Big Round Top

Big Round Top is a boulder-strewn hill notable as the topographic high point of the Gettysburg Battlefield and for 1863 American Civil War engagements for which Medals of Honor were awarded. In addition to battle monuments, a historic postbellum structure on the uninhabited hill is the Big Round Top Observation Tower Foundation Ruin.

Geography

Big Round Top is the southern peak of the Gettysburg Battlefield and is within the area encompassed by a drainage depression (southeast, south), Plum Run (west, north), and the Crawford Avenue/Wright Avenue roadway (north, northeast). In addition to Little Round Top, adjacent battlefield locations ar
South Cavalry FieldSlyder Field
(west), Devil's Den (northwest) and the Valley of Death/Slaughter Pen (north).

The hill is the highest point of an Adams County dendritic ridge which Plum Run divides at Big Round Top (the drainage divide continues to the east). In addition to Little Round Top (650 ft.), nearby heights are Warfield Ridge (west), hills o
580 ft (southwest)
and 540 ft (northwest), and Houck Ridge (north-northwest); while Carr Hill (876 ft) is the nearest higher hill. Devil's Kitchen is rock formation and small cave on the lower slopes of Big Round Top.

History

The igneous hill was formed 200 million years ago when the outcrop of the Gettysburg sill intruded through the Triassic Gettysburg plain. Subsequent periglacial frost wedging during the Pleistocene formed the hill's extensive boulders. Early human activity included Indigenous people clearing an area
:c.
:d. o
the slope of Big Round Top
and established a burial ground about one mile southwes

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bYsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zeYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5731,2021535&dq=big-round-top+indian&hl=en] History of Pennsylvania#British colonial period, prior to the 1736 British purchase of the region.

Civil War

During the Battle of Gettysburg, Big Round Top's slope, timber, and boulders precluded placement of artillery on the summit. At various times during the 1863 battle, positions on Big Round Top formed the left flank of the Union defense. No fighting or other actions took place on Big Round Top on July 1.

;Battle of Gettysburg, second day: On July 2 when "''it was growing dark''", Big "''Round Top was still in '' he' possession of the '' onfederate' skirmishers, who were firing upon our men. It was important to hold this hill, as…it commanded…our line. I directed Colonel Fisher to occupy it at once. He immediately detached '' regiments', who advanced promptly, driving the enemy before them''" ( Crawford's report).

After 10 pm, Chamberlain's 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment occupied a Big Round Top summit position (the monument is on the north slope

In 1893, Joshua Chamberlain#Medal of Honor citation, Chamberlain was awarded a Medal of Honor for both "''carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top''" and "''holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults''" earlier in the day.

;Battle of Gettysburg, third day: The July 3 Wells cavalry charge advanced from the west to beyond the Big Round Top spur and engaged the rear of Law's Alabama regiments to carry the hill and earn Wells' 1891 Medal of Honor. (cited by Cross, pp. 44,60)

By September 1863, David McConaughy had begun to acquire a portion of Big Round Top for battlefield preservation. The Elon J. Farnsworth monument was erected before 1896 at the base of Big Round Top, and statues of William Wells (1931) and John Michael Tobin are also on the hill.

Postbellum

Kilpatrick Avenue had been completed at the west base of Big Round Top by 1895 when the gravel South Confederate Avenue was constructed across the northwest slope. (original formats
18951900190919121918
In 1903, Wright Avenue was constructed along the northeast slope, and in 1937, South Confederate Avenue and the Plum Run stone bridge were rebuil

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gYklAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ufIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1615,2571786&dq=south-confederate+gettysburg&hl=en] for the Great Reunion of 1913#Aftermath, 75th battle anniversary and reunion.

