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Monuments at Gettysburg – 114th Pennsylvania Infantry
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on March 19, 2015
The 114th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg on Emmitsburg Road at the Sherfy farmhouse. It was dedicated in 1886 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the statue on top was added in 1888.
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 114th Pennsylvania Infantry.
A full description of the second monument, its GPS Coordinates, additional photographs, and some of the history of the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry, can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer of 11 September 1889 reported some of the history of the regiment and some of the activities on monument dedication day:
The Zouaves d’Afrique.
The first company of the 114th Regiment, known by the caption title, was recruited by C. H. T. Collis, who had served in the 18th Regiment [18th Pennsylvania Infantry] for three months. It was raised at the insistence of General Banks. Its other officers were S. A Barthoulot, 1st Lieutenant and George Heimach, 2nd Lieutenant. Its uniform material was purchased from the French Government. After the Zouaves covered General Bank’s rear in his retreat from Winchester, Colonel Collis was complimented for gallantry and directed to recruit a whole regiment of Zouaves. The regimental officers were Colonel Collis, Lieutenant Colonel Frederick F. Cavada, Major Joseph S. Chandler. The regiment suffered severely in the fight below Fredericksburg, where the groans of the wounded on that stubbornly contested ground were heard all night long. In Burnside’s campaign the Zouaves manned the pontoons and laid the bridge across the Rappahannock. At Gettysburg, on the 2nd, the 114th held the centre of the brigade line, resting on the Emmittsburg Pike, opposite Sherfy’s house. An artillery and infantry attack drove the brigade back in the afternoon, when Lieutenant Colonel Cavada was captured and Major Bowen succeeded to his position.
The members of the 114th Regiment Association will assemble at the Eagle Hotel, under the command of Robert C. Kretchmar, president. They will proceed to the monument on Sherfy farm on the Emmittsburg Pike. The oration will be delivered by Colonel Edward R. Bowen, who commanded the regiment in that engagement. About 150 members are expected to be present.
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The commander of the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg was Lieutenant Colonel Frederick F. Cavada. After he was taken prisoner on the 2nd day of the battle, Captain Edward R. Bowen took over the leadership of the regiment.
Frederick F. Cavada
Frederick F. Cavada was born in Cuba in 1831 and was one of two brothers who were officers in the Union Army during the Civil War. On 6 August 1861, at Philadelphia where he was then living, Cavada joined the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry as Captain of Company K. While serving as Captain, he was offered a commission as Lieutenant Colonel of the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry. In order to accept the commission, he had to resign from the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry, which he did on 20 July 1862. A copy of that resignation letter is available on Fold3 (2 pages). Cavada took his new command and led in the field at Gettysburg until his capture. He was sent to Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia, where he remained until exchanged. In returning he resigned on 19 June 1864 and was discharged by General Order of 20 June 1864.
In 1865, he wrote a book describing his life in prison, Libby Life: Experiences of a Prisoner of War in Richmond, Virginia, 1863-64, but soon thereafter he pursued a second military career in the Cuban War of Independence which began in 1868. In 1871 he was captured and executed by Spanish authorities.
More information about Frederick F. Cavada can be found on another blog. His book about life in Libby Prison is available as a free download from the Internet Archive.
Edward R. Bowen
Edward Roscoe Bowen joined the 75th Pennsylvania Infantry as Captain of Company D on 21 August 1861 and 6 days later was transferred to the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry as Captain of Company B. He was reportedly wounded at Chancellorsville, Virginia, on 3 May 1863. After the battle of Gettysburg and his taking over of command of the regiment, Captain Bowen was awarded a promotion to Major at headquarters on 1 September 1863. His promotion to Lieutenant Colonel came on 15 November 1864 and he served in that position until discharged on 29 May 1865.
While Bowen was Captain of Company B, a Corporal in his charge, John Bell, was accidentally shot by a comrade and Bowen had to submit a report on the accident. That report is available at Fold3 (1 page) and is part of the application for pension benefits by Bell’s widow.
Edward R. Bowen died on 6 April 1908 of pneumonia in Haverford and is buried at Church of the Redeemer Cemetery, Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. More information about him can be found at 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 114th 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 114th 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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