Indiana CWRT Adopts Position at Gettysburg

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Indianapolis Civil War Round Table enrolled in Gettysburg National Military Park's Adopt-A-Position program and adopted the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry position in McAllister's Woods about 200 yards southeast of the lower Culp's Hill, just north of Colgrove Avenue.

On the morning of the third day, elements of Gen. Richard Ewell's Second Corps occupied breastworks on the hill's lower slopes. Gen. William Smith's brigade, Gen. Jubal Early's Division, held the works on the southeast slope of the hill, north of Spangler's Spring.

Gen. Henry Slocum, XII Corps, ordered Cot. Silas Colgrove, Third Brigade, to assault the breastworks with two regiments. Colgrove selected the 2nd Massachusetts and his own 27th Indiana to conduct the assault.

The 27th Indiana advanced across an open meadow in the face of intense fire to a point about 50 yards short of the works. After exchanging volleys with Smith's brigade, the 27th withdrew to its original position. The regiment began its assault with 340 officers and men and sustained 110 casualties, including four color bearers killed and another four wounded.

In two work days at the park round table members cleared brush, from Spangler's Creek, from Cosgrove Road north to Rock Creek and northwest for about 100 yards along Rock Creek, and cleared rush to create an eight-foot path on both sides of a long rock wall used as a breastwork by the 13^th New Jersey in the woods southeast of the meadow.