Download Talmadge Wood

Honoring Veterans
Yesterday & Today
By:Niall Johnson
Name: Wood, Talmadge
Hometown: Stanfordville
War: Civil War
Dates of Service:1862-1863
Entrance to Service: Enlisted October 11th ,1862
Branch: Union Army
Unit:150th New York
Service Location: Pennsylvania, New York
Campaign: Gettysburg
Battle: Culps Hill
Rank:Private
Bio: Pvt. Wood enlisted in Stanfordville, NY on October 11th, 1862 to serve 3 years. He
was mustered out with Company C of the 150th NY. The first major engagement the
150th saw was the battle of Gettysburg. General Lee of the Confederate army set out
on the attack with the intention of capturing the Union capitol of Washington. General
Meade of the Union army and his army met Lee in a little town called Gettysburg where
a small detachment of the rebel army had come in search of boots. As Confederates
pushed through the town the Union army fell back into a defensive position in the shape
of a hook to the east of the town with the far right of the Union army entrenched on a hill
called Culps hill. While the far left of the Union army was entrenched on a small hill
called Little Round top. During the first day ,The Confederate General James
Longstreet launched a heavy assault on the right flank of the Union line in an attempt to
push the right back and capture a main Union supply line.(Artist’s rendition of Culps Hill)
.ht
tp://www.angelfire.com/ny4/djw/150th.gettysburg.html
The soldiers of the 12th Corps,1st division, 2nd Brigade, 150th NY Company C were
positioned on Culp's hill and faced relentless fighting. This was a unit which had never
seen battle before and was now in the heart of it. The men stayed cool under heavy fire
and returned fire as quickly as they could . A private from Company I was the first death
http://www.johnpaulstrain.com/art/soul-of-a-lion.htm
The Union army held again . Finally Lee, running out of options sent the newly arrived
13,000 troops of General George Pickett to cross a mile long open field to attack the
Union center on cemetery ridge . Lee believed that the Union would expect another
attack on the flank and would be weak in the center. Lee ordered an artillery
bombardment on the Union center and a diversion by Longstreet at Culp’s Hill to ensure
his success. Except Longstreet's attack went too early and was repulsed before Pickets
attack started and the artillery bombardment was minimally effective due to a lack of
ammunition and the fact that the Confederate gunners were shooting too high. Even still
Lee ordered the attack still believing he would succeed. It was a slaughter.
http://rare.us/story/gettysburg-at-150-the-story-of-picketts-charge/
The Union predicted Lee’s attack,outnumbered the Confederates, and still had a
virtually undamaged cannon battery which fired devastating grape shot and canister into
the advancing troops. The Confederate army only broke the Union line in one place
and the hole was quickly filled. The Confederate army lost over 50% while the Union
lost close to 1,500. After such a devastating loss, Lee retreated back to Virginia and
was not pursued by Meade. Due to the great and ultimate sacrifices from men such as
Talmadge Wood, the Union won the Battle of Gettysburg and eventually went on to win
the war. The 150th went on to be apart of Shermans March to the Atlantic and was
mustered out June, 8th 1865.