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Monuments at Gettysburg – 119th Pennsylvania Infantry
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on March 27, 2015
The 119th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg on Howe Avenue. It was dedicated in 1889 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the second monument to this regiment at Gettysburg; the first monument is located on Big Round Top and was dedicated in 1885 by the regiment’s survivors.
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 119th Pennsylvania Infantry.
A full description of the second monument, its GPS Coordinates, additional photographs, and some of the history of the 119th Pennsylvania Infantry, can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site. There is also a picture and information about the first monument.
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Only a brief description of the activities of the 119th Pennsylvania Infantry was given in the Philadelphia Inquirer article of 11 September 1889:
How the 119th Was Engaged.
The 119th, under command of Colonel Peter C. Ellemaker, was massed on the second day in the rear of the 5th Corps. On the extreme left of the line, in the rear of Round Top, it guarded against any flank movement, but did not become engaged. On the 5th it took the advance in pursuit of the retreating enemy, striking his rear near Fairfield.
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Peter C. Ellmaker
Colonel Peter C. Ellmaker commanded the 119th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg.
Ellmaker, who lived in Philadelphia and was active in civic and governmental affairs, was the chair of the committee that raised funds to form the 119th Pennsylvania Infantry, and upon organization was made its Colonel. He served in that capacity from 1 September 1862 through his resignation from command on 12 January 1864.
When President-Elect Abraham Lincoln arrived in Philadelphia in February 1861, Peter C. Ellmaker chaired the civic reception given to him, and again in April 1865, he chaired the arrangements for the memorial honors when Lincoln’s funeral train arrived in the city.
In July 1865, Ellmaker was appointed U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. On 19 February 1879 he applied for an invalid pension based on his Civil War service. During the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, he served as Superintendent of Employees. Late in life he participated in the activities of several veterans’ organizations.
Peter C. Ellmaker died on 12 October 1890, leaving a widow. His is buried in Mount Mariah Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Some additional information about him can be found at his Findagrave Memorial. His obituary appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 12 October 1890 and the funeral was briefly described in the same newspaper on 15 October 1890.
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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 119th 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 119th 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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