The 2nd Connecticut Light Artillery Battery, was recruited from Connecticut and served in 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 ...

between September 10, 1862 and August 9, 1865 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 ...

Service

The 2nd Light Battery, under the command of Captains

John W. Sterling John William Sterling (May 12, 1844 – July 5, 1918) was a founding partner of Shearman & Sterling LLP and major benefactor to Yale University. Early life and career John William Sterling was born in Stratford, Connecticut, the son of Cath ...

and Walter S. Hotchkiss was organized in

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

in August 1862 and mustered into the U.S. Service for three years, or the war on September 10. On October 15, it left for

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

via

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

where it remained encamped until December 12.Unknown (2004), p. 85. The Battery then moved to

Fairfax Courthouse The Historic Fairfax County Courthouse is one of the oldest buildings in Fairfax, Virginia. It was constructed in 1799 to serve as the seat of government in Fairfax County. During the American Civil War, the first Confederate officer casualty of t ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, Casey's Division, under the command of General Stoughton. Near the end of January 1863, it moved to

Wolf Run Shoals Wolf Run Shoals was an important crossing point on the Occoquan River in northern Virginia between Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and Richmond, Virginia, Richmond during the 18th and 19th centuries. It consisted of three islands and a mill, now ...

, forming part of the defences of Washington until June 25, when it reported to General Tyler, commander of the artillery reserve,

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal 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 surrender of the Confedera ...

.Unknown (2004), p. 85. During the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

the Battery was positioned to the left of the center for fifty-six hours, and was fortunate having only three men slightly wounded.Unknown (2004), p. 85. After the battle it moved to Frederick City, then to Washington, arriving on August 20. On August 22, it embarked for

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 served there while the draft was taking place. It then returned to Washington on January 24, 1864, then proceeded to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, where it embarked for

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

for service in the

Department of the Gulf The Department of the Gulf was a command of the United States Army in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. History United States Army (Civil War) Creation The department was co ...

.Unknown (2004), p. 85. For a time, the Battery was stationed at Brashear City, with one section at Thibodeaux; then proceeded to

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

, and on July 30, embarked on transport for

Dauphin Island Dauphin Island is an island town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, on a barrier island of the same name, in the Gulf of Mexico. It incorporated in 1988. The population was 1,778 at the 2020 census, up from 1,238 at the 2010 census. The t ...

, Mobile Harbor. There it was engaged in assisting the fleet under Farragut during the reduction of Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan after which it returned to Algiers then went into winter quarters in New Orleans.Unknown (2004), pp. 85–86. During the winter it was stationed at the mouth of the White River, Kennerville and Greenville, Louisiana, at Fort Morgan, Alabama, and from March 11 to 20, at Barrancas and Pensacola, Florida.Unknown (2004), p. 86. Following Pensacola it marched through the Black swamp to Fort Blakely, Alabama, and on April 9, 1865, witnessed the fall of that stronghold. It continued to serve in the

, returning home in July, where it was mustered out at

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

, on August 9, 1865.Unknown (2004), p. 86. The Battery served almost three years during which it had marched and travelled about used up 205 horses.Unknown (2004), p. 86.

Casualties

Its losses were one killed, three wounded, eighteen died of disease and accidents, eight were discharged for disability – a total of thirty.Unknown (2004), p. 86.

Notes

References

* *

Bibliography

* Unknown. (2004). ''Civil War Regiments from Connecticut''. eBooksOnDisk.com {{ISBN, 1-932157-28-X. Artillery units and formations of the American Civil War Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865

Service

Casualties

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography