Battery G, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery

Battery G, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery was an artillery

Artillery

Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

battery

Artillery battery

In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...

that served in the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

Service

The battery was organized in Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

and mustered in for a three year enlistment in December 1861 under the command of Captain Charles D. Owen.

The battery was attached to Sedgwick's Division, Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...

, to March 1862. Reserve Artillery, II Corps, Army of the Potomac, to October 1862. Artillery, 3rd Division, II Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May 1863. 4th Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to July 1863. Artillery Brigade, VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, to August 1864, and Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to November 1864. Camp Barry, XXII Corps, Department of Washington, to December 1864. Artillery Brigade, VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June 1865.

Battery G, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery mustered out of service on June 24, 1865.

Detailed service

Left Rhode Island for Washington, D.C., December 7. Duty at Camp Sprague, defenses of Washington, D.C., until January 3, 1862. Moved to Darnestown January 3 and to Poolesville, Md. Duty there until February and at Edward's Ferry until March. At Bolivar Heights until March 26. Moved to Washington, D.C., then to the Virginia Peninsula March 26-April 2. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, May 31-June 1. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Peach Orchard and Savage Station June 29. Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to Alexandria August 16-28, then march to Fairfax Court House August 28-31. Cover retreat of Pope's army from Bull Run to Washington, D.C., August 31-September 2. Battle of Antietam, September 16-17. Moved to Harpers Ferry, W. Va., September 22, and duty there until October 22. Advance up Loudoun Valley and movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 18. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth until April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks' Ford May 4. Franklin's Crossing June 5-13. Battle of Gettysburg, July 2-4. Near Fairfield July 5. Funkstown, Md., July 10-13. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. At Brandy Station until May 1864. Rapidan Campaign May-June. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spotsylvania May 8-12; Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 17-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16-July 9. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. Moved to Washington, D.C., July 9-12. Repulse of Early's attack on Washington July 12. Snicker's Ferry July 17-18. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to November. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Mount Jackson September 23-24. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty at Winchester and Kernstown until November. Moved to Washington, D.C., and refit, then moved to Petersburg, Va. Siege of Petersburg December 1864 to April 1865. Fort Fisher, Petersburg, March 25, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Sayler's Creek April 6. High Bridge and Farmville April 7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army.

Casualties

The battery lost a total of 30 men during service; 2 officers and 10 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 18 enlisted men died of disease.

Notable members

Private James Albert Barber - Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

recipient for action at the third battle of Petersburg, April 2, 1865

Service

Detailed service

Casualties

Notable members

See also