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 (1863) Battle of Gettysburg
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Gregory C. White
Canton GA USA
Posts: 381
Joined: 2004
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/12/2023 11:17:28 AM
According to my copy of "Regimental Strengths and Losses at Gettysburg" by
John W. Busey & David G. Martin, 4th Edition (2005), the 1st Division (Barlow's)
of the XI Corps incurred 1,306 losses (122 killed; 677 wounded; 509 missing/wounded)
or 52.6% of its strength during the 3-day battle. (pp.462, 463. 468).

The majority of Barlow's casualties were incurred the afternoon of July 1st
north of town on Blocher's Knoll.

Can anyone recommend to me a book or magazine article that gives an estimate
or approximation of Barlow's casualties for July 1st?

Any suggestions would be tremendously appreciated!

Best Regards,

Greg C. White

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“Any society which suppresses the heritage of its conquered minorities, prevent their history, and denies them their symbols, has sown the seeds of its destruction.” Sir William Wallace, 1280 A.D.
Phil Andrade
London  UK
Posts: 6378
Joined: 2004
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/12/2023 5:28:12 PM
Hi Greg,

On my shelves I have John Busey’s These Honored Dead, which names more than five thousand union dead from Gettysburg, by state and regiment, giving details in most cases of the date of death, whether killed outright ( sixty percent), or died of wounds(forty percent).

I’ll take a look at the regiments in Barlow’s division, and see if it gives answers for you.

It will provide the total mortality only, and how many more were surviving wounded, and the total number of prisoners, will be largely guesswork .

Surely, the vast majority of the thirteen hundred casualties were victims of the first day. Well over a thousand, I’d say.

Editing: according to Busey These Honored Dead the eight infantry regiments of Barlow’s division lost 121 killed and 75 died from wounds, a total of 196 fatalities. Of these he attributes 160 to the fighting of 1 July. The prisoners must have been even more heavily represented by the rout of the first day of the battle ; 500 might be a fair reckoning.
Of the six hundred surviving wounded, five hundred might also have been hit on Day One. Looks like somewhere between eleven and twelve hundred casualties for that day, although that’s a tad too much like guesswork.

Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!" "That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress." Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
mikecmaps
CAMARILLO CA USA
Posts: 213
Joined: 2020
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/12/2023 9:17:51 PM

10122023 6.13p

Greg & Phil,

I would also tend to say many more losses on the first day.
But one data source puts that into some question?

The unit history for 153rd PA
History of the One hundred and fifty-third regiment Pennsylvania volunteers infantry
which was recruited in Northampton County, Pa., 1862-1863. Written by Rev. W. R. Kiefer. Assisted by Newton H. Mack

Gives 1st day P85; mia not given
k9+w79= 88 [mia about 33-34] tt 122 [34=38% 88]

P275 gettysburg total loss
Kia 31; WIA 147; mia 68 [capt54, msg 14; dow 16] tot 246 (busey 211)

Mia 38% [68/[31+147] [note total bdg mia 44% of KW; Total div mia 64%]

2nd day kia 22 = 31-9; wia 68 = 147-79; mia 34; total 2nd 124

One major adjustment may be to revise the mia. Since 1st day 11th made rapid withdrawl, more missing may be reasonable. suggesting maybe 2:1 or maybe even 3:1 1st vs 2nd
1st day mia 45: 2nd 23 @2:1;; 1st day mia 51: 2nd 17 @3:1;;

Adjusted total 1st day 133 ;; 2nd 113 @2:1 mia;;
Adjusted total 1st day 139 ;; 2nd 107 @3:1 mia;;
Busey total for 153rd 1st day 497 men

Fox gives 153rd total loss at Gbg k23, w142, m46 total 211
28% KW missing

Also note the 41stny not present on the 1st day 218 men; 75 loss day 2.(arrived evening 7/1)
Coddington p697 n26; OR v27 pt 1 p713; pt2 493

“an estimate or approximation of Barlow's casualties for July 1st?
Any suggestions would be tremendously appreciated!”
If none of this helps I am so sorry.
And sorry for any typos or bad math ☹

Yours Mike_C
mikecmaps

You can check my work at:
https://books.google.com/books?id=LRFCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=History+of+the+One+hundred+and+fifty-third+regiment+Pennsylvania+volunteers+infantry&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwissq_ixfGBAxWYJ0QIHbnjC4kQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=History%20of%20the%20One%20hundred%20and%20fifty-third%20regiment%20Pennsylvania%20volunteers%20infantry&f=false

Not the best Regt history; lots of general narrative copied from various sources but not bad

Phil Andrade
London  UK
Posts: 6378
Joined: 2004
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/13/2023 4:41:06 AM
Greg and Mike,

A good source is Gettysburg Then and Now, by Vanderslice, written in the later 1890s.

