Robinson's Division on Oak Ridge - Ranger John Hoptak

Union General John Robinson's troops fought a stubborn and bloody battle outside of Gettysburg on July 1st, 1863. Join Gettysburg National Military Park Ranger John Hoptak as he explores the story of Robinson's division and their tenacious stand on Oak Ridge at Gettysburg.

[@davidbowman4259]

One of my favorite Gettysburg rangers.

[@Rogijimbex]

Great presentation by John Hoptak. One of the best. It is also so good to see the video person actually panning to the areas he's pointing out. So much of the Stuffwriter video capture of these great presentations is either shooting in the sky or continually on the presenter. Rarely do we see the topography being pointed out. It's awful - this one is fantastic!

[@MrWestmarket39]

Hoptak is a top notch interpreter

[@standriggs2420]

... and author. His book on Gettysburg is the best concise overview I have read on the whole battle from end to end.

[@cammarks6599]

Absolutely excellent presentation. I learned a lot about this part of the battle, and about the 16th Maine, that I didn't know before. Thank You Ranger Hoptak.

[@r427985]

. ,,,.

[@garneroutlaw1]

Those Union boys fought like hell on day one and won that battle from the get go. Those divisions were so mauled they couldn't be used again on day 2 or 3

[@edwardyost915]

I have purchased Ranger walks from PCN and have also been thoroughly enjoying those that GetttysburgNPS has generously posted here. I love the 'smaller' stories of individual regiments, brigades and soldiers. Knowing the names, seeing the faces and hearing the back story of these smaller groups really brings it home and makes it personal, and it should be personal for every American. The only suggestion I might make is including, if at all possible, a small "you are here' map showing where on the battlefield the walk is taking place. I think it would be helpful for those who may know seminary and cemetery ridge and maybe little round top, but not the other locations on the battlefield like those of us who are Gettysburg geeks! Thanks so much for sharing the stories of these men who gave it all to determine the future of the US.

[@rickyriley9441]

My compliments to the rangers! I enjoy the park so much and the rangers add so much to the experience. I love these videos! may I suggest that you all add to the cards for all the parks, a complete series or set would be a real treasure, I know I would buy them and so would every one. It would be a great fund raiser.

[@EatMyEMPProduction]

Had a relative who fought died on Oak Ridge with the 16th Maine Infantry Company I Corporal George D Marston.

[@JBurn244]

I've watched a few of these programs (which are all excellent by the way) and it's nice to hear the rangers collectively try to do some myth debunking and push the significance of Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill over Little Round Top, stating the former as 'the key terrain' or 'the key point on the whole battlefield'. Jim Flook does a good job of it in his Cemetery Hill program, and even the Little Round Top programs I've watched are careful not to play into the whole 'the 20th Maine and Joshua Chamberlain saved the Union at Gettysburg' myth. Great job!

[@GettysburgNPS]

JBurn244 Thanks for the compliments and glad you're enjoying our digital programs. Our rangers have a fierce dedication to understanding primary sources and weaving a narrative that is compelling, but honest. We're pleased to hear they're getting it right!

[@davidc5877]

John Hoptak and Jim Flook are two of my favorites. Both very knowledgeable and give a great interpretation of the battles as well as the personal aspects that are so interesting. Phillip Brown is also very good. Wish we had more from these three.

[@crl624]

Great information, great visual picture for all of us who know that it will be unlikely that we will visit any of these battlefield due to circumstances beyond our control. However it would be nice if the presenter could speak in a normal tone using the microphone. Thanks.

[@mcrdl76]

Excellent presentation! I was just there last July for the 150th anniv,

[@cwb0051]

me too..it was Hot but wonderful, espically Pickets Charge..

[@cwb0051]

I was too, and it Was Awesome!

[@steed3902]

great presentation!

[@antoniomagana9135]

My ancestor fought under Rodes' division, Daniels Brigade, 2nd North Carolina battalion.

[@brettcole84]

John is great! I like the way you switched up the presentation.

