72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument
Encyclopedia
"72nd Pennsylvania Infantry
Monument" is the name of 2 American Civil War
monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield
: an 1883 position marker and a larger 1891 statuary memorial. The latter was the subject of a Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
case and is depicted on the 2011 "Gettysburg" America the Beautiful quarter dollar commemorative coin.
The statuary monument, erected "by 72nd Regt", identifies the regiment as Pennsylvania Volunteers ("P.V.") and "Philadelphia Fire Zouaves".
authority to locate all Gettysburg monuments including those not on the small portion of battlefield land owned by the GBMA—e.g., 124 tracts totalling 522 acre (0.815625721154372 sq mi). The initial 1883 "72nd PA Infty" marker was approved and placed on the "Roberts line … where their heavy losses were". The GBMA subsequently had the 72nd's Captain John Reed arrested on December 12, 1888, for trespass
ing after "he had started men at work laying a foundation for the [2nd] monument of the Seventy-second Regiment". Instead of the GBMA-selected location, a different Pennsylvania commission of 5 state officers had approved the statuary monument 283 ft (86.3 m) away on the 900 sq ft (83.6 m²) tract owned by the 72nd. After the 2nd location approved by the state had "not been accepted" by the GBMA in July 1888,http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Cv8yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eQAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1649%2C2114130 the unit's 1889 history, The Seventy-second regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, at Bloody Angle, published the unit's actions on July 3 of the Battle of Gettysburg
.
GBMA v. 72nd PA Regiment: In October 1889, Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association v. Seventy-second Pennsylvania Regiment heard testimony regarding the regiment's Pickett's Charge
location(s). The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
subsequently "reaffirmed" for the 72nd since the authority of the state commission established by a state act superseded any GBMA organizational authority for monument locations (e.g., for US regulars and other states' units): "the Commonwealth … has the right to designate the position where any of her regiments specially distinguished themselves" (Justice Sterrett). The local Star and Sentinel subsequently editorialized the Commonwealth was "in the position of a cheat" for ruling the PA units didn't have to follow GBMA decisions as other states' units had done.
About 1000 people attended the 1891 statuary dedication, and Edward McPherson
accepted the monument for the GBMA (on August 25, the GBMA Executive committee recommended a marker be placed to indicate the GBMA had "no responsibility for the location of the monument as now placed".) Prior to the United States v. Gettysburg Electric Ry. Co.
case, the 72nd's association denied a Gettysburg Electric Railway
right-of-way across the statuary tract, and in late June 1893 they placed a no trespassing sign, erected a flag pole with the Stars and Stripes (44 stars), and placed marker stakes. The association held the statuary tract until March 20, 1911, when trustees for the survivors' association of the "Seventy-second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers" deeded it to the War Department.
The 2011 "Gettysburg" quarter was developed with an image of the 72nd's statuary monument "in consultation with representatives of Gettysburg National Military Park
".
72nd Pennsylvania Infantry
The 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the famous Philadelphia Brigade. They wore a very americanized zouave uniform...
Monument" is the name of 2 American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
: an 1883 position marker and a larger 1891 statuary memorial. The latter was the subject of a Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
case and is depicted on the 2011 "Gettysburg" America the Beautiful quarter dollar commemorative coin.
The statuary monument, erected "by 72nd Regt", identifies the regiment as Pennsylvania Volunteers ("P.V.") and "Philadelphia Fire Zouaves".
History
In 1864, Pennsylvania granted a charter for promoting and protecting "memorial structures" to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. The GBMA subsequently claimed to have the exclusive zoningZoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
authority to locate all Gettysburg monuments including those not on the small portion of battlefield land owned by the GBMA—e.g., 124 tracts totalling 522 acre (0.815625721154372 sq mi). The initial 1883 "72nd PA Infty" marker was approved and placed on the "Roberts line … where their heavy losses were". The GBMA subsequently had the 72nd's Captain John Reed arrested on December 12, 1888, for trespass
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming...
ing after "he had started men at work laying a foundation for the [2nd] monument of the Seventy-second Regiment". Instead of the GBMA-selected location, a different Pennsylvania commission of 5 state officers had approved the statuary monument 283 ft (86.3 m) away on the 900 sq ft (83.6 m²) tract owned by the 72nd. After the 2nd location approved by the state had "not been accepted" by the GBMA in July 1888,http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Cv8yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eQAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1649%2C2114130 the unit's 1889 history, The Seventy-second regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, at Bloody Angle, published the unit's actions on July 3 of the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
GBMA v. 72nd PA Regiment: In October 1889, Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association v. Seventy-second Pennsylvania Regiment heard testimony regarding the regiment's Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
location(s). The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
subsequently "reaffirmed" for the 72nd since the authority of the state commission established by a state act superseded any GBMA organizational authority for monument locations (e.g., for US regulars and other states' units): "the Commonwealth … has the right to designate the position where any of her regiments specially distinguished themselves" (Justice Sterrett). The local Star and Sentinel subsequently editorialized the Commonwealth was "in the position of a cheat" for ruling the PA units didn't have to follow GBMA decisions as other states' units had done.
About 1000 people attended the 1891 statuary dedication, and Edward McPherson
Edward McPherson
Edward McPherson was a prominent Pennsylvania newspaperman, attorney, and United States Congressman. As a director of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, he effected efforts to protect portions of the Gettysburg Battlefield.-Early life and career:McPherson was born in Gettysburg,...
accepted the monument for the GBMA (on August 25, the GBMA Executive committee recommended a marker be placed to indicate the GBMA had "no responsibility for the location of the monument as now placed".) Prior to the United States v. Gettysburg Electric Ry. Co.
United States v. Gettysburg Electric Ry. Co.
United States v. Gettysburg Electric Ry. Co. was a case to prevent trolley operations on the Gettysburg Battlefield. The dispute began in August 1891 when the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association's board approved attorney motion to deny trolley right-of-way along GBMA roads...
case, the 72nd's association denied a Gettysburg Electric Railway
Gettysburg Electric Railway
The Gettysburg Electric Railway was a borough trolley that provided summer access to Gettysburg Battlefield visitor attractions such as military engagement areas, monuments, postbellum camps, and recreation areas...
right-of-way across the statuary tract, and in late June 1893 they placed a no trespassing sign, erected a flag pole with the Stars and Stripes (44 stars), and placed marker stakes. The association held the statuary tract until March 20, 1911, when trustees for the survivors' association of the "Seventy-second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers" deeded it to the War Department.
The 2011 "Gettysburg" quarter was developed with an image of the 72nd's statuary monument "in consultation with representatives of Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park
The Gettysburg National Military Park is an administrative unit of the National Park Service's northeast region and a subunit of federal properties of Adams County, Pennsylvania, with the same name, including the Gettysburg National Cemetery...
".