Pennsylvania monuments at Antietam
The Philadelphia Brigade Monument at Antietam is in Philadelphia Brigade Park west of the Hagerstown Turnpike. (Philadelphia Brigade Park tour map) It was dedicated on September 17, 1896.
The granite obelisk is the tallest monument at Antietam, standing 73 feet high. In 1895 when the Philadelphia Brigade Association was planning to place monuments for its four regiments at Antietam, Battlefield Board President Major George B. Davis instead recommended one large monument to the brigade. The Association then bought 11 acres of land from farmer George Poffenberger which they developed into a park with gates and benches. After several years of maintenance problems the park was sold to the National Park Service in 1940 for $1.
The 69th, 71st, 72nd and 106th Pennsylvania are also honored with individual monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield.
About The Philadelphia Brigade
The Philadelphia Brigade was the only brigade in the Union Army named after a city (although unofficially; officially it was the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps). It was made up of four regiments, the 69th, 71st, 72nd, and 106th Pennsylvania Infantry. The brigade was commanded at Antietam by Brigadier General Oliver O. Howard until he took over division command from the wounded General Sedgwick. Colonel Joshua T. Owen of the 69th Pennsylvania then took over command of the brigade as senior colonel.
Colonel Isaac Wistar commanded the 71st Pennsylvania until he was wounded; Captain Richard P. Smith assumed command until he, too was wounded, and finally Captain Enoch E. Lewis took over the regiment. The 72nd Pennsylvania was commanded by Colonel DeWitt C. Baxter, and the 106th Pennsylvania by Colonel Turner G. Morehead, both of whom survived the battle unscathed.
Text from around the base of the monument:
Army of the Potomac
Second Corps
Second Division
Second Brigade
Text from the west face:
The Philadelphia Brigade Organization
69th – 71st – 72nd – 106th
Regiments of
Pennsylvania Infantry
Text from the north face:
The Philadelphia Brigade
was mustered into the
U.S. Service in 1861
under the first call for
300,000 three year volunteers
Total enrollment 1861 – 1865
5320 men
Text from the south face:
The Philadelphia Brigade
took part in the operations
battles and skirmishes
of the Army of the Potomac
from Balls Bluff to Appomattox
during term of service 1861 – 1865
Total Loss 3409 men
Text from the east face:
The Philadelphia Brigade
fought here
September 17, 1862
Loss – 545 men
Location of the monument
The monument to the Philadelphia Brigade is north of Sharpsburg in Philadelphia Brigade Park west of the Hagerstown Pike about 0.4 mile north of the Vsitor Center.
See more on the history of the Philadelphia Brigade regiments in the Civil War:
69th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment
71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment
72nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment
106th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment