The Wheatfield! Like so many parts of the Gettysburg battlefield - Devil’s Den, Little Round Top and Pickett’s Charge - the name
invokes images of fierce fighting. But it also conveys confusion that clouds
our understanding of it to this day. Of all the fighting that took place at Gettysburg, the battle for the Wheatfield remains the least
understood. From 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM on July 2, 1863 the Confederate soldiers in six brigades of James Longstreet’s
Corps battled thirteen different Union brigades from the Second, Third, Fifth
and Sixth Corps of the Army of the Potomac in and
around the Wheatfield. When the sun set that evening, 20,444 soldiers had
engaged in deadly combat, and a staggering 30% of them were casualties.
Our tour on Saturday, May 10 will focus on that deadly
fight. We will explore in detail the most important aspects of the action. Our
tour will begin in the Biesecker’s Woods along Seminary Ridge, and
progress into Rose’s Woods. Stops in Rose’s Woods will include a visit
to the Timbers foundation, one of the least visited sites on the entire
battlefield. We will also see where Colonel Edward Kross was mortally
wounded, as well as the area where the 20th Indiana made its gallant stand at the beginning
of the action. Another stop in Rose’s Woods will include the ledge of rocks
where the 3rd Arkansas regrouped before their final push toward Houck’s Ridge. We will also
visit other landmarks, including the stone wall, Stony Hill, the Rose
Farm, Trostle Woods and the Valley of Death. You will come away with a much better
understanding of the ebb and flow of the continuing fight. And you will be able
to piece together the different phases of the battle and see how the terrain
played an important role in the development of the action.
The tour will be led by popular Gettysburg guide, Gary Kross, and Jay Jorgensen, author of the
recently published books, The Bloody Wheatfield and The
Wheatfield at Gettysburg: A Walking Tour. Some walking will be involved but nothing of a
rigorous nature. We hope you will join us on Saturday, May 10 in Gettysburg!
About our Tour Leaders
Jay Jorgensen is a lawyer and municipal court judge in New Jersey. He is the author of Gettysburg’s Bloody Wheatfield, The
Wheatfield at Gettysburg: A Walking Tour and Gettysburg’s Leadership
Lessons. He has written several articles for Gettysburg Magazine, including
the following that deal with the subject matter of this tour: “Confederate
Artillery at Gettysburg” vol. 24; “Edward
Porter Alexander, Confederate Cannoneer, at Gettysburg” vol. 27; and “Joseph
W. Latimer, the Boy Major, at Gettysburg” vol. 10.
Gary Kross is a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield
Guide and one of the most popular tour leaders of the Battle of Gettysburg. A
leading tactical authority on the battle, he has authored the annual Gettysburg issue of Blue &
Gray Magazine for many years, and serves as that magazine’s associate
editor.
Saturday, May
10
From 8:15 AM on Assemble at Cyclorama Parking Lot at Gettysburg National Military Park (Directions to the lot will be provided in your confirmation letter. You can
park for free and leave your car all day at this location).
8:45 AM Bus Departs for Tour
12:15PM Buffet
Lunch at General Pickett’s Buffet Restaurant
1:00 PM Continue Tour
4:30 PM Arrive Back at Cyclorama
Parking Lot
REGISTRATION FEES: Adult: $150 Under Age 23: $
45
If You Must Cancel: Your registration fee will be 100% refunded within 30 days.
What is Included in your Registration:
· the services of expert historians
chosen for their knowledge and experience
· transportation around the
battlefield
· lunch at General Pickett’s Buffet
Restaurant
· refreshments and snacks during the
tour
· map package
Lodging: If you will need lodging, we suggest the following
nearby motels:
· Holiday Inn Battlefield, 516 Baltimore -
717-334-6211
· Best Inn, 301 Steinwehr -
717-334-1188
· Quality Inn, 380 Steinwehr -
717-334-1103
· Colton Motel, 232 Steinwehr -
717-334-5514
· Travelodge, 613 Baltimore -
717-334-9281
For additional lodging suggestions, visit www.gettysburg.com
