51037 - Boulders and Rocks (Little Round Top, Devils Den, etc.)

Boulders and Rocks 

The thin soil on many of the sides and tops of the hills at Gettysburg also made it almost impossible for Union soldiers to entrench themselves. The resistant bedrock was so close to the surface that the troops were unable to dig in. Instead they had to rely on the boulders scattered across the landscape to provide cover and establish strategic defensive positions. Formidable as the 180 million year old rock formations were soldiers from both sides suffered heavy losses in the fighting that occurred on Little Round Top and in the Devil’s den.