Pardee Field on Culp's Hill

"This they did in handsome style"

Locals are likely to walk in the area of Devil's Den, and to know more about the battle for the Round Tops. Getting to know Culp's Hill is an adventure since this area has undergone recent changes during the NPS clearing of trees. A drive along Geary Avenue proceeding away from Spangler's Spring leads one past an open meadow in which several paths have been mowed. This road slowly climbs to the lower part of Culp's Hill. The avenue winds through what was one large field in 1863. Nearly in the center of that meadow, surrounded by grass and wildflowers stands a single boulder, placed in 1905 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and inscribed in 1906 with two words: Pardee Field. This area, named for the commander of the 147th,  has been cleared of trees and restored to the meadow that was once there. It is actually located between Slocum Avenue above, and Geary Avenue below. As you drive along the battlefield, you note that most of the monuments are granite or limestone, and range in color from ivory to gray. The boulder in Pardee Field however, appears almost golden in the sunlight. It was brought to this site from elsewhere and has been described variously as sandstone or granite. On the left side of the monument is a bronze plaque which tells the tale of how this five acre meadow was the path for the Pennsylvania 147th Infantry to regain ground that had been briefly held by Steuart's Brigade, CSA.

At 5 a.m. the one hundred and forty-
seventh Penna. Volunteers (Lt. Col. Ario Pardee Jr.)
was ordered to charge and carry the stone
wall occupied by the enemy. This they did in
handsome style, their firing causing heavy
loss to the enemy who then abandoned
the entire line of the stone wall.
Report of Brig. General John W. Geary,
commanding 2d Division 12th Corps

At 5 a.m. on July 3,  troops from the Army of the Potomac, including the 147th and the Seventh and Fifth Volunteer regiments from Ohio did advance here and retake the area that had been briefly held by the First Maryland CSA of Steuart's Brigade. Accounts differ and tell a tale of the importance of skirmishers in engaging the enemy. Pardee himself wrote following the battle:

"On the morning of the 3d, we marched to a point near the line of the previous day and toward the right of the line of the brigade, having on our right the Seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteers and on our left the Fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteers. Soon after the line was formed, I was ordered by General Geary, commanding division, to move forward with my regiment to a point which commanded the right of the line of entrenchments, and from which a view could be had of the movements of the enemy. My regiment, soon after reaching its assigned position, became engaged with the skirmishers of the enemy, who were soon driven from their position. Skirmishers were sent to the front and right flank, into the woods, from which they greatly harassed the enemy. At about 8 a.m. an attempt was made by the enemy to turn the right of the line of the entrenchments. They boldly advanced to within about 100 yards without discovering my regiment. I then ordered the regiment to fire, and broke their line. They reformed again as a body and advanced. Their advance was checked by the heavy fire they received, when they broke and ran."

 On the other side of Geary Avenue lies this monument to the 147th erected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1885, which states:  On the night of July 1st this regiment lay on the northern slope of Little Round Top holding the extreme left of the Union Army. At 6 a m July 2d moved to Culp's Hill where it was held in reserve until evening, then marched toward the left with the Brigade. Returning at about 3 a m July 3d and occupied this position. Of the 12 officers and 286 men present at Gettysburg, one officer and five men were killed and 14 men were wounded.On the day that I took this picture, the sun in the west added a second star to the monument.

The story of what happened in the meadow that has come to be known as Pardee Field is the story of the bravery and fortitude of men who were ordered to advance and take ground, and accomplished that goal. It is a story with two sides, because on the other side of that stone wall lies a marker which shows the farthest advance of the 1st Maryland CSA, and their story will be the another post. 

Getting to Pardee Field is an easy walk from Spangler's Spring along Geary Avenue. As you walk, note the monuments to the Fifth Ohio and 147th Pennsylvania, then walk up the incline to the Pardee Field monument, retracing the movements of those troops on July 3, 1863. 

As you walk through the meadow, watch for dragonflies and butterflies. This picture captured an insect on a milkweed plant. In Pardee Field, naturalists have identified the presence of the hoary frostweed, a species identified as endangered in Pennsylvania. I have not yet seen the plant, which has yellow flowers.
http://www.nps.gov/nero/science/FINAL/GETT-EISE_T%2BEplants/hoary_frostweed2.pdf

Bring a camera because the meadow and monuments will be perfect photo opportunities.

After you leave the monument, continue on a path upward to the stone wall that the men were ordered to take. Just on the other side of that wall is a small positional marker indicating the farthest point occupied by the First Maryland, CSA of Steuart's Brigade. You can continue back along Slocum Avenue to the parking lot at Spangler's Spring,