Colonel Charles Collis served as the commander of the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry. Brevet Brigadier-General CharlesT. Collis is the highest ranking soldier buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Collis was a Medal of Honor recipient for the battle of Fredericksburg. Wounded at Chancellorsville, he was not present at the battle of Gettysburg. After the war Collis built a summer house in Gettysburg known as “Red Patch.” It still stands on Seminary Ridge along West Confederate Avenue.
Location: Soldiers National Cemetery.
Description: Bust of Charles Collis stands on a pedestal which is placed in the center of a two-stepped exedra. The figure wears a double-breasted military uniform and has short hair and a mustache. Sculpture was erected by surviving members of the 114th Pennsylvania Regiment and by friends of Charles Collis (1838-1902) after his death. Colonel Collis was the commander of the regiment, also known as “Collis Zouaves.” The regiment fought the battle in the Peach Orchard on the second day of the Gettysburg battle. He resided in Gettysburg after the war and his house, Red Patch, still stands. This is the only personal memorial erected within the Civil War interment section. Special authorization for the memorial was granted by the Secretary of War.