[@michaelsheffield6852]

I would like to see more shots from the observation platforms. Thank you for the videos.

[@EDScool12345]

My ancestor fought under Robinson’s division with the 107th Penn Infantry.

[@JH-wq1gl]

Mine too-John Danfelt, who was captured at Weldon Rd. and died at the prison in Salisbury NC.

[@EDScool12345]

@@JH-wq1gl Conrad was captured at Weldon RR but somehow escaped Salisbury. Sorry about your ancestor.

[@jaywinters2483]

I LOVE this guy!!

[@9and7]

If you guys could ever incorporate drone footage (a la Sid Meir's Gettysburg) of the sectors as the Rangers are explaining things, it would make it even better, maybe even with footage of re-enactors et al...wow. Still great though. Bravo, and thank you for this.

[@stevenkenitzer566]

5th 5th and 6th grade 6 and 7

[@indy_go_blue6048]

I can do without the re-enactors, but I like your drone idea, or something similar. Having visited G'burg and playing Gettysburg war games (3 days of G'burg, Last Chance for Victory, etc.) I have a good idea of the grounds, still I get confused as to orientation on many of these talks, esp. Culp's Hill.

[@robertzelin9713]

excellent presentation a job well done

[@scottboulton4447]

Interesting @ 25:15 and @ 49:10, Mr Hoptak refers to my 3X great grandfather BGEN Gabriel Paul.

[@amishmafia2019]

You're honored to have such a gallant ancestor. Here's a very rare photograph of your GGG grandfather in his civil war uniform BEFORE he was blinded at Gettysburg: www.cowanauctions.com/lot/union-general-gabriel-r-paul-shot-in-head-and-blinded-at-gettysburg-cdv-156169

[@JK1211a]

So?

[@Kevin-zb2fn]

My GG Grandfather, Pvt Thomas Lester, served at Gettysburg in the 94th NY as part of BG Paul’s command. Fought on Jul 1, POW on Jul 2&3, and then released.

[@timaronchang1031]

The First Day’s Battlefield

[@johnswanson4266]

Lee actually lost Gettysburg at Chancellorsville.The AOP escaped, Lee lost about 30% of his corp and division leaders each as well as Jackson. Stuart betrayed Lee due to feud with 2 of his officers his cavalry and ordered the best of his cavalry units to remain in Virginia to guard supplies and gave Lee 2 reserve units instead.

[@amishmafia2019]

Great tour John, but I must respectfully correct you. At the 51:58 mark, when you begin discussing the regiments of Paul's Brigade, two of them are misidentified. The 107th Pennsylvania, not the 107th New York, was part of the brigade. Likewise, the 104th New York, not the 104th Pennsylvania, was a member of Paul's Brigade. As a historian, I'm sure you'd want the proper regiments credited. www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=15403

[@justinfenningsdorf3741]

From Michigan and I probably be in 16th or the 24th of Michiganders

[@RobbyHouseIV]

Anderson's Division had 5 brigades as well.

[@brucec43]

+Robby House As did Pickett's, though two were left behind for other duties.

[@RobbyHouseIV]

Bruno TaTa Yes that was sort of in response to this Park Ranger's comment that besides Rode's Division, Pickett's Division had 5 brigades though not during the Pennsylvania Campaign due to Jefferson Davis's insistence that 2 good Virginia brigades be left behind to safeguard Richmond and the general Peninsula area. I think he probably forgot about Anderson's 5 brigades at Gettysburg. I mean one might as well forget about about Anderson's 4th and 5th brigade as inexplicably they were not used in Lee's Attack-in-echelon assault plan at the most critical time that they were needed the most. But I digress...what am I even doing typing this message when I should be working? ;-)

[@indy_go_blue6048]

@@RobbyHouseIV Actually they were. Mahone inexplicably wouldn't move despite Anderson sending an aide to tell him to move. Mahone said he had orders from Anderson himself to stay where he was and so he did. I can't remember if Lang or Posey was supposed to move after Mahone; whichever one it was also stayed put and the attack died. Those two brigades might have made the difference if they could have supported Wright at The Angle; we'll never know.

