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Read Ebook: The History of Battery H First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery in the War to Preserve the Union 1861-1865 by Fenner Earl
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Ebook has 1424 lines and 67837 words, and 29 pages
PAGE.
Formation of Battery H--Camp Mauran--On to Washington--Camp Barry 1-10
Camp Barry--Artillery Drill--March to Fairfax Station--First Death in the Battery--Union Mills 11-14
Battles of Chancellorsville and Salem Heights--Battery H Ordered to Chantilly and Afterwards to Fairfax Court House--Return to Camp Barry--Picket Duty at Fairfax Seminary--Moved to Vicinity of Fort Scott 15-27
Again in Camp Barry--Batteries Reviewed by President Lincoln--Battery H Assigned to the Ninth Corps 28-34
Battery H with the Ninth Corps Moves towards Fairfax Court House--March to the Rapidan--Battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania--Battery Ordered to Washington 35-46
Life at Fort Richardson--Moved to Fort Smith and Stationed there--Battery Equipped again and sent to City Point 47-52
Battery H Proceeds to Petersburg and Encamps near Fort Tracy--Life in the Trenches--Rebel Attack on Fort Stedman Repulsed 53-61
Forward Movement of the Army of the Potomac--Capture of Petersburg and Richmond--Pursuit of Lee's Army--Battle of Sailor's Creek 62-72
Pursuit of Lee's Army still continued--Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House--Sixth Corps March to Danville 73-84
Return to City Point--March to Richmond--From thence to Washington--Returning Homeward--Muster-out 85-95
Memoirs 97-156
Roster 157-192
Roster of Temporarily Attached Men 193-196
Mortuary Record 197-199
PAGE.
Capt. Jeffrey Hazard Frontispiece.
Map of Washington and its Defences On page 10
Lieut. Charles F. Mason Opposite page 12
Brevet Lieut.-Col. Crawford Allen, Jr. Opposite page 28
Lieut. Benjamin H. Child Opposite page 34
First Sergt. George Messinger Opposite page 47
Lieut. Hezekiah Potter Opposite page 50
Capt. Elmer L. Corthell Opposite page 110
Lieut. George Lewis Opposite page 117
Company Clerk George Messinger Opposite page 120
First Sergt. John P. Campbell Opposite page 125
Corp. Earl Fenner Opposite page 127
Corp. Franklin E. Paul Opposite page 130
Corp. John P. Campbell, 2d Opposite page 132
Horace F. Floyd Opposite page 135
Edwin Northrop Opposite page 147
FORMATION OF BATTERY H--CAMP MAURAN--ON TO WASHINGTON--CAMP BARRY.
From this battery sprang the men who subsequently won renown in the light artillery branch of the service during the war. Indeed, Governor Sprague himself commanded this battery for several years prior to the Rebellion, and had spared neither time nor money to raise it to a high standard of discipline and efficiency. Is it a marvel, then, that when the call to arms resounded through the land, this battery furnished from its membership officers and men who were a credit to their State and country, and were enabled to send at once a battery to the field fully manned and equipped for the service.
On the 13th of September, 1861, Governor Sprague received authority from the War Department to increase the number of Rhode Island batteries to eight, the whole to be known as the First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery. In May, 1862, although seven batteries had already been furnished for the regiment, yet when one more battery was required to complete the number it was promptly recruited and forwarded to the seat of war.
The first commander of the battery was Capt. Charles H. J. Hamlin, who was promoted from the position of quartermaster of the regiment. Captain Hamlin assumed command of the battery about the sixteenth of May, 1862, while it was in Camp Mauran. It recruited here more than four times its complement of men, but in consequence of the many requisitions from batteries in the field, whose ranks had been reduced by the casualties of war, it was deemed necessary to furnish them with recruits from this battery, and it was only after they were supplied that Battery H was completed and permitted to leave the State.
Sergt. Kirby Steinhauer, of Battery G, was promoted to second lieutenant of Battery H in September, 1862, and immediately reported for duty. Captain Hamlin resigned his commission the latter part of September, and Lieutenant Steinhauer assumed command of the battery. While in Camp Mauran the men were drilled by Lieutenant Steinhauer, and Sergeants Messinger, Lewis, Sayles, Colwell and Carpenter. Sergt. Franklin P. Burlingame was on duty in the city of Providence, engaged in recruiting for the battery.
On the 3d of October, 1862, Lieut. Jeffrey Hazard, of Battery A, who had been acting adjutant of the regiment, was commissioned captain of Battery H, arrived in camp and took command. Shortly after his arrival Captain Hazard was ordered by Governor Sprague to proceed to the Dexter Training Ground, where the Twelfth Rhode Island Infantry was encamped. Trouble was anticipated in regard to the bounties promised them by the State. Governor Sprague had decided that these bounties should not be paid until the arrival of the regiment within the lines of the army in Virginia. As a number of recruits from other regiments had received the bounty and deserted before arriving at the front, the governor took this precautionary measure to prevent desertions in the Twelfth. This order caused intense dissatisfaction among the men of this regiment, so much so that it threatened to culminate in open mutiny. On reaching the Training Ground Captain Hazard was ordered by the governor to place one gun of his battery at each of the four corners of the grounds, presumably with the view of intimidating into submission the soldiers of this regiment. This movement only enraged the infantry and made our situation extremely unpleasant, having less than fifty men against their one thousand. Had a gun been fired it is probable that a bloody encounter would have ensued, and it was with great difficulty that the guns were retired at the instance of the governor without a collision, and the battery returned to Camp Mauran.
The roll of the original officers and men attached to the battery while in Camp Mauran, comprised the following:
Captain. JEFFREY HAZARD.
First Lieutenant. CLEMENT WEBSTER.
Second Lieutenant. KIRBY S. STEINHAUER.
First Sergeant. GEORGE MESSINGER.
Quartermaster-Sergeant. JENCKES B. STEVENS.
Sergeants.
First Duty Sergeant, JACOB B. LEWIS. Second Duty Sergeant, THOMAS W. SAYLES. Third Duty Sergeant, GEORGE P. CARPENTER. Fourth Duty Sergeant, SAMUEL G. COLWELL. Fifth Duty Sergeant, FRANK BURLINGAME.
Corporals.
CHARLES DEWOLF GIBSON, ESEK S. OWEN, HENRY C. BROWN, JAMES H. RHODES, CHARLES E. BONN, WELLINGTON P. DOLLOFF, JOHN P. CAMPBELL, 1ST, ALBERT F. ALLEN, HIRAM A. CAREY, GILBERT MORTIMER THAIN, JAMES C. ENGLEY.
Buglers.
CHARLES P. MARSH, THOMAS J. GOFF.
Artificers.
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