Cumberland Township near Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Capturing the Carnage

— Gettysburg National Military Park —

Photographed By Karl Stelly, March 4, 2022

1. Capturing the Carnage Marker

Inscription. On July 5, photographer and Scottish immigrant Alexander Gardner and his assistants, Timothy O'Sullivan and James Gibson, arrived at Gettysburg to document the carnage. Gardner's photographs of the Antietam Battlefield in 1862 had elicited strong emotional response from viewers. The Gettysburg aftermath would, undoubtedly, do the same. Here, at the 280-acre Rose Farm, between 6,000 and 7,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured on July 2. Gardner took approximately 20 images of dead soldiers lying across the battlefield. These graphic images stripped away the pageantry of warfare, replacing it with gritty realism and the true cost of battle.

(caption)
Alexander Gardner, seated, holding his camera lens, carried bulky cameras, glass photo plates, and chemicals neede to process photos in a darkroom wagon.

Erected 2022 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is July 5, 1863.

Location. 39° 47.745′ N, 77° 14.859′ W. Marker is near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. It is in Cumberland Township. Marker is on Brooke Avenue,

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

half a mile west of Sickles Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Located in the Rose Woods. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Kershaw's Brigade (a few steps from this marker); 145th Pennsylvania Infantry (within shouting distance of this marker); 27th Connecticut Infantry (within shouting distance of this marker); 27th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers Position (within shouting distance of this marker); 53rd Pennsylvania Infantry (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Semmes's Brigade (about 300 feet away); Fourth Brigade (about 300 feet away); 64th New York Infantry (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Old Marker At This Location titled "Images of Death".

Also see . . . Gettysburg National Military Park. National Park Service (Submitted on April 21, 2022.)

Photographed By Karl Stelly, March 4, 2022

2. Capturing the Carnage Marker

A wider view, showing a little of the surrounding area.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 12, 2022, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 12, 2022, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.