Culp's Hill was over.

[1] Culp's Hill at Gettysburg by John M. Archer