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Monuments at Gettysburg – 109th Pennsylvania Infantry
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on March 4, 2015
The 109th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located southeast of the town of Gettysburg on Culp’s Hill on Slocum Avenue. It was dedicated in 1889 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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 109th Pennsylvania Infantry.
A full description of the second monument, its GPS Coordinates, additional photographs, and some of the history of the 109th Pennsylvania Infantry, can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer article of 11 September 1889 told of the tree in the area of the battlefield where the fighting of the 109th Pennsylvania Infantry took place, and gave the names of the speakers for the day of monument dedications:
The 109th Famous Tree.
A famous tree stands on the battlefield of Gettysburg, behind which the 109th Regiment did some of its most effective fighting. The ground in front of Company A was more sloping than on other parts of the line so that in order to get a good shot the men were obliged to run out in advance of their position to this large tree and await opportunities, which were constantly offered, to shoot rebels. The tree was in constant use, each man taking his turn behind it and shortly became a mark for the rebels and was completely stripped of its bark by the constant battering of bullets.
The programme of the 109th on Culp’s Hill, Gettysburg, will be: Prayer, by Comrade I. Newton Ritner; remarks, by Comrade George W. Clark; “History of Memorial Committee,” Thomas E. Lewis; oration, Major M. Veale.
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Frederick Louis Gimber of Philadelphia commanded the 109th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg. He was from Philadelphia and had prior experience as Sergeant of Company F, 19th Pennsylvania Infantry from 27 April 1861 through 29 August 1861. He joined the 109th Pennsylvania Infantry at Philadelphia on 6 May 1862 as the Captain of Company E. But one record gives the information that on 1 October 1862, he was transferred to headquarters with the rank of Major and on 4 May 1863, he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment. Gimber was supposedly not mustered at the latter two ranks and therefore, at the Battle of Gettysburg, he is officially listed at the rank of Captain.
Frederick L. Gimber applied for a pension on 24 October 1877, at which time he gave his Civil War rank as Captain (see above Pension Index Card from Fold3). This card also indicates that he was transferred on 31 March 1865, which another record indicates was to the 111th Pennsylvania Infantry.
Gimber died on 14 October 1910 as noted in the death notice (above) from the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is buried in Fernwood Cemetery, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The Findagrave Memorial for him does not indicate that he was a Civil War soldier nor does there appear to be a G.A.R. marker at his grave.
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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 109th 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 109th 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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