13th Massachusetts Battery | |
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Active | November 3, 1862 – July 28, 1865 |
Country | United States |
Branch | Union Army |
Type | Field artillery |
Size | Battery |
Part of | In 1864: Artillery, 1st Division, XIX Corps |
Engagements | American Civil War |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Captain Charles H. J. Hamlin |
The 13th Massachusetts Battery (or 13th Battery Massachusetts Light Artillery) was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was organized at Camp Meigs near Boston during the fall of 1862. Its members were mustered in at various times over the fall and the officers mustered into federal service on November 3, 1862. [1] It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf commanded by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and departed Massachusetts by steamship on January 20, 1863. [2]
The journey was delayed by storms and the loss of 60 horses due to rough treatment from the heavy seas. [3] The unit disembarked at Fortress Monroe, remained in the vicinity for six weeks, then resumed their voyage which was further delayed by calms. The battery reached New Orleans on May 10 and remained quartered there until the beginning of June. On June 5, 1863 the unit turned their horses over to the 12th Massachusetts Battery and departed New Orleans to take part in the Siege of Port Hudson. They were assigned to operate four siege mortars, a type of heavy artillery not typically used by units of light artillery. The kept up continual fire of these guns for 31 days, along with other artillery units, until the city surrendered on July 9. [4]
On August 31, 1863, the 13th Massachusetts Battery returned to New Orleans. Due to losses from disease and desertions, the battery numbered just 50 men fit for active duty after the Siege of Port Hudson--about one-third of its original strength. [3] [5] Due to their low numbers, the battery was merged for a time with the 2nd Massachusetts Battery, becoming an auxiliary of that unit. With the 2nd Massachusetts Battery, they participated in the Second Bayou Teche Campaign intended to clear western Louisiana of Confederate forces and gain a foothold in Texas in the fall of 1863. [4] They took part in numerous skirmishes and advancing as far as Opelousas, Louisiana and then joined in the retrograde movement, falling back to New Iberia, Louisiana. After the close of the campaign, the 13th Massachusetts went into winter quarters in Franklin, Louisiana. [3]
On February 18, 1864, the men of the 13th Massachusetts Battery were transferred to the 6th Massachusetts Battery and again transferred a few weeks later to Battery L, 1st United States Light Artillery. As an auxiliary to this unit, they participated in the Red River Campaign, a failed attempt to advance Union forces up the Red River and into Texas. The members of the battery were involved in several engagements during this campaign and suffered casualties during the Battle of Pleasant Hill. [6] At the close of the campaign, the battery returned to New Orleans on June 29, 1864. Two days later, on July 1, they were re-supplied with four field guns and restored as an independent unit. That month they were posted at Camp Parapet just outside of New Orleans where they remained until after the end of the war. [5]
The 13th Massachusetts Battery returned to Massachusetts in July 1865 and was mustered out on July 28. The regiment did not have any men killed in combat but lost 26 dead due to disease. [7]
The 53rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment recruited in Massachusetts for service in the American Civil War. The volunteers, mostly farmers, predominantly hailed from north-central Massachusetts.
The Unattached Companies of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia were units of infantry raised for the defenses of the eastern coast of Massachusetts during the American Civil War. Twenty-six companies were mustered into the Union Army during 1864-1865, several of them reorganizing for additional terms of service.
The 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment was a unit that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized from already mustered unattached companies of heavy artillery raised for the defenses of the Massachusetts coast.
The 1st Battalion of Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery was a unit that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized from several unattached companies of heavy artillery already raised and mustered into a three-year service for the defenses of the Massachusetts coast.
The 41st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was a three-year infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was recruited as part of Governors Banks' and Andrew's recruitment drives to supply the union with a military force to hold and expand Union control of the lower Mississippi. In the late winter/early spring of 1863, it was converted to mounted infantry and later to cavalry. On its conversion in June 1863 at Port Hudson, it was disestablished and re-established as the 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry.
The 17th Massachusetts was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The 3rd Massachusetts Battery, was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The 40th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a three-year infantry regiment of the Union Army that served in the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, the Army of the Potomac, and the Department of the South during the American Civil War.
The 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized by consolidating the 41st Massachusetts Mounted Infantry and the 2nd Battalion Massachusetts Cavalry on June 17, 1863. The regiment served with the XIX Corps, Army of the Gulf during the Red River Campaign in 1864. Its heaviest combat during this campaign took place during the Battle of Sabine Crossroads.
