"On July Second, James Smith commanding the 4th NY Battery put his men at Devils Den. The Confederates attacked Smith's men in the Devils Den from three positions all at one time. The area was not favorable to either side. The large rocks of 20 feet or more was a horrible place for a battle. With shot and shell racing in around and over the rocks, many troops were killed as a result of shrapnel from these projectiles bouncing off the boulders. As in many places during the Civil War where the ground was less than favorable, men were thrown into confusion. The battle in this area would switch back and forth several times. Smith placed four of his guns in the vicinity of Triangular Field where they fought off Confederate forces, both infantry and artillery. The artillery commanded by Brigadier General Henry L. Benning made life hell for Smiths artillerymen. Smith then would turn his attention to the infantry which was quickly advancing up the triangular field toward the Devil's Den. The 15th Georgia and 1st Texas made repeated assaults on the heights slowly but surely wearing down the Union defenders. For over two hours this desperate assault and defense would rage in the area until the 1st Texas would finally break through and capture the three of Smiths guns. The 44th Georgia would then pass over the den and make their way through the gorge next to Little Round Top. The 6th New Jersey and 40th NY would take on these Alabamians and another bloody drawn out struggle would take place in the Valley of Death." Back and Forth the battle would rage until the Union defenders were forced to retreat. Devil's Den would be captured by the Confederates and they would use it as a sharpshooters pen to pick off Union Defenders on Little Round Top and the surrounding area. Though the Confederates would take the Den they would fail in their attempt to secure the heights of Little and Big Round Top. As night approached the confederacy would draw up plans for a massive attack on the middle of the Union line on July 3rd and the Den area would take a back seat. In the following days and weeks after the battle, men from both the Confederacy and Union would lie decomposing in the hot summer sun. Photographers would come to photograph them before burial details could bury the dead.Devil's Den had always been a strange place with a lot more to it than the vicious struggle that took place here on July 2nd of 1863.It has a geological significance, a historical one and a long history of fables,legend and stories that would seem very believable. " ~~ Devil's Den, A Narrative











View of Little Roundtop from the top of Devil's Den






I guess I should have put someone/thing in the frame to give it some scale, huh? These things are freakin' MASSIVE! About 15-18 feet high.