MICHIGAN MEN AT GETTYSBURG (John F. Parker) by Pam Rutledge Links by Valerie Huggler
Around ninety summers ago, two farmers from Flint would sometimes take a break from their chores and share a moment at the fence talking about the most important battle of the Civil War - Gettysburg. One of the farmers was John F. Parker, who felt strongly about the 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment's role in the war. John joined the regiment in August of 1862 at the age of 20, leaving behind his life as a Michigan farmer. The 16th Michigan regiment was part of the Third Brigade, with regiments from New York, Pennsylvania and Maine. Parker had seen his teen-age brother, Hollis, who also joined the army that summer, die of disease. Parker himself had been wounded during the savage Wilderness Campaign. Parker had also been there, three miles south of Gettysburg on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, when the 16th Michigan rushed to a rocky hill called Little Round Top, on the extreme left of the Union's battle line.
It began on July 1, 1863, when the 16th regiment marched from Maryland into Pennsylvania to meet other Union forces at Gettysburg. Parker told his family later how impressed he was by the beautiful Pennsylvania country, but it was hard to enjoy the landscape as they marched mile after mile into the night. Just before daylight, about three miles outside of Gettysburg, they rested. July 2 was dawning, the day the men of the 16th Michigan and the men of Third Brigade would find themselves in battle. The early afternoon was uneventful. At about 3 p.m. the regiment received orders to lead the entire army corps out of the hills to support the front-line troops in the woods in front of the Confederate guns. If they did, they would almost certainly beat the Union troops by firing down on them from the hill. As the Confederate fire raged, Gen. Gouverneur Warren saw that Little Round Top was undefended, and that the Confederates were coming to take it. Lieutenant Graham, in charge of the Third Brigade, gave the orders for the men to change direction. They rushed back down a country lane, crossed a field and started up the rocky hill to get into position before the rebels got there.
As shells burst around them, the Union troops formed a line across the southwest slope of Little Round Top, with the 16th Michigan about 60 feet from the top on a rocky shelf. General Warren told the brigade commander not to give up the hill. "Hold this point at all hazards, if you have to sacrifice every man of the Third Brigade," Warren said. Parker testified that they arrived none too soon, for the Confederates were then climbing, hand over hand, clutching rock and roots, forcing their way up the hill. The battle was bloody as they struggled with bayonet and clubbed muskets. Parker said the fighting was so fierce that they could not spare men to take the wounded off the field. As both sides sought to kill as many of the enemy as possible, a cry ran through the Union line: "The ammunition is out." Far down the hillside, an officer named Joshua Chamberlain from the 20th Maine regiment decided the only thing to do was to charge down the hill. "...the grim and smoke-blackened Union troops grasped their muskets and with flashing bayonets charged the foe down the rocky and torn side of the hill," the state history of the 16th Michigan says.
The enemy received the charge at first, then wavered, and at last broke in confusion. The Union reinforcements were in place and the Confederate division was defeated, with a loss of five hundred prisoners and over 1,000 guns. Though Parker was wounded, he said that those who survived the battle thanked God that they had been spared. He recalls that they felt around in the darkness for the wounded on the rocky mountain side and congratulated each other that they were alive. Today, on the southwest face of the hill is a 5 1/2-foot granite stone to the 16th Michigan Infantry. Carved on the stone is a musket and a wreath, with a bronze Michigan coat of arms in the center. John F. Parker, corporal in the 16th Michigan infantry, later watched as Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House. He returned to Genesee County after the war and bought a new farm in Clayton Township; he married and had a family for the remaining twenty years of his life. He is buried in Bendle Cemetery, a small graveyard in the township.
1. How many years ago did the battle of Little Round Top occur? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
2. What regiment was John F. Parker in? what brigade? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
3. Study the different events in John Parker's life and determine how you believe the events affected his ability to fight in the war. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
4. Was the battle for Little Round Top a significant battle considering the entire Civil War? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
5. Was John Parker a honorable soldier? What makes a soldier honorable? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
"MICHIGAN MEN AT GETTYSBURG (John F. Parker)" Outline
I. Intro John F. Parker
A. Joined in August of 1862
1. age of 20
2. leaving behind his farm
B. Joined the 16th Michigan regiment (part of the Third Brigade)
C. Brother, Hollis, died earlier of disease
D. Parker was wounded earlier during Wilderness Campaign
II. Little Round Top
A. Setting
1. July 1, 1863
2. march from Maryland to Pennsylvania
B. July 2
1. received orders to support front-line troops
2. sight of undefended Little Round Top
3. formation of a line on southwest slope
4. bloody battle
5. ammunition runs out
6. orders to charge down the hill
7. Victory
a. 500 prisoners
b. greater than 1000 arms
C. Conclusion
1. monument
a. Michigan coat of arms
b. musket and wreath
2. John F. Parker
a. was wounded
b. watched as Lee surrendered
c. bought a new farm, married, died
Answers to Questions:
1. 1995- 132 years ago battle began July 2, 1863
2. 16th Michigan Regiment Third Brigade
3. answers will vary
4. Yes, Little Round Top was considered one of the most important battles of the war.
5. answers will vary
Source: FLINT JOURNAL, Sunday June 27th, 1993. section G; page 1,4