1st Battery Mounted Artillery
Was organized at Portland, Me., Dec. 18th, 1861, and on the following day went to Camp Chase, Lowell, Mass., where it remained until Feb. 6th, 1862, and left Boston on the 8th for Ship Island, Miss., landing there March 10th.
On the 15th of May it arrived in New Orleans, and immediately entered upon patrol and garrison duty, which it performed until Oct 1st, when it was assigned to Brig. Gen. Weitzel’s reserve brigade at Carrolton.
On the 24th of the same month the battery embarked on transports for Donaldsonville, and on the 27th, participated in the engagement at Labadieville, after which it went into camp near Thibodeaux, where it remained until Jan. 11th, 1863, and on that day proceeded towards Pattersonville on the Teche, where, on the 14th, it was, throughout the whole day, constantly engaged with the enemy. The Battery afterwards returned to Thibodeaux, and thence to Brashear City.
On the 12th and 13th of April the Battery was engaged with the enemy at Bisland, and on the 27th at Port Hudson, where it lost 1 man killed and 13 wounded, also 13 horses killed.
Immediately after the fall of Port Hudson, where it was under fire more or less every day, the Battery embarked for Donaldsville, where it took a prominent part in the engagement of the 13th of July, losing 1 man killed and 15 wounded, also 16 horses killed.
On the 3d of August the Battery arrived at Baton Rouge, and on the 18th of September it was assigned to Gen. Franklin’s Army Corps, and encamped near New Iberia.
On the 29th day of December, every man present for duty with the Battery, re-enlisted for three years, under War Department order authorizing such re-enlistment of men who had served three years, the muster-in taking place Jan. 1st, 1864.
The Battery arrived in New Orleans on the 20th of January, and on the 10th of February the re-enlisted men came North on a furlough of thirty days, arriving at Augusta, Me., on the 22d, where they rendezvoused on the 22d of March, remaining until April 4th, when the Battery moved to Portland, leaving there on the 15th for Annapolis, Md., having been assigned to Gen. Burnside’s Corps.
On its arrival at Annapolis, on the 19th the Battery was ordered to Washington, D. C., where, on the 12th of July, it assisted in repelling the rebel forces under Gen. Early at Fort Stevens, and on the 30th was assigned to the 19th Army Corps.
On the 19th of September it took a prominent part in the action at Winchester, Va., and at Strasburg on the 22d, and on the 25th, bivouacked at Harrisionburg, remaining until Oct. 5th
The casualties in the Battery in the several engagements from the 19th to the 26th of September, were 2 killed and 7 wounded.
On the 5th of October the Battery proceeded on the return march to Cedar Creek, Va., where it arrived on the 10th, and on the 19th, participated in the severe engagement at that place, resulting in the complete rout of the enemy.
The Battery lost in that engagement, 2 enlisted men killed, 1 officer and 16 enlisted men wounded, and 8 men taken prisoners, also 49 horses killed.
On the 9thy of November the Battery moved from Cedar Creek to Winchester, where it remained until Jan. 14th, 1865, when it proceeded to Manchester, Va.
On the 14th of April it returned to Winchester, and there remained in camp until July 9th, when it embarked for Portland, Me., arriving on the 13th, where, on the 15th of July, it was mustered out and discharged the U. S. service by Capt. C. Holmes, U. S. A., in accordance with orders from the War Department.