The 2nd U.S. Artillery, Battery E was an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The unit fought at the battles of

First Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by

Yorktown, the Seven Days, Second Bull Run,

Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France *Chantilly, Oise, a city ** US Chantilly, a football club *Château de Chantilly United States * Chantilly, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Chantilly (Charlotte neighborhood), North Carolina ...

Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

, and Fredericksburg in 1862. The following year, Battery E moved to the Western Theater where it served at Vicksburg and

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

. In 1864, the unit transferred back to the Eastern Theater where it fought at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Totopotomoy, and

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Army, Union Lieuten ...

. For the rest of the war, it became part of the

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

garrison.

Organizations

Battery E was at

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

in January 1861. The battery was attached to Robert C. Schenck's Brigade, Daniel Tyler's Division,

Irvin McDowell Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was an American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War. In 1862, he was given command of the ...

's Army, Northeast Virginia in June–August 1861. The unit transferred to the Artillery Division,

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

in August–October 1861. It served in Fitz John Porter's Division, Army of the Potomac from that date until March 1862. Battery E was assigned to the Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac in March–May 1862. The battery was assigned to the 4th Brigade in Henry Jackson Hunt's Artillery Reserve at the time of the

Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union's Army of the Po ...

on 31 May–1 June, though it was not engaged in the fighting. It served in the 5th Brigade, Artillery Reserve, V Corps, Army of the Potomac through September 1862. Battery E transferred to Artillery, 1st Division, IX Corps in September–December 1862. The battery belonged to Artillery, 3rd Division, IX Corps from then until February 1863. It switched back to Artillery, 1st Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac in February–April 1863. Battery E transferred west to the District of Central Kentucky,

Department of the Ohio The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River. 1st Department 1861–1862 Gene ...

in April–June 1863. It became part of the Artillery Reserve, IX Corps, Dept. of the Ohio in June–August 1863. Once again it was assigned to Artillery, 1st Division, IX Corps, Dept. of the Ohio from then until March 1864. Transferring east, the unit became part of the Reserve Artillery, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac in March–June 1864. Battery E was assigned to duty at Camp Barry, Washington, D.C., XXII Corps in June–November 1864. The battery consolidated with 2nd U.S. Artillery, Battery C on 24 August 1864. The unit was part of 1st Separate Brigade, XXII Corps from November 1864 to October 1865.

History

1861–1862

Battery E advanced toward

Manassas, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of ...

on 16–21 July 1861, including the occupation of Fairfax Court House on 17 July. The battery fought at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

on 21 July. Commanded by

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

J. H. Carlisle, Battery E was armed with two 14-pounder James rifles and two M1841 6-pounder field guns. Its guns were not among the 24 artillery pieces that crossed to the west bank of Bull Run with the assault brigades. The unit was part of the garrison of

until March 1862 when it moved to the Virginia Peninsula. For the

Peninsula campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

, the unit was equipped with six 20-pounder Parrott rifles. Battery E participated in the

Siege of Yorktown The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...

on 5 April–4 May. The battery fought in the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army ...

before Richmond on 25 June–1 July 1862. Specifically, it was engaged at Turkey Bridge on 30 June and at the Battle of Malvern Hill on 1 July. During the Seven Days, Captain Carlisle led both the 5th Artillery Brigade and Battery E. The battery remained at Harrison's Landing until 16 August. The unit moved to

Centreville, Virginia Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. It had a population of 73,518, making it the most-populous community in Fairfax County as of t ...

on 16–28 August. Battery E under the command of

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

Samuel Nicholl Benjamin fought at the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

on 29–30 August 1862. Together with the 8th Massachusetts Light Artillery, Battery E was part of the division of

Isaac Stevens Isaac Ingalls Stevens (March 25, 1818 – September 1, 1862) was an American military officer and politician who served as governor of the Territory of Washington from 1853 to 1857, and later as its delegate to the United States House of Represe ...

in the IX Corps led by Jesse L. Reno. The unit also fought at the Battle of Chantilly on 1 September where Stevens was killed. It participated in the

Maryland campaign The Maryland campaign (or Antietam campaign) occurred September 4–20, 1862, during the American Civil War. The campaign was Confederate States Army, Confederate General (CSA), General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern United Stat ...

on 6–22 September. At the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

on 17 September, Lieutenant Benjamin commanded four 20-pounder Parrott rifles. He recorded no casualties at Antietam and reported three officers and 97 enlisted men present for duty on 22 September. A return from 1 October listed three officers and 90 enlisted men. During the battle, the battery supported the attack on

Burnside's Bridge Burnside's Bridge is a landmark on the U.S. Civil War Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, northwestern Maryland. Built in 1836, it played a notable role in the 1862 battle. History Construction Seeking to improve connections ...

