Sculpted by Gary Casteel
 
1863 Signed and Numbered Limited Edition Monument Replicas
 
On July 2, 1863, the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry arrived at Gettysburg, PA, taking a position on Culp’s Hill and building fortifications throughout that day.  An experienced group of fighters and part of the Union Twelfth Corps, the 27th was among the available troops hustled down to the Peach Orchard area to help reinforce the collapsing Union lines later that evening; however, they got lost on their way and arrived too late to be thrown into that fight.  As they returned to Culp’s Hill in the twilight, they found that Confederates had attacked and taken up residence in their fortifications.  Fighting continued that night, but eventually faded.
 
The shooting began again at daybreak on July 3rd.  Although Union troops were able to partially regain ground lost the day before, the 27th and other members of its brigade were posted in the woods along Rock Creek, somewhat northeast of Spangler Spring.  Across the creek, Confederate sharpshooters sniped at the regiment while Confederate attacks occurred on other parts of the Culp’s Hill line throughout the day.  In front of the 27th Indiana, several Confederate regiments had set up a line across an open meadow and behind a stonewall.  Two regiments, the 2nd Massachusetts and the 27th Indiana were ordered into the field to push back the Rebels.  The men from Massachusetts went first with the Indiana soldiers following them into the open meadow.
 
The 27th charged farthest into the field.  They held their line and exchanged fire with the Confederates.  The Union flag changed hands almost constantly as flag-bearer after flag-bearer was shot.  As one soldier described the day:
 
“Our regiment got farther into the field. The fire was dreadful. I saw our flag, torn with bullets, fall from the bearers’ hands as they were shot, but I thought that flag was worth fighting for.”  ~Sergeant Edward Morten, 27th Indiana Infantry
 
Eventually, seeing the futility of success, the officers withdrew the regiment.   “It became evident to me that scarcely a man could live to gain the position of the enemy,” reported brigade commander Silas Colgrove.  “I ordered the regiment to fall back behind its breastworks, which it did.”
 
The rest of the day passed with skirmishing for the 27th.  They did not repulse Pickett’s Charge, but rather maintained their position in the Culp’s Hill area. However, their difficulties that day were not over. The Confederates sniped at anyone venturing into the open field, making it impossible to remove or aid the wounded and creating a terrible situation for the injured men and an equally horrible for the survivors to see their injured comrades and hear their pleas for aid and be unable to give relief or comfort.  The regimental history of the 27th records:
 
their outcries from pain and thirst and their direct appeals for help were irresistible. In different instances they called the names of those who they hoped might take pity on them, sometimes calling one after another of the names on the roll of their companies. More than one of our men, when they heard their names called in this appealing way, by mess mates and “bunkies” could bear it no longer. Leaping over the breastworks, like men inspired, they rushed down to the meadow, gathered the helpless, suffering victim in their strong arms, and bore him to a place of safety and succor.
 
The regiment entered the battle with 339 men, and lost 16 killed and 139 wounded, 18 of whom died of their wounds. This was a total of 41% casualties almost entirely over the course of twenty minutes.
 
On the night of July 3, the Confederates retreated from the Culp’s Hill area.  After tending to their wounded and burying their dead, the regiment departed with the rest of the Union army in an unsuccessful pursuit of Lee’s forces.
 
The monument was dedicated in 1890 and is located on the east side of Colgrove Avenue just north of Carmen Avenue.