The commander of this Corps, Maj. Gen. Henry Warner Slocum (September 24, 1827 – April 14, 1894), was a Union general during the American Civil War and later served in the United States House of Representatives from New York. During the war, he was one of the youngest major generals in the Army and fought numerous major battles in the Eastern Theater and in Georgia and the Carolinas. Controversy arose from his conduct at the Battle of Gettysburg, where he was accused of indecision and a dilatory advance to the battlefield, earning him the derogatory nickname “Slow Come”.
The Army of The Potomac, 12th Corps Tablet is located is located on the south slope of Culp’s Hill, south side of Slocum Ave and faces north northwest. Draw the Sword, with descriptive help from the NPS site, offers the following description: A rectangular granite monument, with a large bronze tablets thereon, describing the engagements and movements of each army corps. Rough-hewn monolith, 4’2"x2’4"x7'H. Bronze inscription tablet, 3’7"x4’1", mounted on finished face of monolith. Star Corps Badge incorporated in center top of tablet. The tablet was erected in 1907 by the Gettysburg National Military Park Commission. The inscription on this monolith reads:
Intentional Space
Army of the Potomac
Twelfth Corps
Major General Henry W. Slocum
Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams
First Division Brigadier General Alpheus Williams,
Brigadier General Thomas H. Ruger
Second Division Brigadier General John W. Geary
Artillery Brigade Lieutenant Edward D. Muhlenberg
Provost Guard Tenth Maine (Four Companies)July 1 Marched from near Littlestown to Two Taverns. In the afternoon hearing the 1st and 11th Corps were engaged at Gettysburg the Corps advanced on the Baltimore Pike. Williams's Division to a position east of Rock Creek. Geary's Division to the left of Union Line extending to the summit of Little Round Top.
July 2 In the morning the Corps took position on the right of 1st Corps on a line extending from the top of Culp's Hill southeasterly across the low meadow into McAllister's Woods. Later in the day the Corps except Greene's Brigade was withdrawn to support the left of the Army. Johnson's Confederate Division at night advanced under cover of darkness and took possession of the works on the Corps line on right of Greene's Brigade. About midnight the Corps returned and finding Johnson's Division in possession of their works formed line in front of that Division.
July 3 Before 1 a.m. the Artillery of the Corps and Rigby's Maryland Battery from Reserve Artillery in all 26 guns were so placed as to command the line occupied by Johnson's Division and at daylight opened fire under cover of which the infantry was advanced and attacked the Confederate position and after a contest lasting seven hours recaptured the works. Many prisoners and over 5,000 small arms were captured. In the afternoon the Corps was in readiness to move.
July 4 Gen. Slocum in the morning advanced with a detachment of Ruger's Division and a battery and found that the Confederates in front had retired.
Casualties Killed 18 Officers 186 Men. Wounded 43 Officers 769 Men. Captured or Missing 2 Officers 64 Men. Total 1082.
There are nine different variations of similar monuments (not including the inverted canons which signal headquarters) for the various Confederate States & Union brigades/batteries/divisions which fought at Gettysburg. Many of the tablets are made of granite, bronze and concrete. Some are made of all iron (position tablets). All of these tablets were designed by architect E.B. Cope. He designed pretty much every tablet for both the Union and Confederate armies, each one distinct, with aforementioned varieties. The monuments were erected just after the turn of the century, continuing to the first couple of years of the second decade (1912 the latest) of the 20th century. Most been preserved (waxing or power washed) or restored since the turn of the 21st century.
Information about these specific types of monuments
Corps Headquarters Markers
Corps markers are similar to division monuments but they have scrolls at the top (instead of completely rectangular) and are missing those Union Corp designs at the top. A Union corps or service branch symbol is inset inside the top curve or scroll of the Union monuments. Confederate monuments are labelled "Army of Northern Virginia" at the top of the tablet. There are three Confederate and nine Union corps headquarters at Gettysburg; the Union Artillery Reserve is treated as a corps (the first exception). I found other exceptions to this identification rule at the Peach Orchard where the two markers to the 1st and 2nd Divisions of the Union 3rd Army Corps as well as the Artillery Brigade are of Corps marker design. SOURCE & SOURCE
The Army of The Potomac, 12th Corps Tablet is a contributing feature to the Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District which is nationally significant under NR Criteria A, B, C & D. Areas of Significance: Military, Politics/Government, Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Archeology-Historic. Period of Significance: 1863-1938. The original National Register Nomination was approved by the Keeper March 19, 1975. An update to this nomination was approved by the Keeper on January 23, 2004. The tablet is designated as contributing structure number MN424.
From the nomination form:
Short Physical Description:
Rough-hewn monolith, 4'2"x2'4"x7'H. Bronze inscription tablet, 3'7"x4'1", mounted on finished face of monolith. Star Corps Badge incorporated in center top of tablet.
Long Physical Description
Located S side of Slocum Ave, Culp's Hill.
My Sources
1.
Draw the Sword
2.
NRHP Narrative
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Historical Marker Database
5.
Stone Sentinels