Battery E, 1st U.S. Artillery was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

field artillery battery that was in service between 1821 and 1901, most notably in extensive service with the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. During the Civil War, the battery was present at the Siege of

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...

in April 1861 under the command of

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

Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pi ...

. Returned to the artillery defenses of Washington, D.C. and rearmed as a field artillery battery, the unit was merged with Battery G, 1st U.S. Artillery in February 1862. Consolidated and renamed Battery E & G, 1st U.S. Artillery, the unit continued with this designation until the end of the war. The unit is also known for its participation in the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.

Service

Battery E, 1st U.S. Artillery was formed by a reorganization of the U.S. Army artillery service in 1821. The battery saw service in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

and the early engagements of the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexicans, Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% ...

. From 1856 through 1858, the battery was stationed in Florida during the

Third Seminole War The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were three related military conflicts in Florida between the United States and the Seminole, citizens of a Native American nation which formed in the region during the early 1700s. Hostilities ...

. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the battery was stationed at Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina in January 1861, where it was present during the

Battle of Fort Sumter The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. It ended with the surrender by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War. Follo ...

in April which sparked the war. Following the surrender of that post, it moved to Washington, D.C. where it was attached to Patterson's army to October 1861, in the field but not present at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

. Its new commander, Captain

Jefferson C. Davis Jefferson Columbus Davis (March 2, 1828 – November 30, 1879) was a regular officer of the United States Army during the American Civil War, known for the similarity of his name to that of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and for his kil ...

, was absent on detached service throughout the duration of the war; under the command of subaltern battery officer Lieutenant

Alanson Merwin Randol Alanson Merwin Randol (October 23, 1837 – May 7, 1887) was a career United States Army artillery officer and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point (Class of 1860) who served in the American Civil War. He was promoted mult ...

, the battery was merged with Battery G, 1st U.S. Artillery in February 1862, serving as Battery E & G with the Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to May 1862; 2nd Brigade, Artillery Reserve,

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

, Army of the Potomac, to September 1862; Artillery, 2nd Division, V Corps, to October 1862; Artillery, 3rd Division, V Corps, to May 1863; 2nd Regular Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to June 1863; 2nd Brigade,

Horse Artillery Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving, and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support, especially to cavalry units. Horse artillery units existed in armies in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, from the early 17th to t ...

, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to June 1864; 3rd Brigade, DeRussy's Division, XXII Corps, to July 1864; and 1st Brigade, DeRussy's Division, XXII Corps, to October 1865. On garrison duty along the East Coast post-war, the battery also participated in the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

at Wounded Knee.Haskin in ''The'' ''Army of the United States'', 311.

Detailed service

Defense of Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, April 12–13, 1861. Evacuation of Fort Sumter April 13. Reached Fort Hamilton, New York Harbor, April 19. Moved to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, June 3. Ordered to Washington, D.C., August 26, 1861. Duty at the federal arsenal and at Camp Duncan, defenses of Washington, until March 1862. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Battle of Seven Pines, May 31-June 1. Seven Days Battles before Richmond June 26-July 1. Savage's Station and Peach Orchard June 29. White Oak Swamp and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Moved to Fortress Monroe, then to Centerville August 16–28. Pope's Virginia Campaign August 28-September 2. Battle of Groveton August 29. Second Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6–22. Battle of Antietam September 16–17. Shepherdstown Ford September 19–20. At Sharpsburg until October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Virginia, October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, December 11–15. At Falmouth, Virginia, until April 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5. Gettysburg Campaign June 11-July 24. Aldie June 17. Middleburg June 19. Upperville June 21. Ashby's Gap June 21. Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3. Near Harpers Ferry July 14. Shepherdstown July 16. Bristoe Campaign October 9–22. Advanced to line of the Rappahannock November 7–8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Custer's Raid into Albemarle County February 28-March 1, 1864. Near Charlottesville February 29. Stannardsville March 1. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 8. Battle of the Wilderness May 5–7. Spotsylvania May 8–21. Milford Station May 21. Chesterfield May 23. North Anna River May 23–26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28. Totopotomoy May 28–31. Mechump's Creek May 31. Cold Harbor June 1–5. Sharp's Farm June 3. Moved to Washington, D.C., June 18. Garrison duty at

Fort Willard Fort Willard is a former Union Army installation now located in the Belle Haven area of Fairfax County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is currently undergoing preservation treatment to protect its earthen walls and trenches. Occupation of No ...

and

Fort Strong Fort Strong is a former U.S. Army Coast Artillery fort that occupied the northern third of Long Island in Boston Harbor. The island had a training camp during the American Civil War, and a gun battery was built there in the 1870s. The fort was ...

, defenses of Washington, D.C. until October 1865.

Later service

One of the most notable actions of Battery E, 1st U.S. Artillery was in support of the

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

James W. Forsyth James William Forsyth (August 8, 1834 – October 24, 1906) was a U.S. Army officer and general. He was primarily a Union staff officer during the American Civil War and cavalry regimental commander during the Indian Wars. Forsyth is best ...

7th U.S. Cavalry The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...

at the now-controversial engagement at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. The battery was commanded by Captain Allyn Capron and equipped with four Hotchkiss M1875 mountain guns which were used against the Wounded Knee encampment with devastating effect after the fight broke out. Some estimates report that as many as 200

Lakota Lakota may refer to: *Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: *Lakota, Iowa *Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County *Lakota ...

Indians were killed or wounded in the engagement, the majority of whom were women and children. The battery participated in the

Spanish-American War Spanish Americans ( es, españoles estadounidenses, ''hispanoestadounidenses'', or ''hispanonorteamericanos'') are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from Spain. They are the longest-established European American group in th ...

in Cuba in 1898, under the command of Captain Capron. In 1899, the battery was deployed to the Philippine Islands during the Philippine-American War; it remained there until 1901, when the unit was dissolved and reorganized as the First Battery, Field Artillery in the newly-organized Artillery Corps of the United States Army.

Commanders

* Captain Sylvester Churchill * Captain Henry Saunders *Captain Ebenezer Sibley * Captain James Henry Prentiss * Captain William Henry French * Captain Abner Doubleday *Captain

* Lieutenant Samuel Sherer Elder * Captain

1st 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 s ...

Egbert Worth Olcott * 1st Lieutenant Frank Sands French * Lieutenant Edward Alexander Duer * Captain Franck Eveleigh Taylor *Captain Tully McCrea * Captain Allyn Capron *Captain Henry Merritt Andrews

Notes

References

* Buel. Clarence C. and Robert U. Johnson. ''Battles and Leaders of the Civil War.'' Vol. 1. New York: The Century Company, 1887. *Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion.'' Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co., 1908. *Haskin, William L., ed. ''The History of the First Regiment of Artillery''. Portland, ME: B. Thurston and Company, 1879. *Haskin, William L.
The First Regiment of Artillery
" In Haskin, William L. and Theophilus F. Rodenbough. ''The Army of the United States.'' New York: Maynard, Merrill, & Co., 1896. *Heitman, Francis B. ''Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army''. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1903. *Randol, Alanson M. “From January, 1862, to August, 1864” in Haskin, William L., ed. ''The History'' ''of the First Regiment of Artillery.'' Portland, ME: B. Thurston and Company, 1879. {{CWR

External links

Battery E, 1st U.S. Light Artillery monuments at Gettysburg Battlefield
United States Regular Army Civil War units and formations U