The 140th Pennsylvania Infantry served as a member of Zook’s Brigade in Caldwell’s Division of the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, A Fighting 300 Regiment. The 140th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry served in the Eastern Theater. The regiment was recruited in late 1862, and fought from the Battle of Chancellorsville through the war until the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House. It losses during the war were among the highest of any Union regiment. The volunteer regiment was commanded by Colonel Richard P. Roberts (1820-1863). Roberts was a lawyer in Beaver, PA before the war and was killed in action on July 2, here at Gettysburg. Under Roberts' command, the regiment had 590 men engaged at Gettysburg and among them, 37 were killed, 144 were wounded and 60 went missing.
The 140th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument is located on Sickles Avenue, on the left or west side when traveling north. The sculpture is located just above the very obvious loop at on Stony Hill. Parking is available at small, cutout shoulders along the road, some wide, some narrow. Be sure to stay off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 2:35 P.M. I was at an elevation of 588 feet, ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.
The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: Granite monument with bronze trophy of crossed muskets and infantry accouterments on the front. The top of the monument has a pediment shape with bronze state seal. Granite monument has rough hewn sides with a gable top that has brackets on the east side and sets on a 6.6×5.4 foot rough hewn base. Overall height is eleven foot. The monument has a bronze state seal, crossed musket, and infantry accouterments on the east side and inscriptions on the west. Flanking markers have flat tops with inscriptions, one foot square. The monument marks the position where the 52nd New York Infantry drove back, with the Brigade, 1500-2000 Confederates on July 2, 1863.
The monument was erected on September 11, 1889 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The monument is composed of: Sculpture: Sculpture: granite; Base: granite with bronze relief. The granite monument's dimensions are: Sculpture: approx. 15 ft. 7 in.; Base: approx. W. 6 ft. 4 in. x D. 6 ft. 4 in. The monument was fabricated P. F. Eisenbrown & Sons. There are inscriptions incised on all four sides of the granite, all of which read:
(Front):140th Penna
Infantry.
3rd Brig. 1st Div. 2d corps.
The regiment engaged
the enemy on this
position late in the
afternoon of July 2d
succeeding 5th Corps
troops and holding the
right of the 1st Division
2d Corps. Supported
battery on left centre
July 3rd.
Present at Gettysburg 589 officers and men
Killed and died of wounds, 3 officers 50 men
Wounded 8 officers 120 men
Captured or missing 3 officers 57 men
Total 241.
(Left):Recruited in
Washington, Beaver, Greene,
and Mercer Counties
Mustered in August & September 1862
Mustered out May 31st 1865.
(Back):Chancellorsville. - Petersburg.
Gettysburg. - Strawberry Plains.
Bristoe Station. - Deep Bottom.
Mine Run. - Reams' Station.
Wilderness. - Hatcher's Run.
Spotsylvania. - Boydton Road.
North Anna. - Sutherland Station.
Totopotomy. - Sailor's Creek.
Cold Harbor. - Farmville.
Appomattox.
(Right):Total Enrollment 1146.
Killed and died of wounds 10 officers 176 men.
Died of disease etc. 1 officer 131 men.
Wounded 18 officers 354 men.
Captured or missing 5 officers 122 men.
Total 817.
The 140th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument 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 monument is identified as structure number MN164-B.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 110 mns in Park honoring PA troops in Gettysburg Campaign. Marks position of 140 PA on pm of July 2, 1863 when it rushed foward to assist V Corps troops here & engaged the advancing enemy. Located on W side of Sickles at Loop.
Short Physical Description:
Mn & 2 flank markers. Rough-hewn base 6'4" sq; shaft 3'7" sq. All 15'7"H. Shaft topped with sculpture of regimental accoutrements, raised inscription panels on all sides, reliefs of rifles & accoutrements & bronze state seal on E. side. Flanks 1'x1'x2', apex tops w/ inscriptions.
Long Physical Description:
Monument that has two flanking markers. Monument is a 3.7 foot square granite shaft topped with a sculpture of regimental accoutrements set on a 6.4 foot square rough hewn base. Overall height is 15.7 foot. The shaft has inscription panels on all sides, and reliefs of rifles and accoutrements as well as a bronze state seal on the east side. Flanking markers are one foot square with apex tops that contain inscriptions. Located on the west side of Sickles at the Loop.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
SIRIS
3.
Stone Sentinels
4.
Virtual Gettysburg
5.
Draw the Sword
6.
Historical Marker Database
7.
140th PVI Site
8.
Wikipedia