January 12, 2015

** Hi all! Just wanted to let you know I’m changing my posting schedule . . . from this point forward, I’ll be posting only on Mondays and Wednesdays (barring breaks for vacation or other "bumps in the road"). Fridays will be reserved for my new blog venture, “St. Augustine Fridays”, dedicated to my second-favorite place in the world, St. Augustine, Florida. Feel free to check it out at http://staugustinefridays.blogspot.com (first post on January 16)**

Although practically everything about the battle of Gettysburg and its participants fascinates me, I guess you could say I’ve “adopted” a few regiments which I find particularly interesting, not for any personal reason, but just because they “spoke to” me in some way or another. One of these is the 140^TH New York Infantry. They were slated to help out at the Wheatfield, were on their way, when the dire situation at Little Round Top was made clear to them and they rushed right into action. Just like that. The first photo is of their monument. Take note of the bust of Col. Patrick O’Rorke.

The second photo shows, more or less, the path that the 140^TH took when they charged down over the slope to stop the tide of Confederates. (That’s the 16^TH Michigan monument to the right). I don’t know exactly how the ground cover was in 1863, but I know that the soldiers saw, touched, crouched behind, and perhaps died against these very same boulders. Big Round Top sprawls in the distance . . . part of Houck’s Ridge, and Warfield Ridge beyond it, can be seen at upper right. 

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. LESTER NELSON

Co. K, 126^TH New York Infantry

Born abt. 1844 --- Died July 03 (or 05), 1863 at age 19

Pvt. Nelson enlisted in August 1862 and was a molder by trade. His military records describe him as being 5’7” with gray eyes and auburn hair. Mortally wounded in the abdomen on July 03^RD, he died either that day or two days later. I was unable to find information on his family or his burial site.


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