1st Vermont Cavalry Monument

For those of you who are not familiar with what the program is all about let me explain. The National Park offers the opportunity for groups to volunteer to do light clean up work twice a year around a designated site on the Gettysburg battlefield. Several years ago the Round Table decided to participate and were assigned the 1st Vermont Cavalry monument. This monument is located about 100 yards off of South Confederate Avenue.

The 1st Vermont Cavalry, was the only cavalry regiment from Vermont. On July 3, 1863 General Judson Kilpatrick was ordered to cause a disruption on the extreme southern end of the Confederate lines. General Kilpatrick ordered General Elon Farnsworth with his cavalry regiments to do just that. The 1st Vermont was part of his command. Of course the attack failed and Farnsworth was killed.

We meet at this site twice a year in the spring and fall to do light clean up work around the monument This includes removing of brush, small trees and planting grass. We work for two hours from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Although work is light we managed to clean about an acre of ground. Before we started the brush and weeds were growing right up to the monument itself. The work our group has done has really opened up the area. National Park people and Battlefield Guides alike have praised us. The person who is in charge of maintenance at the Park told me that no group that participates in this does more work then us except a group of 100 Marines.

After our work is done we break until 2:00 and then meet for a tour of part of the battlefield, which our group pays for, from a Battlefield Guide. Some of the places we have received excellent tours of are The Peach Orchard, Bliss Farm and the South Cavalry Field. The tours usually last 2 hours. The people who have been gracious enough to give their time seem to not only enjoy this but also feel rewarded.

I hope to see some new faces this time, for which you will not regret. See you at the Burg!

Jim Johnson