In 1940, Seminary Ridge CCC workers rerouted the stone trail to the Big Round Top summit.
:a. "''a deep, rocky depression separated it '' ittle Round Top' from the Great Round Top beyond. Into this depression Laws' brigade of Alabamians, supported by Robertson's Texans, had forced themselves and were advancing to the possession of Little Round Top.''"
:b. Harry Truman visited Big Round Top in 194

In 1964, the Big Round Top Nature Trail was created around the hill and provided access to the Devil's Kitche

The 1895 Big Round Top Observation Tower was dismantled in 1968 and the Big Round Top Observation Tower Foundation Ruin, foundation was named a historic ruin in 2004.

Observation Tower

Late in the day of July 3, Union brigadier general Judson Kilpatrick ordered the cavalry brigade of Brigadier General Elon Farnsworth to charge Confederate infantry of Major General John Bell Hood’s division who were on and near the slopes of Big Round Top. Hood had been wounded the previous day, and his division was under the command of Brigadier General Evander Law. One after another, three of the four regiments of Farnsworth’s brigade charged over broken ground into Confederate fire and were repulsed. The final regiment, the 1st Vermont, then made the attempt. Farnsworth divided it into three battalions and personally led the second battalion. The tower was built in the late 19th century. Fred Lyons of Baltimore led the construction team that moved the foundation's granite blocks to the Big Round Top summit using block and tackle driven by a 12-horsepower engine. Constructed on the Gettysburg Battlefield's highest hill, the Big Round Top tower was to be replaced for the 1938 anniversary reunion by a stone "Gettysburg Peace Memorial" with a 75-foot-high observation deck above the summit and a flame 30 feet higher.
:a.
:a. (The memorial was instead erected on Oak Hill.)

Destruction

During 1968 tower maintenance, the Schlesser Demolition Co dismantled the Big Round Top tower
:b.
:c.
:d.
:e.
as uneconomical due to "''its condition and the very limited use '' serpentine_trail..html" ;"title="Zig_zag_(railway).html" ;"title="ue to an uphill, lengthy, and serpentine_trail.">Zig_zag_(railway).html"_;"title="ue_to_an_uphill,_lengthy,_and_Zig_zag_(railway)">serpentine_trail.'_Most_who_started_the_climb_gave_out_en_route,_and_upon_reaching_the_tower_decided_against_continuing_the_climb_to_the_top_of_the_metal_observatory''"_(GNMP_Superintendent_George_F._ serpentine_trail.">Zig_zag_(railway).html"_;"title="ue_to_an_uphill,_lengthy,_and_Zig_zag_(railway)">serpentine_trail.'_Most_who_started_the_climb_gave_out_en_route,_and_upon_reaching_the_tower_decided_against_continuing_the_climb_to_the_top_of_the_metal_observatory''"_(GNMP_Superintendent_George_F._Emery_(name)">Emery)._The_foundation_ruin_(park_structure_RU05)_of_the_"national_landmark"_tower,_was_"entered-documented"_as_a_Property_type_(National_Register_of_Historic_Places)#Site.html" ;"title="Emery_(name).html" ;"title="Zig zag (railway)">serpentine trail.">Zig_zag_(railway).html" ;"title="ue to an uphill, lengthy, and Zig zag (railway)">serpentine trail.' Most who started the climb gave out en route, and upon reaching the tower decided against continuing the climb to the top of the metal observatory''" (GNMP Superintendent George F. Emery (name)">Emery). The foundation ruin (park structure RU05) of the "national landmark" tower, was "entered-documented" as a Property type (National Register of Historic Places)#Site">historic site on January 23, 2004. ERRATA: The Big Round Top tower was dismantled in 1968 -- it was the Zeigler's Grove/Bryan House tower that was razed in 196

(~3 weeks after the nearby observation deck on Richard Neutra's Cyclorama Building had been built during Mission 66 for the 1963 anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg).

See also

* Little Round Top
*Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District
* Gettysburg National Military Park
* Geography of Pennsylvania

References

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Hills of Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg National Military Park
Landforms of Adams County, Pennsylvania