Union officers at Gettysburg Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gen. Solomon Meridith

Gen. Solomon Merideth was the brigade commander of the 1st brigade in the 1st corps. He did not serve as a division commander at Gettysburg. His division commander was Gen. James Wadsworth. While Gen. Abner Doubleday replaced Gen. John Reynolds after his death, Doubleday was soon returned to division commander and was replaced by Gen. John Newton.

Answer: Col. Patrick Kelly

Col. Patrick Kelly commanded the 2nd brigade of 1st division in Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock's 2nd Corps during the Battle of Gettysburg. The brigade is morw widely referred to as the "Irish Brigade".

Answer: Gen. Daniel Butterfield

Gen. Daniel Butterfield had served as Chief of Staff under Meade's predecessor Gen. Joseph Hooker. Since Meade was new to overall command of the Army of the Potomac, he kept Butterfield on his staff. Butterfield was wounded on July 3, 1863 when a spent shell hit Meade's headquarters and Meade relieved him from his staff position less than two weeks later.

Answer: Gen. George Meade

New to command, Gen George Meade gave this order as a means of letting his army know that he was in control and determined to be a good commander. Meade also wanted his army to perform well since Pennysylvania was his "home state".

Answer: Gen. John Reynolds

Gen. John Reynolds declined command of the army after the battle of Chancellorsville becuase he did not want the war department dictacting his actions from afar, among other reasons. Reynolds was killed very early on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Answer: Lt. Bayard Wilkeson

The son of "New York Times" war correspondent Samuel Wilkeson, Lt. Bayard Wilkeson was commanding a battery of artillery on Barlow's Knoll on July 1, 1863, when he was struck in the leg by a Confederate shell. Wilkeson fashioned a makeshift tourniquet and amputated his dangling limb with his pocket knife. Propped up against a tree, he continued to give orders until his position was overrun.

He died from his wound later that evening. Also, that evening his father, who was travelling with Gen. Meade, arrived on the battlefield only to be greeted with the news that his eldest son was dead.

Answer: Gen. Alexander Schimmelfennig

While retreating through Gettysburg, Gen. Alexander Schimmelfennig became separated from his troops. Trying to escape on Baltimore Street, he ran down an alley next to the Anna Garlich house. At the end of the alley, he was forced to jump a fence and hide in a shed where the Garlich family kept their pig. With Gettysburg under Confederate occupation, Schimmelfennig was forced to remain in the shed for the duration of the battle to avoid being captured.

Answer: Blocher's Knoll

The land that Gen. Barlow occupied was part of the Blocher farm and subsequently known as Blocher's Knoll. Even though he showed great bravery in trying to defend the knoll Barlow was not successful in stopping the Confederates, but he did gain time for Union troops to occupy and fortify Cemetary Hill as a line of defense.

Answer: False

Gen. John Newton was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He remained loyal to the Union and was chosen to replace Doubleday because he was next in line behind Doubleday. The reason Doubleday was relieved of corps command stemmed from a feud he had with Union commander Gen. George Meade and erronious reports given about his battlefield conduct on July 1, 1863 by Gen. Oliver O. Howard.

Answer: 10

Ten of the officers that served as Union corps commanders during the Battle of Gettysburg actually graduated from West Point Military Academy. They were (1) Gen. John Reynolds, (2) Gen. Abner Doubleday, (3) Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, (4) Gen. John Gibbon, (5) Gen. William Hays, (6) Gen. George Sykes, (7) Gen. John Sedgwick, (8) Gen. Oliver O. Howard, (9) Gen. John Newton and (10) Gen.

Henry Slocum. The officers that commandeded a corps during the battle that did not attend West Point were Gen. Daniel Sickles (III corps), Gen. David Birney (III corps), Gen. Carl Shurz (XI corps), and Gen. Alpheus Williams (XII corps).

Answer: 3

Three Union officers that served as corps commanders at the Battle of gettysburg were born in Confederate states. Gen. John Newton and Gen. william hays were born in Virginia. Gen. David Birney was born in Alabama. One union corps commander, Gen. Carl Schurz, was born in Germany.

Answer: False

Though his family was from Pennsylvania, Meade was born in Spain while his father was serving the U.S. in that country.

Answer: Gen. John Geary

Gen. John Geary, who saw action mainly on Culp's Hill became the governor of Pennsylvania after the Civil War. Prior to the Civil War, Geary had served as the mayor of San Francisco, California.

Answer: Gen. Elon Farnsworth

Gen Elon Farnsworth was ordered by his superior officer, Gen. Judson Kilpatrick to attack the Confederate positions near Little Round Top and Devil's Den when he was struck by multiple bullets and killed. Pickett's Charge had already been repulsed, and Farnsworth was attempting to drive the rest of the Confederate troops back to Seminary Ridge.

Answer: 7

Seven Union officers commanded the battlefield at Gettysburg at one point on July 1, 1863. The first was Gen. John Buford, who decided to make a stand and try to hold the Confederates from occupying Gettysburg. Gen. John Reynolds arrived next and took command before being killed.

After Reynolds' death, command was passed to the next senior officer on the field at that time, Gen. Abner Doubleday. Gen. Oliver O Howard arrived on the field and being senior to Doubleday, he took command. In the meantime, upon hearing of the battle, army commander Gen. George Meade sent Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock to Gettysburg to command on his behalf.

When evening came and Hancock (aided by Howard) had the Union Army in a defensive position, Gen. Henry Slocum arrived on the field. Hancock passed command on to Slocum since Slocum was his superior. Just before midnight, Meade himself arrived and took command which he held throughout the battle.