For Barlow’s Division on Day One the figures are:

54th NY , 54 killed and wounded and 48 missing, total 102.

153rd Pa 165 killed and wounded and 46 missing, total 211.

17th Conn, 101 killed and wounded and 96 missing, total 197.

25th Ohio, 109 killed and wounded and 75 missing, total 184.

75th Ohio, 90 killed and wounded and 96 missing, total 186.

107th Ohio, 134 killed and wounded and 77 missing, total 211.

Aggregate : 653 killed and wounded and 438 missing, total 1,091.

David G. Martin, Gettysburg July 1, in Appendix 11, cites Vanderslice as an authority, but increases the figure for Barlow’s Division on 1 July only to 107 killed, 619 wounded and 505 missing, raising the total to 1,231. Remember his figure for killed does not include mortally wounded.

Busey gives the most thorough investigation, giving details of age, place of birth and even details of nature of wounds, and I reckon his attribution of 160 killed and mortally wounded for that day is the best we can aspire to, implying a figure closer to Martin’s than to Vanderslice’s .

Editing: more details about Busey’s rendition ,

41st NY : 15 killed, 7 mortally wounded.
None of these attributable to 1 July.

54th NY : 4 killed, 3 mortally wounded. Three of these attributable to 1 July.

68th NY: 12 killed, 1 mortally wounded. All attributable to 1 July.

153rd Pa : 29 killed, 23 mortally wounded. Fifty attributable to 1 July.

17th Conn : 26 killed, 14 mortally wounded. Thirty three attributable to 1 July.

25th Ohio: 16 killed, 4 mortally wounded.
Seventeen attributable to 1 July.

75th Ohio: 24 killed, 13 mortally wounded.
Twenty six attributable to 1 July.

107th Ohio: 21 killed, 24 mortally wounded. Thirty four attributable to 1 July.
An embarrassing disparity here compared with what I wrote earlier! I must do another audit…. but the preponderance of 1 July is very apparent.

Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!" "That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress." Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
mikecmaps
CAMARILLO CA USA
Posts: 213
Joined: 2020
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/13/2023 10:21:43 AM


Phil & Greg,

Phil, Good Job, Good data.

Yours Mike_C
mikecmaps
Phil Andrade
London  UK
Posts: 6378
Joined: 2004
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/13/2023 10:34:26 AM
Quote:


Phil & Greg,

Phil, Good Job, Good data.

Yours Mike_C
mikecmaps


Mike_C,

It would have been even better if I’d got the arithmetic correct !

I need better spectacles !

Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!" "That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress." Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
Lew & Ginny Gage
Cornish NH USA
Posts: 137
Joined: 2006
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/21/2023 4:38:35 PM
My husband had an ancestor with the 17th CT who was mortally wounded on July 1 and died on July 5, I believe. Fortunately, his family was able to come down to Gettysburg and bring his body back home to Danbury, CT, where he is buried. My husband and I visited his burial place once.

Ginny Gage
Phil Andrade
London  UK
Posts: 6378
Joined: 2004
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/23/2023 4:07:11 AM
Hi Lew and Ginny,

In Busey’s compendium there is a citation for Sgt Augustus Bronson, Co.C, wounded 1 July, died 5 July, resided at Danbury.

Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!" "That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress." Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
Lew & Ginny Gage
Cornish NH USA
Posts: 137
Joined: 2006
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/26/2023 6:08:45 PM
Hi Phil,

I just looked through some of my Bronson records, and yes, he did die on July 5. Somewhere I have more information, but, of course, at the moment, I cannot find it.

Thank you!

Ginny
Lew & Ginny Gage
Cornish NH USA
Posts: 137
Joined: 2006
Gettysburg Casualties of Barlow's Division, XI Corps
10/27/2023 1:00:45 PM
I found his military records! Definitely says he died July 5 of wounds rec'd July 1st. He enlisted on July 22, 1862 at the age of 26 in Danbury, CT. He was a teacher. Not married.

Ginny

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