[@timaronchang1031]

A Celebration of The Life of 35th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln Impersonator Fan January 2000 - June 22 2022

[@fieryweasel]

We as a country apparently have difficulty pronouncing "cavalry".

[@tigerlilly66]

I wonder where JBurn comes to his conclusion that Little Round Top was anything less than crucial to the whole battle? If Chamberlain's flank is turned, catastrophe would have resulted. Just proves that we're ALL "legends in our own minds" when it comes to something that happened 152 years ago and that we have nothing more than the opinions of others upon which to base our "conclusions". Opinions are like you-know-whats....everyone has one.

[@aldousjosea.castro1887]

+tigerlilly66 Little Round Top was important but losing it wouldn't have meant automatic defeat for the Union. Meade still had most of a Corps available to plug the breach. It would have been bad but it wasn't everything.

[@JBurn244]

It's nothing more than a numbers game. Look at what Meade had available to him at the time, and think about the condition of Hood's division. There was uneven distribution of water throughout the regiments, and there were no Confederate supply wagons anywhere close...so no resupplying ammunition either. Longstreet also had no reinforcements to send. Meade on the other hand has already ordered reinforcements to the southern end of the field, and there were over 11,000 men readily available. You have almost the entire 6th Corps, Crawford's division, not to mention the remainder of Weed's brigade and the remnants of Vincent's brigade. Let's say Law is able to drive Vincent off Little Round Top, and let's generously say the remnants of Benning and Robertson's brigade join them up there too. Let's say they've got 2500 men altogether. You seriously think half of one Confederate division (let's not forget who are exhausted and close to out of ammunition) is going to hold LRT against the better part of two Union Corps? Law/Robertson couldn't take the hill from Vincent even though the numbers were about even, but now they would miraculously hold it against multiple fresh Union brigades? Oh let's not forget that Meade has already ordered these reinforcements to this area, so there's no organization necessary for a counterattack to happen.

[@garyjd1166]

The Confederates attacking Little Round Top were facing several Federal Divisions and would have been in no shape to withstand attacks from them. Taking Little Round Top would have proved very temporary.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

If you read histories of Gettysburg prior to "Killer Angels" the 20th Maine gets either a line or at best a paragraph. Strong Vincent and Gouevenor Warren have a statue on LRT, as well as Patrick O'Rourke. Bruce Catton barely mentions him. Edward Stackpole, a famous historian of the mid-20th century in his book "They Met at Gettysburg" doesn't mention him at all. Taking nothing away from Chamberlain, a very brave man and a good officer, Shaara, Ken Burns and "Gettysburg" made him the legend he is today.

[@artbagley1406]

Pap Greene at the SE shoulder of Culp's Hill (the Union extreme right) fought a similarly desperate defense of his position as did Chamberlain at LRT (the Union extreme left). Greene had had his men build a traverse, a defensive wall perpendicular to their main line, to dampen any Rebel flank attack. It worked, it saved the Culp's Hill blue troops and more importantly the rear of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge; had the Confederates broken through Greene's line on Culp's Hill -- BAM! -- the grey troops would hit the Union men in the rear as they faced west to confront APHill's and Longstreet's attacks.

[@marymoriarity2555]

Excellent presentation by this guide. Lee’s subordinate generals probably lost the battle for him. His generals were all prims donnas. Meade has a superior number of men and artillery. Stupid battle in essence. .

[@decimated550]

7:21 hot chick slinks around from behind monument

[@gbjanuary]

decimated550 your attention was somewhere else not on the talk 😀😇

[@triggertherapy2232]

Thank you, your observation powers are appreciated

[@stevenkenitzer566]

+

[@grimsovereignty3]

Please don’t forget that people actually died here

[@ScottSmith64]

Love the chem trails so prevalent in the sky. Just saying

[@decimated550]

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