The 1st Massachusetts Battery was a peacetime militia artillery battery that was activated for federal service in the Union army for two separate tours during the American Civil War. Prior to the war and during its first term of service, the unit was sometimes known as "Cook's Battery" after its commanding officer, Capt. Asa M. Cook. During its first term, the battery primarily served garrison duty in Baltimore, Maryland. Almost immediately after mustering out, the unit began preparing for a second term, this time volunteering to serve for three years. The battery was attached to the VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac during its second term and took part in some of the largest battles of the war including the Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign in the spring of 1864.
The 2nd Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union army during the American Civil War. The unit was initially known as "Cobb's Light Artillery" for its first commander, Major Moses Cobb. An experienced officer of the Massachusetts militia, Cobb was selected to organize and command the battery on April 20, 1861, however he did not go with the unit when it departed for the field. The unit was later known as "Nim's Battery" after its subsequent commanding officer, Capt. Ormand F. Nims. It was one of the Massachusetts regiments organized in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call on May 2, 1861, for volunteer troops to serve a term of three-years. The 2nd Massachusetts Battery was the first unit of artillery to be recruited in Massachusetts for three-years service. The battery trained at Camp Adams in Quincy, Massachusetts, and was mustered into federal service on July 31, 1861.
The 4th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was sometimes known as "Manning's Battery" after its commanding officer, Capt. Charles H. Manning. It was one of the Massachusetts regiments organized in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call on May 2, 1861 for volunteer troops to serve a term of three-years. The core of the unit was a peace-time militia company known as the Salem Light Artillery. The battery trained at Camp Chase in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf under Major General Benjamin F. Butler and departed Boston by steamship on November 20.
The 5th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union army during the American Civil War. It was one of the Massachusetts regiments organized in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call on May 2, 1861 for volunteer troops to serve a term of three-years. The battery trained at Camp Shouler in Lynnfield, Massachusetts and Camp Massasoit in Readville, Massachusetts. It departed Boston by steamship on December 25, 1861.
The 6th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was one of the Massachusetts regiments organized in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call on May 2, 1861 for volunteer troops to serve a term of three-years. The battery trained at Camp Chase in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf under Major General Benjamin F. Butler and departed Boston by steamship on February 8, 1862. At that time, the unit comprised 145 men armed with two rifled and four smoothbore six-pounder field guns.
The 7th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The original core of the unit was a company of infantry known as the Richardson Light Guard. The company initially served provost duty at Fortress Monroe, was eventually trained in light artillery drill, and reorganized on March 17, 1862 as the 7th Massachusetts Battery.
The 11th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's August 1862 call for 300,000 men to serve for nine months. Several months after completing their first term of service, the battery was reorganized for a second term of three years. It was recruited by Captain Edward J. Jones of Boston and consisted almost entirely of men from that city. The battery served a largely uneventful first term as garrison troops mostly in Centreville, Virginia. During their second term they were involved in heavy combat being part of the Army of the Potomac during Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign.
The 12th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was organized at Camp Meigs near Boston during the fall of 1862. Its members were mustered in at various times over the fall and the officers mustered into federal service on December 8, 1862. It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and departed Massachusetts by steamship on January 3, 1863.
The 14th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized during the winter of 1863 - 1864 at Camp Meigs just outside of Boston. It was commanded by Captain Joseph W. B. Wright of Boston and consisted mostly of men from that city. The enlisted men were mustered into federal service on February 27, 1864. They departed Massachusetts on April 4, 1864, arrived at Annapolis and then moved to Camp Marshall in Washington, D.C. On April 22 and 24 they were outfitted with field guns and horses but had virtually no time to train in light artillery tactics before they were assigned to the IX Corps of the Army of the Potomac and joined Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign.
The 15th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was organized partly at Camp Chase in Lowell, Massachusetts and partly at Fort Warren during the winter of 1862-1863. The majority of its members were mustered into federal service on February 17, 1863. It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf commanded by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and departed Massachusetts by steamship on March 9. During its term, the unit suffered from a large number of desertions and gained an unfortunate reputation despite the service of its many loyal members.
The 16th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The last battery of light artillery sent by Massachusetts, it was organized during the late winter of 1864 at Camp Meigs just outside of Boston. The battery was commanded by Captain Henry D. Scott of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The majority of enlisted men and officers were mustered into federal service on March 11, 1864. They departed Massachusetts on April 19, 1864, arriving at Washington of April 21. The unit was directed to Camp Barry just outside Washington and was there outfitted with 3-inch field guns and horses. It was assigned to the XXII Corps in the defenses of Washington. Serving primarily in the fortifications around Washington, the battery never saw active combat.