The 5th Independent Battery, New York Volunteer Light Artillery or 5th New York Independent Light Artillery ("1st Excelsior Light Artillery") was an artillery

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service

The battery was organized at New York City,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on November 8, 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 ...

Elijah D. Taft. The battery was attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to May 1862. Unattached, 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 Army ...

, Army of the Potomac, to September 1862. Reserve Artillery, V Corps, to December 1862. Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to May 1863. 2nd Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to November 1863. 1st Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, to March 1864. 2nd Brigade, Artillery Reserve, to May 1864. Artillery Brigade, V Corps, May 15–19. DeRussy's Division, XXII Corps, Department of Washington, to July 1864. Artillery Brigade,

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army dur ...

, to August 1864. Artillery, 1st Division, XIX Corps, Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to December 1864. Artillery Brigade, XIX Corps, to February 1865. Artillery Reserve, Army of the Shenandoah, and Department of West Virginia, to July 1865. The 5th New York Light Artillery mustered out of service on July 6, 1865.

Detailed service

Left New York for Washington, D.C., November 16, 1861. Duty in the defenses of Washington, D. C., until March 1862. Peninsula Campaign March to August 1862. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks May 31-June 1. Seven Days Battles before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battle of Mechanicsville June 26. Savage's Station June 29. White Oak Swamp and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Moved to Alexandria August 16–24. Maryland Campaign September 6–22. Battle of Antietam September 16–17. Duty in Maryland until October 29. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12–15. "Mud March" January 20–24, 1863. At Falmouth until April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5. Gettysburg Campaign June 3-July 31. Battle of Gettysburg July 1–3. On line of the Rappahannock until October. 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. Campaign of the Rapidan May 3–19, 1864. Battle of the Wilderness May 5–7. Laurel Hill May 8. Spotsylvania May 8–12. Spotsylvania Court House May 12–19. Ordered to Washington May 19, and duty in the defenses of that city until July. Repulse of Early's attack on Washington July 11–12. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Third Battle of Winchester September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty in the Shenandoah Valley and in the Department of West Virginia until July 1865.

Casualties

The battery lost a total of 17 men during service; 4 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 13 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Captain Elijah D. Taft *

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 ...

John V. Grant - commanded at the Third Battle of Winchester

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * {{CWR

External links