CHAPTER I.
Formation of Battery H—Camp Mauran—On to Washington—Camp Barry.
Rhode Island enjoys the distinction of sending to the field in the War of the Rebellion a regiment of volunteer light artillery which ranked second to none in the service. The State was fortunate in having at the commencement of the conflict a battery of light artillery, which was widely known for its efficiency throughout the length and breadth of the land. It was originally chartered as an independent organization in 1801, and was composed of seafaring men, the officers being members of the Providence Marine Society, from whence its name was derived. It was equipped with heavy guns, adapted for coast defence. Subsequently muskets were used, and with old style field pieces it took part in the expedition to Acote’s Hill in 1842. In the year 1847 it was equipped as a light battery with four guns and caissons, battery wagon and forge. The first parade was made at a training on Smith’s Hill, in Providence, Oct. 17, 1847, and it was known as “flying artillery,” being the first light battery ever organized in the United States outside the regular army.
In 1852 it made an excursion to Boston, with four guns, battery wagon and forge, and encamped on the Common. By its novel and interesting evolutions of “light artillery,” and firing six-pounder cannon with rapidity, which had never before been witnessed by the people of that city, it so excited their wonder and admiration that a movement was inaugurated to organize a similar battery there. Accordingly a delegation of gentlemen was chosen to proceed to Providence, who were instructed in the light artillery drill by Colonel Balch, of the Marine Artillery. Therefore it is justly claimed that this famous corps is not only the mother of Rhode Island batteries in the Civil War, but also of Massachusetts batteries, and through them of all volunteer light artillery.
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.
Battery H, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, was organized in the city of Providence, R. I., about the first of May, 1862. It was quartered temporarily in Railroad Hall, where the men were drilled in marching movements until the formation of an artillery camp near Mashapaug Pond, Cranston, R. I., whither the battery was subsequently ordered. This camp was designated Camp Mauran, in honor of Gen. Edward C. Mauran, the adjutant-general of the State.
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.
Samuel T. Allen,
Thomas Carter,
Leon Allison.
Privates.
Abbott, William
Albertes, Charles
Alden, Warner
Alderwick, George
Alexander, Henry A.
Arnold, Gideon W.
Arnold, Henry N.
Arnold, Henry O.
Balcom, Orville
Bellows, Jay G.
Bennett, Gardner L.
Bingham, Joseph
Booth, James
Bowen, William J.
Brady, Henry
Briggs, Horace C.
Briggs, Isaac
Brown, Charles
Brown, Francis A.
Brown, George W.
Brown, William S.
Butterfield, Francis H.
Campbell, James
Campbell, John P., 2d
Carman, Gilbert
Carman, Solomon
Carter, Benjamin
Chace, Lorin R.
Cheever, Emolus A.
Conner, Stephen H.
Copeland, Silas
Crandall, James B. B.
Crogan, Michael
Cross, George G.
Dawley, Reynolds
Dee, Charles
Deney, Emil
Dickson, William
Dougherty, Charles
Drown, William
Easterday, Christian
Ellison, Charles E.
Ellsworth, William
Farrell, Joseph
Fenner, Earl
Ferguson, John
Fitton, Joseph
Floyd, Horace F.
Flynn, Thomas P.
Foster, Richard
Fox, Michael
Gilleland, Alexander
Gould, Lewis
Grey, John A.
Green, Charles
Grimes, Joseph
Hall, Henry
Hall, James
Hammond, Daniel A.
Hardon, Rufus P.
Harris, Edward
Hart, John
Hayfield, Isaac F.
Hayfield, James F.
Higgins, John
Hixon, William M.
Howard, Albert E.
Howard, William E.
Hunnewell, William H.
Ingraham, Martin O.
Jack, Robert
Jackson, Rowland
Johnson, Edwin C.
Jones, William
Keenan, Patrick
Knowles, Lucian B.
Lagenusse, Jules
Leonard, John
Lewis, Franklin
Lovely, Judson
Maine, Gershom P.
Mahon, Thomas
Mahon, William
Manter, William G.
Mason, James
Mathey, Ernest A.
Maurin, Patrick
McAnery, James
McCan, Barney
McDonough, James
McPartland, Matthew
Mellor, William H.
Merrill, Asa T.
Moore, John
Murphy, Bartlett
Nelson, John
Northrop, Edwin
Noyes, Isaac P.
Paul, Franklin E.
Peck, Allen G.
Peck, William
Phillips, Henry A.
Phillips, John
Phillips, Luther A.
Phinney, Thomas R.
Pierpont, Thomas
Potter, Hezekiah
Potter, Leonard L.
Powers, John
Poyheren, Robert
Randall, Job
Reid, Thomas
Reid, Uriah H.
Reid, William H.
Riley, Sylvester
Rourke, John O.
Ryan, Cornelius
Ryan, William
Sampson, John A.
Schanck, Aaron B.
Simmons, Thomas E.
Smith, Ashael
Smith, Charles
Smith, Elisha
Smith, Frederick A.
Smith, George H.
Smith, James
Smith, John
Smith, Thomas
Smith, William H.
Snell, Otis P.
Sprague, Charles
Springer, William H.
Stringer, Charles S.
Taylor, Alfred M.
Taylor, Robert W.
Thompson, Richard
Thompson, Robert P.
Tobias, Michael
Tracy, George E.
Trucksaes, Herman E. O.
True, Elias R.
Tschamer, Baptiste
Turner, Andrew
Varney, Henry C.
Weiner, T. Felix
Wellman, Henry A.
Wells, Albert P.
White, Reuben G.
Wilson, Charles
Wilson, James
Wilson, James, 2d
Wood, James
On the 23d of October, 1862, the battery received orders to proceed to Washington, D. C. Preparations were immediately made to move from Camp Mauran. Marching to the railroad station in Providence, the battery boarded the cars, and the soldiers, after bidding adieu to the relatives and friends who had assembled there to witness their departure, were soon speeding along on their journey, eager to enter upon the untried scenes awaiting them. On arriving in New York city a number of recruits for the battery were received. Again proceeding on its way, the battery reached Washington on the 26th of October, and, until the 28th, were quartered in the Soldiers’ Retreat, when it was ordered to proceed to Camp Barry, situated on the Corcoran farm, on the Bladensburg road, near the toll gate.
This camp was established as an artillery camp of instruction for all volunteer batteries, for drill and discipline preparatory for service in the field. Soon after its arrival the battery exchanged the James rifled pieces with which it left Rhode Island for three-inch ordnance guns.
In November General McClellan was relieved from command of the Army of the Potomac, and General Burnside reluctantly assumed the position. His career while connected with its leadership is so well known to every one interested in the history of that army, that it is deemed inexpedient to dwell upon it here. The delay in sending forward the pontoons with which the army was to cross the Rappahannock and the lack of support that General Burnside received from some of his subordinates is attributed the disaster of the battle of Fredericksburg.
At this time Washington was well protected by a cordon of forts completely encircling the city. We present herewith the accompanying map, which will more fully indicate the positions of the several forts than any description we might be able to give.
[Click anywhere on map for high resolution image.]
Washington
and its
Defences.