September 22, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/22/2011
War-date Document Signed twice by Robert Bruce Ricketts, Captain of the 1st Pennsylvania Artillery, 22pp. folio, being the "Quarterly Return of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores, Received, issued and remaining on hand, in 'F' & 'G' Battery's 1st Reg't Pa R.V. Lt. Artillery, Commanded by Capt. R.B. Ricketts During the Quarter ending 30th June, 1863." With attached letter by Captain Ricketts, dated September 30, 1864, listing several items that were dropped by mistake from the return. The return lists the batteries as having 6 "3-inch wrought [iron] guns, model 1861." as well as the carriages, artillery implements and equipments, and the case and canister shot for the guns used at the Battle of Gettysburg. Ricketts' battery was - beginning on May 13, 1863 - in the third volunteer brigade of the Reserve Artillery under Captain James F. Huntington. Battery G, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery, was attached to Ricketts' battery a few weeks before the Battle of Gettysburg, on June 1, 1863. This merger was resented until gunners from Battery G were permitted to form a section of the consolidated battery. This merger took place while the army was marching north in pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia, beginning on May 15. Ricketts' battery arrived in Gettysburg on the Taneytown Road on the morning of July 2, 1863 and replaced Capt James H. Cooper's Battery B, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery, on East Cemetery Hill about 4:00 PM. It was exposed to enfilade fire from Benner's Hill and Seminary Ridge. Around nightfall, two Confederate brigades from the division of Major General Jubal Early attacked the hill. It broke the thin Union front line at the foot of the hill in two places. In other places they were repelled. Some Confederates reached the top of the hill, and one group attacked the left of Ricketts' battery, trying to spike the guns. The fight for the guns became hand to hand, but the Confederates were unable to capture the whole battery. Eventually Union reinforcements from the II Corps brigade of Col Samuel S. Carroll drove the Confederates down hill. A monument to the battery stands in the general location of their fight.
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.