Rose Hill Manor
Union Artillery Reserve
You are on the grounds of Rose Hill Manor, the final home of Maryland's first governor, Thomas Johnson. During its stay near Frederick, the Army of the Potomac's large Artillery Reserve occupied these grounds. Created after the Battle of Chancellorsville, Va., in early May 1863, and commanded by Brig. Gen. Robert O. Tyler, the Artillery Reserve was an independent grouping of batteries that could be rushed to reinforce or replace divisional batteries during battle or to strengthen threatened portions of the army's line. The reserve's wagons also carried extra artillery ammunition.
Some 19 batteries including 110 cannons and hundreds of attendant vehicles made up the Artillery Reserve during the Gettysburg Campaign. At full strength, a single battery used 100 horses, so the reserve's batteries alone required nearly 2,000 animals, and dozens more were needed to pull its wagons. On June 30, 2,745 men were present for duty with the Artillery Reserve. Such a large organization would have occupied much of the ground before you - and left behind a huge mess.
During the Battle of Gettysburg, Artillery Reserve ammunition wagons issued 19,189 rounds to its own batteries as well as to others in the army. The reserve took part in slowing and repulsing the Confederate attacks on July 2 and blasting Gen. James Longstreet's frontal attack (later misnamed Pickett's Charge) on July 3.
Marker can be reached from North Market Street (State Highway 355), on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
