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Monuments at Pennsylvania – 46th Pennsylvania Infantry
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on October 23, 2014
The 46th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located southeast of Gettysburg on Slocum Avenue on Culp’s Hill. It was dedicated in September 1889 as part of the installment of multiple monuments to Pennsylvania regiments. The drawing of the monument (above) is from the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s coverage of the monument dedications. A view of the monument can also be found at Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry.
A full description of the monument, its GPS coordinates, a picture, and some of the history of the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry is available at the Stone Sentinels Web Site.
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The only available copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer article of 11 September 1889 had the left margin cut off and was difficult to read. The concluding line read:
After an ——— resistance of several hours the enemy was driven back at the point of the bayonet. The 46th loss, owing to their sheltered position, was inconsiderable.
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James L. Selfridge (1824-1887)
James L. Selfridge served as the commander of the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg. Prior to serving at the Headquarters of the 46th, he had served as a Captain of the 1st Pennsylvania Infantry for the first three months of the Civil War. He was 40 years old and was from Northampton County, Pennsylvania. No other personal information is available on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card from the Pennsylvania Archives.
On 10 May 1863, Selfridge was promoted to Colonel, the position he held at Gettysburg. On 16 March 1865 he was recognized as Brevet Brigadier General.
On 19 May 1887, Gen. Selfridge committed suicide in Philadelphia. He was buried with full military honors at Nisky Hill Cemetery (Old Moravian), Bethlehem, Northampton County. For further information about him see his Findagrave Memorial.
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Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg. The plaque for the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry is pictured below. By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more easily read. If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg.
For a prior post on this plaque, see: 46th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg.
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The news clipping is from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
They got Fred Sorber’s name wrong (as is wont to happen – wrong on his grave, too) – Co. D