Devil's Den, Gettysburg

1863 On July 1, 1863, 75,000 men of the Army of Northern Virginia led by Confederate General Robert E. Lee collided in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with Union General George Meade leading 95,000 men of the Army of the Potomac. The three-day battle produced 51,000 casualties. On the second day of the battle, fighting took place among a large jumble of boulders known as "Devil's Den." The photo depicting the battle's aftermath has been attributed to both Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner. An 1865 article in the Atlantic Monthly described the photograph as having been taken one day after the battle. In reality, the photograph was one of seven taken by Peter S. Weaver on November 11, 1863 -- four months after the battle. In several of the other photographs, the "dead" soldiers can be seen in different locations and posing in very much alive. In the upper right Little Round Top can be seen with the "Valley of Death" below it. The northern edge of the "Slaughter Pen" can seen in the center right. (Only four known photographs of Gettysburg are known to have existed prior to the battle. Although this image is staged, it is the first known to include both Devil's Den and Little Round Top. Since President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address only eight days after the photo was taken, it can be speculated that Mr. Weaver hoped to capitalize on the occassion by marketing copies of the images at the event.)

1997
The boulders of Devil's Den remain as they were in 1863. The tranquil scene of tourists visiting the battlefield provides a stark contrast to the earlier image. Today, a portion of the Slaughter Pen serves as a parking lot for visitors to allow easy access to Devil's Den. Monuments of the battle can be seen on Little Round Top in the distance and just beyond the boulders. The modern roads to the right, and those which exist throughout the battlefield, were created early in the 20th century and meant to follow the battlelines of 1863.


The price for this set of images shipped via Priority Mail is $199.00 (Virginia residents add 4.5% sales tax, totaling $207.96).

This is the total price and includes both 8"x10" images, matting, framing, shipping, handling and insurance.

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