“The Only Christian Minded Being on Either Side” - Steuart's Brigade at Culp's Hill on July 3, 1863

July 3 - 12:30 AM

The battlefield had been quiet for an hour or more. Brigadier General George Steuart and his men had been fighting since the late afternoon hours of July 2nd, and now they lay in the captured breastworks of the Union XII Corps. The fight had been a success, but not without cost. The topography presented on Culp’s Hill made for an extremely physical assault, and Union gunfire did not help their cause in scaling the steep inclines. Steuart’s Brigade, which included the 1st Maryland Battalion, 1st North Carolina, 3rd North Carolina, 10th Virginia, 23rd Virginia, and the 37th Virginia, now occupied a good portion of the Union breastworks. Around 11PM, the firing died out on Culp’s Hill. Morale was high. The Confederates had succeeded for the most part, and occupied Union lines. Sgt. Thomas Betterton of the 37th Virginia had even captured the colors belonging to the 157th New York. Steuart’s Brigade had little time to savor the victory.

Although most of the men did not know this at the time, the Baltimore Pike lay only a couple hundred yards away. The Baltimore Pike was the main artery for the Army of The Potomac at Gettysburg, and in case of defeat, would be their most viable escape route. Now, just after midnight and into the third day of combat, the Baltimore Pike was crawling with activity. The sounds of artillery being wheeled along the road and into the position, and the trample of thousands of feet could be heard by the Confederate troops on Culp’s Hill. In fact, the XII Corps units that were rushed off of Culp’s Hill during the afternoon and evening of July 2nd were now returning to their former positions. What the Federals didn’t know was that the Confederates were now within their former position.

The first regiment to wander into Steuart’s Brigade was the 111th Pennsylvania. Steuart’s men fired a volley, and the 111th Pennsylvania did not pursue the issue any further. Another regiment, the 2nd Massachusetts, literally walked into the 23rd Virginia. After a brief struggle and skirmish, the 2nd Massachusetts also decided that the effort spent was not worth it. The Confederate soldiers knew the Union soldiers would not sit still as morning approached, and the sounds of thousands of troops and artillery gave them a deep sense of what to expect in a few hours. As a soldier in the 1st Maryland later wrote, “The worst was to come.”

Around 3:30AM, Culp’s Hill erupted with cannon and musket fire. The Confederate troops were initially spared, as they could easily hunker down in the captured breastworks. The 1st Maryland and 3rd North Carolina took turns occupying the breastworks on the right, and many soldiers took cover behind huge boulders and thick trees. At this point, the 3rd North Carolina had fired nearly all of its ammunition. Some men had only one or two cartridges left. The men frantically requisitioned more ammunition off of the dead and dying, both Union and Confederate. By 4AM, the noise coming from Culp’s Hill was deafening. One Marylander wrote, “The whole hillside seemed enveloped in a blaze. Minnie balls pattered upon the breastworks…like hail upon a housetop. Solid shot went crashing through the woods, adding the danger from falling limbs of trees to that from erratic fragments of exploding shells. The whole hill was covered with smoke and smell of powder. No enemy could be seen.”

Entire trees were swept away from the amount of gunfire between the two lines. Many men were given the impression that a fight this fierce had yet to be seen during the war. Rifles soon became clogged from black powder residue, and soldiers were scrambling for new weapons that wouldn’t foul after two or three shots. Another problem was ammunition, as there were only so many dead or wounded bodies to take from. Lt. Randolph McKim of the 1st Maryland personally took a few men with him towards the rear in search of ammunition. In the dark, they fumbled their way over Rock Creek, found the ammunition, and returned with it carrying the cartridges in a blanket which had been slung over fence rails.

The intense firing eventually died down along the lines. Around 10AM on July 3rd, Steuart received orders to attack the Federal positions. After seeing the land between his brigade and the enemy, Steuart realized that any attack on Union positions was doomed. He complained to his division commander, General Johnson, but knew that his brigade must be committed to the assault. Major Goldsborough spoke his opinion, “Sir, I consider it murder; I take my men in under protest.”

Soon, the 900 men of Steuart’s Brigade were on the move. The brigade approached Pardee’s Field, a small clearing in the otherwise heavily wooded saddle of Culp’s Hill. As the men rushed into the clearing, a wall of gunfire greeted them. Men fell by the score. Those left standing could not resist the urge to stop and fire at their tormentors. As the situation seemed destined for failure, many of the men streamed towards the rear.

The 1st Maryland and the remaining portion of the 3rd North Carolina advanced into an explosive round of cannon fire. The Marylanders could see Virginians lying prone in the field to their left, as their officers swore and pleaded for their men to continue the assault. Major Goldsborough later wrote, “Never shall I forget the expressions of contempt on the faces of the men on the left companies of the Second (First) Maryland as they cast a side glance upon their comrades who had proved recreant in this supreme moment.”

The brigade started to break down. The losses mounted, and the men looked around for someone to lead them, or at least relieve them from the hell they were experiencing. Unfortunately, many of the officers had fallen early in the fight, including the 1st Maryland’s Major Goldsborough. Oliver Taylor of the 37th Virginia later wrote that the “Marylanders lay in heaps.” Sergeant George Pile, also of the 37th Virginia, recalled that the1st Maryland had been destroyed, and that he and one other member of his company escaped the battle unharmed.

Inevitably, the brigade fell apart and retired to the base of Culp’s Hill. The images of horror were abundant. Union soldiers watched a private struggling in the middle of Pardee’s Field after the firing had subsided. The Confederate had been shot in the stomach, and was pleading for someone to shoot him in the head and put him out of the incredible pain he was experiencing. No one could bring themselves to level their muskets at the wounded man. Then, almost methodically, the Confederate soldier reached for his weapon and began to load it. A cartridge was torn, the powder poured, and the lead Minnie ball inserted into the barrel. The soldier rammed the cartridge home; the clanging of his ramrod the only noise the Union soldiers could hear. Silently, the soldier cocked the trigger, primed his piece, then lowered the weapon. He slid the butt of the rifle towards his feet. With wide eyes the Union men watched, still unsure of the intentions of this desperate fellow. Slowly, the soldier inserted the barrel of his weapon into his mouth. With hundreds of eyes upon him, the soldier pushed his ramrod against the trigger, and which discharged the rifle brought an end to his suffering.

There were also scenes of companionship, loyalty, and heart break. A dog soon appeared through the smoke, heading towards the Union lines. He appeared to be looking for his master, his head low to the ground, moving from body to body. It wasn’t long before the Union troops noticed that the dog had been riddled with bullets. The dog continued on, searching for the human he adored. He took a few more steps, then fell over. Some Union soldiers, already overwhelmed by the events from earlier, openly wept over the courage and loyalty of this poor creature. General Kane, who commanded a brigade in Geary’s Division of the XII Corps, ordered him to be buried as “the only Christian minded being on either side.”

Steuart from distraught when he saw the results of the attack. Tears streamed from his eyes as he exclaimed “My poor boys! My poor boys!” Only 12 men returned from the 3rd North Carolina. The 1st Maryland Battalion lost nearly 50% of its men. Many of the men in the 1st Maryland reported holes in their clothing where bullets had ripped the fabric without harming the individual. Lt. McKim personally counted four tears in his coat, although none of them hit him.

Colonel John Futch, who lost a brother in the assault, wrote home, “I believe he is happy and no doubt better than any of us.” No one from Steuart’s Brigade would argue his closing comment; “We are living the worst life men ever have.”