. The battery remained on the east bank of

Antietam Creek Antietam Creek () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the ...

throughout the fighting. It was near

Warrenton, Virginia Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 10,057 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, an increase from 9,611 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and 6,670 at ...

on 15 November. At the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

on 13 December 1862, Battery E under Captain Benjamin's command served in George W. Getty's 3rd Division of the IX Corps under Orlando B. Willcox. Benjamin complained in his after battle report about the "miserable quality of the ammunition" with which the battery was provided. He admitted tossing 53 rounds of shell and shrapnel into a stream because the ammunition was visibly defective. He wrote that the paper time fuses often failed to ignite. The Schenkl percussion shells broke up while still in the gun barrel and many did not explode on contact. The Parrott shells broke up in the gun or exploded at the muzzles of the guns.

1863–1865

Battery E participated in the Mud March on 20–24 January 1863. The unit shipped to

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the fifth-most populous city in Virginia and 140th-most populous city i ...

on 10 February and served there until March 19. The battery traveled to Kentucky on 19–23 March and performed duties in the District of Central Kentucky until June. Battery E moved to Vicksburg on 7–14 June and participated in the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed th ...

on 14 June–4 July 1863. During the siege, the IX Corps was led by

John Parke John Grubb Parke (September 22, 1827 – December 16, 1900) was a United States Army engineer and a Union general in the American Civil War. Parke's Civil War service was closely associated with Ambrose E. Burnside, often serving him as c ...

. Battery E was the only unit in the corps Reserve Artillery. The unit advanced to

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

on 4–10 July where it took part in the Siege of Jackson until 17 July. The battery traveled first to

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers, across from Cincinnati to the north ...

then to

Crab Orchard, Kentucky Crab Orchard is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Lincoln County, Kentucky, Lincoln County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 841 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan ...

on 4–18 August. Battery E marched to

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

on 10–26 September. It took part in the Knoxville campaign on 4 November–23 December. The battery fought at the Battle of Campbell's Station on 16 November. It participated in the Siege of Knoxville on 17 November–5 December. Battery E led by Lieutenant Benjamin fought in the Siege of Knoxville. During skirmishing on 18 November, the battery was asked to fire on some Confederate snipers in a house about distant. Engineer officer Orlando Metcalfe Poe reported that Benjamin's gunner put a round into the room occupied by the snipers. Poe wrote, "During the whole war, I never saw a prettier shot." Still armed with four 20-pounder Parrotts, the battery was assigned to defend Fort Sanders. The other defenders were Captain William W. Buckley's Battery D, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery (six 12-pounder Napoleons), one section of Captain Jacob Roemer's 34th Independent Battery New York Light Artillery (two 3-inch Ordnance rifles), 120 soldiers from the 79th New York Volunteer Infantry, 100 men from the

2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 2nd Michigan Infantry was organized by Francis William Kellogg and others at Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan. ...

, 80 men from the 20th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and 75 men from the 29th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The

Battle of Fort Sanders The Battle of Fort Sanders was the crucial engagement of the Knoxville Campaign of the American Civil War, fought in Knoxville, Tennessee, on November 29, 1863. Assaults by Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet failed to break through the def ...

began after 6:00 am on 29 November 1863 when Confederate brigades assaulted the fort but were repulsed with serious losses. From December 1863 until March 1864, Battery E took part in operations in East Tennessee. The unit traveled to

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

before participating in the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...

on 4 May–7 June. At the beginning of the campaign, the battery was commanded by Lieutenant James S. Dudley and was one of six batteries of the Artillery Reserve of IX Corps under

Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Everts Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the American Civil War and a three-time Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successfu ...

. Battery E fought at the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

on 5–7 May 1864, the

Battle of Spotsylvania The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

on 8–21 May, the

Battle of Totopotomoy Creek The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek , also called the Battle of Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Shady Grove Road, and Hanovertown, was fought in Hanover County, Virginia on May 28–30, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant's Overland ...

on May 28–31 May, and the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

on 1–7 June. At Cold Harbor, Lieutenant Samuel B. McIntire commanded the battery. Shortly afterward, Battery E was ordered to return to Washington, D.C. where it served as a garrison until October 1865.

Commanders

*Captain J. Howard Carlisle (1st Bull Run, Seven Days) *Lieutenant Samuel Nicholl Benjamin (2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Fort Sanders) *Lieutenant James S. Dudley (Wilderness) *Lieutenant Samuel B. McIntire (Cold Harbor)

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * *