Spangler’s Meadow by Markers
One of my goals while entering markers and monuments for HMDB is, where possible, to weave together the stories which serve to relate these “items” on the battlefield in order to convey the greater meaning. Unfortunately, the material does not always cooperate. All too often there seems to be a dangling thread or threads, left untied to the greater context.
This weekend while entering some of the tablets, monuments and markers around Spangler’s Meadow, I hit on one of those good veins, where the history pretty much wrote itself through the photos. Spangler’s Meadow sits at the south base of Culp’s Hill, adjacent to the spring by the same name. Today Colgrove, Slocum, and East Confederate Avenues all converge in the open field. From a historical setting, it is bounded by the springs and the lower crest of Culp’s Hill to the west; McAllister’s Woods to the south; Rock Creek to the east; and a stone wall to the north.
The Union XII Corps first moved into the area to anchor the Federal lines. McDougall’s and Colgrove’s (Ruger’s) Brigades occupied portions of the lower crest, the meadow, and McAllister’s Woods, building breastworks starting early on July 2. Specifically the 107th New York Infantry (Photo 7) and 1st Maryland Regiment (Potomac Home Brigade) (Photo 5) built works on the south spur of Culp’s Hill, overlooking the meadow. These regiments, with their parent brigades, moved out of the works, and marched to the Federal left in the afternoon. Their numbers were needed to shore up the line after the collapse of Sickles’ salient.
In their absence, “Maryland” Steuart’s Brigade wrapped around the lower crest and occupied the works. Nearly every Federal monument from Colgrove’s and McDougall’s Brigades read to the effect, “upon returning from the left, found the breastworks occupied by the enemy.” Colgrove’s Brigade occupied the high ground inside McAllister’s woods. Through most of the morning, Federal artillery, including Kinzie’s Battery K, Fifth U.S. posted along the Baltimore Pike near the new Visitor Center, provided effective support. One regiment from McDougall’s Brigade, the 20th Connecticut, held an advanced position to the southwest of Culp’s Hill. This single regiment held the Confederates attention while the remainder of the infantry in this sector were held back waiting for an opening.
Sometime between 9 and 10 a.m. Corps Commander (and essentially the “wing” commander) Maj. Gen. Henry Slocum thought such an opening existed. Bypassing the chain of command, he sent an order down calling for Colgrove to send two regiments across the open meadow against the lower crest of Culp’s Hill. The two regiments selected – the 2nd Massachusetts (photos follow the regiment’s advance and retreat) and the 27th Indiana. Colonel Charles R. Mudge, commanding the 2nd Mass., when hearing the order said, “Well it is murder, but its the order…” While the Massachusetts troops were able to gain some lodgement at the rocks near Spangler’s Spring, the Indiana regiment was surprised to find what Slocum couldn’t see – Smith’s Brigade of Virginians positioned along a stone wall to the north edge of the meadow (see photos 3, 4, and 5). The Virginians caught the 27th on the flank, arresting their advance in the middle of the open field. Taking advantage of opening, Smith’s men advanced to flank the 2nd Massachusetts. Col. Mudge was among those killed before the regiment extracted itself. The attack cost the Federal regiments a third of their fighting force in killed, wounded, and missing.
The target of this ill-timed attack, the southern spur of Culp’s Hill, finally fell to Federal forces roughly an hour later. Partly as the Confederates had spent their forces in the Pardee Field sector. Geary’s Division advancing behind the Confederates finally cleared the breastworks.
The contest for Spangler’s Meadow is but a small part of the larger battle. What tickled my fancy, I guess, was seeing all the stories of these regiments and brigades as told on the monuments and markers, fit so easily into each other. Like pieces of a larger puzzle, a whole section of the story slid into place, and now can be connected to the stories of adjacent units. The result, is a quick tour by markers of Spangler’s Meadow (Map).
