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[Illustration: Capt. Jeffrey Hazard.]




                                  THE

                          HISTORY OF BATTERY H

             _FIRST REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND LIGHT ARTILLERY_

                    IN THE WAR TO PRESERVE THE UNION
                               1861–1865


                                   BY

                              EARL FENNER


                      _ILLUSTRATED WITH PORTRAITS_


                               PROVIDENCE
                        SNOW & FARNHAM, PRINTERS
                                  1894




         Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1893
                             BY EARL FENNER
    in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.




                        To the Surviving Members

                                   OF

                               BATTERY H.

                                 AND TO

      OUR COMRADES WHO ANSWER TO THE ROLL CALL ON THE OTHER SHORE

                               THE AUTHOR

                  AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBES THIS BOOK.

[Illustration]

------------------------------------------------------------------------




                                PREFACE.


On the 27th of June, 1891, a meeting of the surviving members of Battery
H was called in the City of Providence, R. I., and the writer was
appointed historian, and authorized and empowered to prepare a history
of the battery.

Fully realizing the magnitude of such an undertaking, and making no
pretense of special fitness for the task imposed upon him, yet he
entered upon the work with a determination to make a faithful record of
every event connected with the Battery so far as he was able to do with
the materials at hand. From daily memoranda kept during the entire
service of the Battery in the War for the Union, and from consultation
with reliable works relating to the Rebellion, this history has been
prepared, and to their aid the writer is greatly indebted for the
accuracy of the work.

He fully appreciates the kindly services rendered by Adjutant-General
Elisha Dyer and his assistants, and valuable material furnished by
Captain Hazard, Sergeant Cheever, Corporal Paul and others whose names
are not mentioned here, and to whom he is under many obligations.

Trusting that this work will be appreciated by those who take an
interest in the great struggle through which we passed for national
existence, I shall feel amply repaid if it merits the approbation of the
patriotic citizens of our State and country.

                                                            EARL FENNER.

 OCTOBER, 1894.




                               CONTENTS.


                               CHAPTER I.

                                                                   PAGE.

 Formation of Battery H—Camp Mauran—On to Washington—Camp Barry     1–10


                               CHAPTER II.

 Camp Barry—Artillery Drill—March to Fairfax Station—First Death
   in the Battery—Union Mills                                      11–14


                              CHAPTER III.

 Battles of Chancellorsville and Salem Heights—Battery H Ordered
   to Chantilly and Afterwards to Fairfax Court House—Return to
   Camp Barry—Picket Duty at Fairfax Seminary—Moved to Vicinity
   of Fort Scott                                                   15–27


                               CHAPTER IV.

 Again in Camp Barry—Batteries Reviewed by President
   Lincoln—Battery H Assigned to the Ninth Corps                   28–34


                               CHAPTER V.

 Battery H with the Ninth Corps Moves towards Fairfax Court
   House—March to the Rapidan—Battles of the Wilderness and
   Spottsylvania—Battery Ordered to Washington                     35–46

                               CHAPTER VI.

 Life at Fort Richardson—Moved to Fort Smith and Stationed
   there—Battery Equipped again and sent to City Point             47–52


                              CHAPTER VII.

 Battery H Proceeds to Petersburg and Encamps near Fort
   Tracy—Life in the Trenches—Rebel Attack on Fort Stedman
   Repulsed                                                        53–61


                              CHAPTER VIII.

 Forward Movement of the Army of the Potomac—Capture of
   Petersburg and Richmond—Pursuit of Lee’s Army—Battle of
   Sailor’s Creek                                                  62–72


                               CHAPTER IX.

 Pursuit of Lee’s Army still continued—Surrender of the Army of
   Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House—Sixth Corps March
   to Danville                                                     73–84


                               CHAPTER X.

 Return to City Point—March to Richmond—From thence to
   Washington—Returning Homeward—Muster-out                        85–95

 Memoirs                                                          97–156

 Roster                                                          157–192

 Roster of Temporarily Attached Men                              193–196

 Mortuary Record                                                 197–199




                             ILLUSTRATIONS.


                                                                   PAGE.

 Capt. Jeffrey Hazard                                      Frontispiece.

 Map of Washington and its Defences                          On page  10

 Lieut. Charles F. Mason                               Opposite page  12

 Brevet Lieut.-Col. Crawford