Gettysburg's Monuments: From Their "EYE'S" the 13th New Jersey Infantry

13th New Jersey Infantry Monument

     The 13th New Jersey Infantry Monument was dedicated July 1, 1887. "This morning at 9:00 o'clock the survivors of  the 13th New Jersey regiment formed at the Eagle Hotel, and led by a band, proceeded to their monument near Spangler's Spring in McAllister's Woods on the right of the Union Line... The monument was unveiled by the members of the State Commission, Colonel J.M. Duffy, Hon. Godfried Kreuger and Hon. William H. Corbin" [1]
  [1] Carlisle Weekly Herald (Carlisle Penn.) 02 July, 1887

  The monument depicts a northern soldier looking down the barrel of his rifle. The monument also includes details often overlooked. Being the 13th fought near Culp's Hill the trees show scars from bullets. In front of the soldiers knee can be seen earthworks that were constructed on most of Culp's Hill. Also smoke, seen as swirls cover the field. But what does the soldier "see?"
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Bullet struck trees, earthworks and smoke all depicted on the monument of the 13th New Jersey Infantry.

  The 13th New Jersey, was the only unit in Col. Silas Colgrove’s brigade directly   facing Rock Creek. It was particularly   annoyed by sniping taking place on July 3rd. Following the unsuccessful attack by the 2nd Massachusetts and 27th Indiana   into Spangler Meadow Samuel Toombs  of Company F, recalled the moments   following the disastrous advance,  “…We moved back to our works fronting the   Creek, and the other regiments took up   their old position. The enemy threw out a strong line of sharpshooters, who devoted their time to picking off every man whose head appeared above the works. A squad of these men established themselves in a small stone house on the opposite side of the Creek, and they annoyed us terribly."
During this skirmishing Private Henry Dammig would be killed and Private James Parliment mortally wounded. Both men rest today in Gettysburg's Soldiers' Cemetery.

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Artist rendering of the proposed 13th New Jersey Infantry Monument to be dedicated at Gettysburg.

Taking careful aim.

The sculptor detailed the rifleman as having one eye open and the other closed.

The rifleman is well hidden behind a tree.

The rifle's hammer is fully cocked as the rifleman takes careful aim.

This image shows what a soldier in the rear rank might see as he looks past the front rank.

                                  From the eyes of the 13th New Jersey