Rose Hill Manor

Rose Hill Manor was the final home of Maryland's first governor, Thomas Johnson. During the Army of the Potomac's stay near Frederick, its large Artillery Reserve occupied these grounds. Created after the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, 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, while its wagons carried extra artillery ammunition. During the Gettysburg Campaign, the reserve consisted of some 19 batteries with 110 cannons and hundreds of attendant vehicles. At full strength, a single battery used 100 horses, so the reserve's batteries alone required nearly 2,000 animals, with dozens more needed to pull its wagons. On June 30, 2,745 men were present for duty with the Artillery Reserve, and such a large organization would have occupied much of the ground 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, and the reserve helped slow and repulse Confederate attacks on July 2 and blasted Gen. James Longstreet's frontal attack, later misnamed Pickett's Charge, on July 3.

Frederick, Maryland · United States