May 01, 2013

Though I love all of Gettysburg, I’ve found that I have a favorite part of the military park, a personal preference for the sites associated with the second day of battle. The Wheatfield, Little Round Top, Devil’s Den . . . these are the places I find most inspiring and where my camera gets the best workout. The above shot is one of my “creative” captures, including views of more than one battleground. Straight ahead is Little Round Top; the tall shaft dedicated to the 91^st Pennsylvania Infantry is visible in the center of the photo. Photographs taken in July 1863 reveal a wooded Little Round Top, which explains why the trees haven’t been removed from this spot as they have at many other places on the battlefield.

The boulders at the far right of the photo are the uppermost rocks of Devil’s Den. These mysterious large rocks were once commandeered by Texans and Arkansans and defended by Pennsylvanians, Mainers, and New Yorkers. Doubtlessly the ancient diabase boulders look just the same today as they did then. Everything in this photo, save for the road and the metal pole at center left, was there at the time of the battle, including the tree that makes an appearance above . . . this is the Devil’s Den witness tree.

**HONORED TODAY**

CPT. THOMAS WILLIAM QUIRK

Co. C, 83^rd New York Infantry

Born 1837 --- Died July 01, 1863 at age 26

Cpt. Quirk suffered his first war wound at Fredericksburg, but his first would unfortunately not be his last. Though Find A Grave lists his death date as July 1^st, genealogy records list the date as July 4^th. It appears that his pre-war residence was New York City. He is buried at Albany Rural Cemetery in Albany, New York, and a photo of him can be found here.


(c) 2013 Skies of Blue and Gray