My mother’s great-grandfather, George C. Spiegel, was a German-born seegarmaker who joined the US army in October 1862 as a private in Company E of the 58th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (XI Corps). He was 23 years old at the time. The 58th was known as the “Polish Legion” and also the “International Regiment.” I sent the following prompt to Gemini and asked it to not use any of my documents or content including my book and blog both titled “Gathering Leaves,” as sources in its response. Yet, it used the “Gathering Leaves” blog for one fact presented .

PROMPT: I have an ancestor who was at the Battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. His name was George C. Spiegel and he was a resident of New York City, enlisted as a private in Company E of the 58th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (XI Corps). He was 23 years old at the time.

With this information is it possible to place his whereabouts during the Battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg in 1863?

RESPONSE: Yes, it is entirely possible to trace Private George C. Spiegel’s general movements and specific positions during both battles are based on the operational history of the 58th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (the “Polish Legion”), which served in the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division of the Union XI Corps.

Because the 58th New York was a highly consolidated, small regiment in 1863, Private Spiegel would have been directly involved in some of the most intense, pivotal actions of both campaigns. There were only about 220 soldiers in the regiment at Gettysburg.

1. The Battle of Chancellorsville (May 2, 1863)

At Chancellorsville, the 58th New York was commanded by Captain Frederick Braun and was positioned on the extreme right flank of the Union Army along the Orange Turnpike, west of Chancellorsville.

The Position

The XI Corps, largely comprised of German and other European immigrant volunteers, was left exposed in the dense, tangled wilderness. The 58th New York was deployed facing south, completely unaware that Confederate Lieutenant General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was executing a massive flanking march to attack them from the west.

The Action

• May 2, 5:15 PM: Jackson’s men burst from the woods from the west, shattering the initial Union lines.
• The Stand: As the Union line collapsed into a chaotic retreat eastward, the 58th New York attempted to swing around to face the onslaught. Captain Braun was mortally wounded while trying to rally the men.
• Private Spiegel and Company E faced overwhelming numbers, fighting a desperate, losing rearguard action in the brush. Out of 238 men engaged, the regiment lost 31 in killed, wounded, and missing in a matter of minutes before being forced to retreat back toward Chancellorsville Crossroads.
• The regiment was held in reserve for the remainder of the battle and recrossed the Rappahannock River on May 7.

2. The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863)

Between the campaigns, command of the 58th New York fell to Lieutenant Colonel August Otto (and later Captain Emil Koenig). By the time they reached Gettysburg, the regiment was remarkably small, bringing only about 222 men to the field.

Day 1: July 1 (North of Town)

On the morning of July 1, the XI Corps raced north from Emmitsburg to support the hard-pressed I Corps just north and west of the Gettysburg town square.

• The Detachment: On the night of June 30, Captain Koenig had taken a detachment of 100 men for a reconnaissance toward Creagerstown. This left only two companies of the 58th New York initially present on the morning of July 1.
• The Line on Howard Avenue: These two companies took up a position north of the town, in the open fields along what is now Howard Avenue (just east of Carlisle Road), attempting to hold off Lieutenant General Richard Ewell’s advancing Confederates.
• The Retreat: Overwhelmed by the Confederate onslaught, these companies fought a retreating action directly through the chaotic, crowded streets of Gettysburg, eventually falling back to the high ground of Cemetery Hill, where they reunited with the rest of the regiment.

Day 2 & 3: July 2–3 (Cemetery Hill)

Once consolidated on Cemetery Hill, Private Spiegel and the 58th New York were placed in a critically important defensive posture.

• Artillery Support: On July 2, the regiment lay in the grass directly behind the Union artillery batteries on Cemetery Hill, enduring a horrific afternoon bombardment from Confederate guns on Benner’s Hill. The regimental adjutant was killed right out in the open by an exploding shell fragment.
• The Evening Counterattack: At dusk on July 2, Major General Jubal Early’s Confederates launched a fierce assault up the slopes of Cemetery Hill, briefly overrunning Weidrich’s Battery I, 1st New York Light Artillery. The 58th New York was ordered forward, charging into the battery positions in the dark, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat to drive the Confederates back down the hill.
• July 3: The regiment held this same line on Cemetery Hill. After the catastrophic failure of Pickett’s Charge on the Union center, elements of the 58th New York moved forward as skirmishers directly into the outskirts of the town.

By the end of the three-day battle, the tiny regiment suffered 20 casualties (2 killed, 15 wounded, and 3 missing), meaning Private Spiegel was part of a uniquely tight-knit group of survivors who successfully held the literal apex of the Union “fishhook” defensive line.