Editing Culp's Hill (section)

{{Short description|Landform south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, US}}
{{further|Battle of Gettysburg, First Day|Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Culps Hill July 3 Edwin Forbes.jpg|thumb|400px|[[Edwin Forbes]]' ''Scene behind the breastworks on Culps Hill, morning of July 3rd 1863,'' painting by [[Edwin Forbes]].]]

{{main|Gettysburg Battlefield}}

'''Culp's Hill''',<ref name=gnis>{{Cite gnis|1172821|Culps Hill (1172821) Entry Date 02-Aug-1979 |accessdate=2011-11-10}}. The modern U.S. Geographic Names System refers to "Culps Hill".</ref> which is about {{Convert|3/4|mi|m|abbr=on}} south of the center of [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Culp's Hill and Wesley Culp (1839-1863) |url=http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Culp_s_Hill_and_Wesley_Culp_1839-1863 |publisher=EncyclopediaVirginia.org |access-date=2011-11-10 |archive-date=2012-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227191218/http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Culp_s_Hill_and_Wesley_Culp_1839-1863 |url-status=dead }}</ref> played a prominent role in the [[Battle of Gettysburg]]. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated by a narrow saddle.<ref>Gottfried, ''Maps of Gettysburg'', p. 226.</ref> Its heavily wooded higher peak is {{Convert|630|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level.<ref name=gnis/> The lower peak is about 100 feet (30 m) shorter than its companion. The eastern slope descends to [[Rock Creek (Monocacy River)|Rock Creek]], about 160 feet (50 m) lower in elevation, and the western slope is to a saddle with [[Stevens Knoll]] (formerly McKnight's Hill) with a summit {{Convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on}} lower than the main Culp's Hill summit. The hill was owned in 1863 by farmer Henry Culp<ref>Pfanz, ''Culp's Hill'', pp. 111&ndash;12.</ref> and was publicized as "Culp's Hill" by October 31, 1865.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Oct 31, 1865 |title=The Field of Gettysburgh: Interest Concerning the Great Battle Ground -- Thirteen Generals Revisit the Scene of their Struggle ... |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1865/11/03/news/field-gettysburgh-interest-concerning-great-battle-ground-thirteen-generals.html  |format=Google News Archive |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=2011-10-20}}</ref>

During the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1&ndash;3, 1863, Culp's Hill was a critical part of the [[Union Army]] defensive line, the principal feature of the right flank, or "barbed" portion of what is described as the "fish-hook" line. Holding the hill was by itself unimportant because its heavily wooded sides made it unsuitable for artillery placement, but its loss would have been catastrophic to the Union army. It dominated Cemetery Hill and the Baltimore Pike, the latter being critical for keeping the Union army supplied and for blocking any [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] advance on [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] or [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>Pfanz, ''Culp's Hill'', p. 25; Pfanz, ''Battle of Gettysburg'', p. 21.</ref>