Culp's Hill

Edwin Forbes painting of the fighting on Culp's Hill.

Library of Congress

 

Culp's Hill during the battle

Culp’s Hill, occupied by Union troops all three days of the battle, was the critical right flank of the Union defensive line at Gettysburg. At mid-morning on July 2, elements of the Twelfth Corps arrived to reinforce the hill, including the 1,400 man brigade of George S. Greene. He reported, “As soon as we were in position, we began to intrench ourselves and throw up breastworks...”

That night, his New Yorkers successfully held off 4,700 Confederates and held the upper summit. Before sunrise on July 3, fighting resumed with 22,000 Union and Confederate soldiers battling for the hill. One Union solider said, “The whole hillside seemed enveloped in a blaze.” The Southerners attacked three times, but after six hours of fighting, the Union line held firm.

 

Culp's Hill Rehabilitation Project Map.

NPS map

Rehabilitation Project Overview

Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation have partnered on a Culp’s Hill rehabilitation project. The project has improved the cultural and natural landscape of 18-acres of Culp’s Hill where key battle action occurred on July 2-3, 1863. (See black outlined area on the map at right.) Work included the removal of brush and select understory (trees five inches or less in diameter) along the east side of Union earthworks from the Spangler’s Spring area to the summit of Culp’s Hill. Select larger diameter trees growing within the earthworks were felled in place. In addition to the increased visibility within the woodlot, additional interpretive signage and improved visitor access has been provided to historically significant features along the battlelines.

Rehabilitation work began in early February, 2021 and was completed in late May, 2021 with the help of the American Conservation Experience (ACE). ACE is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities for youth of all backgrounds to explore and improve public lands. The ACE crew treated invasive woody trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants on all earthworks stretching from Spangler’s Spring to the summit of Culp’s Hill. ACE also constructed a new trail from the summit of Culp's Hill to Forbes Rock, a prominent landmark on the 1863 battlefield named after the artist and war correspondent, Edwin Forbes.

 

 

 

Help Us Help Our Cultural Resources

Our Mission 

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

In order for us to "...preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations," we need your help. The Union earthworks along Culp's Hill are very fragile and we ask that you not walk on or over these precious cultural resources.

We would like to remind everyone that it is illegal to surface collect, metal detect, or dig for artifacts on Gettysburg National Military Park or Eisenhower National Historic Site without a federal permit. Federal law prohibits the possession or use of metal detectors on federal property. Violation of these laws carries serious consequences. These include the possibility of fines, jail time, and confiscation of the metal detector and other equipment used in the violation (including vehicles). Other federal laws may apply including theft, destruction of property, vandalism, damage to resources and driving in prohibited areas. Penalties may include fines of up to $10,000 and possible prison time. 

For more details, please visit the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 36, § 2.1 Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources website.

§ 2.1 Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the following is prohibited:

(1) Possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging, or disturbing from its natural state:

(i) Living or dead wildlife or fish, or the parts or products thereof, such as antlers or nests.

(ii) Plants or the parts or products thereof.

(iii) Nonfossilized and fossilized paleontological specimens, cultural or archeological resources, or the parts thereof.

(iv) A mineral resource or cave formation or the parts thereof.

(3) Tossing, throwing or rolling rocks or other items inside caves or caverns, into valleys, canyons, or caverns, down hillsides or mountainsides, or into thermal features.

(5) Walking on, climbing, entering, ascending, descending, or traversing an archeological or cultural resource, monument, or statue, except in designated areas and under conditions established by the superintendent.

(6) Possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging, or disturbing a structure or its furnishing or fixtures, or other cultural or archeological resources.

(7) Possessing or using a mineral or metal detector, magnetometer, side scan sonar, other metal detecting device, or subbottom profiler.

 

Suggested Reading

1. Culp's and Cemetery Hill ~ by Harry Pfanz

2. Culp's Hill at Gettysburg: "The Mountain Trembled" ~ by John M. Archer

3. A Field Guide to Gettysburg: Experiencing the Battlefield through Its History, Places, and People ~ by Carol Reardon & Tom Vossler

 

ABC 27 story: Clearing Culp's Hill

 

ABC 27 story: Uncovering History