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Monuments at Gettysburg – 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on February 19, 2015
The 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg near Wheatfield Road. It was dedicated in 1889 and turned over to the Memorial Association.
The drawing of the monument pictured above is from a Philadelphia Inquirer article of 11 September 1889.
A picture of the monument can be seen on Stephen Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry.
A full description of the monument, its GPS Coordinates, additional photographs, and some of the history of the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry, can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.
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A brief description of the regiment was given in the Philadelphia Inquirer article of 11 September 1889:
In Front of Weikert’s House.
The 102nd Regiment, though on the field of Gettysburg, was not engaged. It was recruited at Pittsburgh by Colonel Thomas A. Rowley. Joseph M. Kinkead was Lieutenant Colonel; John Poland, Major; Joseph Browne, Adjutant.
The 102nd was praised by General Wheaton for especial gallantry at Chancellorsville. Its position in Wheaton’s brigade at Gettysburg was on commanding ground to the right and front of Little Round Top along a by-road and just in front of Weikert’s house.
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Robert W. Lyon is named on the tablet (below) of the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry as 2nd Lieutenant of Company H. His role at Gettysburg was as the leader of a detachment of men sent to the field while the remainder of the men from the regiment stayed behind to guard trains and roads outside the area of battle.
Lyon was from Butler County, Pennsylvania, and was a 19-year old blacksmith when he first enrolled in the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry. He was mustered in at Pittsburgh on 16 August 1861 and received his first promotion to Sergeant on 1 February 1862. On 31 May 1862, he was wounded in action at Fair Oaks, Virginia. His next promotion was to 2nd Lieutenant on 10 July 1862. As the Battle of Gettysburg began, he was notified of his promotion to 1st Lieutenant. Later he was promoted to Captain on 1 October 1864 and was breveted Lieutenant Colonel on 2 April 1865. Just before his discharge on 28 June 1865 he accepted a commission as Major, 23 June 1865, but he was never mustered at that rank.
After the war he served as Mayor of Pittsburgh (1881-1884). His pension application was submitted on 25 October 1879.
Robert W. Lyon died on 9 October 1904 and is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery, McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. For more 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 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry is pictured below. By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read. If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg. There could also be errors on the plaque.
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