The 1st NY Light Artillery, Battery A

The Artillery Representation of Herkimer County


From "History of Herkimer County, New York" by F.W. Beers & Co., New York. 1879

Battery A of the 1st light artillery was composed of men raised in Herkimer county. It was organized at Utica, and accepted October 9th, 1861. It went via Harrisburg to Baltimore, and from there into camp of artillery instruction at Camp Barry, Washington. It was mounted soon after and assigned as Battery A, 1st New York artillery regiment. On the 22nd day of March 1862, it was attached to General Casey's division, 4th corps, which embarked at Alexandria April 1st, 1862, and landed at Newport News, near Fortress Monroe, and joined the Army of the Potomac. The battery was engaged at the siege of Yorktown; marched up the peninsula with the Army of the Potomac, and engaged with the enemy at Bottom's Bridge. On the 31st of May, 1862, it participated in the battle of Fair Oaks, in which it had one hundred horses killed and in consequence the battery, with all its camp and garrison equipage, was captured by the enemy.

The Company having become reduced to about one-half of its original number, Captain Bates was detailed on the 15th of June, 1862, to recruit a new company under the old organization. The remaining members of the company were attached to Battery H, 5th New York artillery and to the 7th and 8th New York batteries. Captain Bates returned to Utica about the 1st of August, raised a new company and reported with it to Brigadier-General Barry, chief of artillery at Washington, about the 1st of February, 1863. The battery was mounted and equipped anew, and placed in Camp Barry, Washington, where it remained until the 14th of July, 1863, when it was ordered to Philadelphia by the Secretary of War to guard against riots. From that day until the battery was mustered out of service it was employed in Pennsylvania and on the borders to prevent raids into that state. It was in the Middle department, in Major-General Sheridan's command. During its service it was engaged in the siege of Yorktown, and the battles of Williamsburg, Bottom's Bridge, Fair Oaks and Chambersburg.

The field and staff officers of the regiment were:

Colonel, Guilford D. Bailey
Lieutenant-Colonel, Henry E. Turner
Major, Charles S. Wainwright
Major, Luther Kieffer
Major, David H. Van Valkenburg
Adjutant, William Rumsey
Quartermaster, Edward L. Bailey
Surgeon, Franklin Evarts

Captain Bates's company included:

Sergeant, Hezekiah H. Kingsbury: Little Falls
Corporal, Barnard De Paine: Little Falls

Privates:

Henry Andrews: Little Falls
John W. Betterby: Little Falls
Horace N. Boyer: Little Falls
Dwight Broderick: Little Falls
Nathan Burgess: Winfield
David J. Churchill: Little Falls
Oscar Crist: Mohawk
David Dugert: Little Falls
Andrew J. Edick: Little Falls
William Ellis: Little Falls
William D. Everson: Little Falls
Giles Hall: Little Falls
Irving M. Hammond: Little Falls
Jacob J. Heckman: Little Falls
Hiram H. House: Little Falls
George W. Morell: Little Falls
Daniel O' Brien: Little Falls
David B. Owens: Schuyler
Charles H. Perkins: Starkville
Charles Reed: Little Falls
Isaac B. Richmond: Little Falls
William A. Rittnour: Little Falls
George S. Scullen: Little Falls
Charles S. Sharp: Little Falls
Albert F. Smith: Little Falls
Henry G. Smith: Little Falls
Isadore V. Smith: Little Falls
Henry G. Taylor: Little Falls
Volney E. Woffle: Mohawk




Battery A's roster was typed by Maggie Coletta, who also typed up other artillery rosters (coming soon). Great job as usual! Maggie sent us another battery of the 1st NY Lt Artillery, Battery K. Battery K, also called Company K, was organized in Fort Plain, Montgomery County, a month after Battery A.




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Last Updated: 10/3/97
Copyright ©1997, 1998, 1999 Martha S. Magill/ Maggie Coletta
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