This spring, which takes its name from Abraham Spangler, its owner at
the time of the battle, is located at the southeast corner of Culp’s
Hill. Inasmuch as it was used by soldiers of both armies during the
battle, and since then by thousands of tourists, it is an interesting
feature of the field. Only during the drought of 1930 has it failed to
give forth a copious flow of cool, pure water. At the time of the battle
it was surrounded by a wall of flat stones with a flagstone cover over
the top. These were removed and a canopy top erected.
The 12th Corps of the Army of the Potomac occupied this part of Meade’s
line on the night of the first day and until the afternoon of the 2nd,
when the troops were ordered to the left to help repel Longstreet’s
assault. Until this time the spring was used only by the Union troops.
During their absence, the Confederates under Johnson moved up and took
possession of part of the vacated line. In the early morning of the
third day, the Union forces, who had returned from the left during the
night of the 2nd, attacked Johnson, drove him out and succeeded in
regaining possession of the line that had been vacated by them on the
afternoon of the 2nd, including the spring.
The story that a truce was entered into between the opposing forces on
the night of the 2nd and that they met in large numbers at the spring to
get water is a mistake. The captured and wounded of the Union forces
were allowed access to it along with the Confederates who were there at
the time, but there was no truce. When armies were encamped, pickets
from the opposing lines would sometimes get together, usually to trade
coffee and tobacco, but this was never done when a battle was in
progress.
[Illustration: Spangler’s Spring.—Spangler’s Spring was used first
by the Union, then by the Confederate troops, and since by thousands
of tourists]
The following extract from the address of Captain Joseph Matchett at the
dedication of the monument erected by the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry
Regiment, shows that there was no truce:
“Some time in the night (2nd), we were ordered to return to our works on
Culp’s Hill. It seems Captain Selfridge of Company H had taken some of
his men’s canteens and gone ahead to Spangler’s Spring to fill them,
when he discovered ‘Johnnies’ also filling their canteens. He backed out
with the best grace he could command, and reported it to the colonel.
Colonel McDougall, the brigade commander, did not believe it and got
very angry, but the colonel of the regiment insisted on deploying his
men, and sent a skirmish line, who found the enemy as stated and saved
many lives.”