February 22, 2013

Monument to the 151st Pennsylvania at Herbst Woods

 

There was no “favoritism” at the battle of Gettysburg. Seasoned units full of hardened veterans found themselves side-by-side with raw recruits who’d had only a small taste of battle, as in the case of the Iron Brigade and the 151^st Pennsylvania. Both occupied positions in or near Herbst Woods; both fought honorably and held their ground until the enemy’s superior forces made it impracticable to do so. Their overall stories were very different.

The Iron Brigade, consisting of the 19^th Indiana, the 24^th Michigan, and the 2^nd, 6^th, and 7^th Wisconsin (the 7^th had been deployed to the Railroad Cut) were no strangers to warfare. They’d already gained national acclaim for their wartime exploits. The men of the 151^st Pennsylvania, though, mustered in during the previous autumn, weren’t so seasoned. Army veterans looked upon them with derision, believing they’d only enlisted for the money. It was a nine-month regiment . . . no one thought they were good for much.

But then came Gettysburg, and right there on the flank of the famous Iron Brigade was the 151^st Pennsylvania. When the “Hoosiers” and “Badgers” and “Wolverines” started to give way, the 151^st took the heat, proving themselves every bit as valorous as their more experienced brethren. That time came in the late afternoon of July 1, 1863. The Iron Brigade, most notably the 24^th Michigan, had held their ground against the 26^th North Carolina for several hours. It must have been like target practice; send one row of men forward, then another, then another, each successive row taking the place of the soldiers who now lay dead or wounded.

The Iron Brigade struggled; but that did nothing to diminish their valor. When they were pushed off the small hill at Herbst Woods, the 151^st Pennsylvania, so often mocked and jeered, put up a heroic scrap that would silence any opposition. At the end of the day, seasoned western men of the Iron Brigade and newly-minted Pennsylvania warriors lay side by side on the field of death, proving once and for all that it’s not the unit to which you belong; it’s the courage with which you fight.

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. HORACE C. BUSS

Co. A, 153^rd Pennsylvania Infantry

Born March 25, 1830 --- Died July 01, 1863 at age 33

Pvt. Buss enlisted in July 1862. His death just a year later left a large family to mourn him, including his wife Anna; James, aged 15; Emma, aged 13; Richard, aged 12; Sarah, aged 9; William, aged 7; Allen, aged 6; Louisa, aged 3; and Andrew, aged 1.. He was later buried at St. John’s Cemetery in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.


(c) 2013 Skies of Blue and Gray