The troops for this battery were recruited at Pittsburg, to serve for three years, and were organized on the 6th of November, 1861, with the following officers:

• James Thompson, Captain
  
• John P. Barry, Lieutenant
  
• James Stephenson, Lieutenant

Soon after its organization it was ordered to the front, and during the fall and winter succeeding, was carefully drilled. It was assigned to the Second Division, commanded by General Ricketts, of the Third Corps, General M'Dowell, which subsequently became part of General Pope's army.

When M'Clellan, with the major part of the Army of the Potomac moved to the Peninsula, in the spring of 1862, M'Dowell's Corps remained behind to cover Washington, and did not advance further south than the Rappahannock. When the safety of Washington became endangered by the threatening attitude which the rebel army assumed after the seven days' battle before Richmond, M'Dowell's Corps was pushed out to meet and check the rebel advance. Banks met a powerful division of that army under Jackson and Ewell, at Cedar Mountain, towards the close of the day, on the 9th of August, and a most sanguinary battle ensued. M'Dowell's corps came quickly to the support of Banks, Thompson's Battery arriving on the ground just at dark. As it was moving into position, the enemy opened upon it with canister. The infantry had formed between it and the enemy, preventing the use of canister, and Captain Thompson, accordingly replied with shells from his two twelve-pound howitzers, which, in a short time silenced the rebel fire. With his Parrott guns, he directed a hot fire upon the woods where the enemy held his supports. The fire was kept up until far into the night. On the following day, the enemy sent in a flag of truce, for permission to bury his dead, and afterwards retreated across the Rapidan. With Buford's Cavalry Brigade, the battery advanced to Robertson's River, on the 12th, and skirmished with the enemy, putting his cavalry to flight.

On the 21st, the battery was brought down to Rappahannock Bridge, and ordered to cross to the south bank, to the assistance of Captain Mathews, ofthe First Pennsylvania Artillery, who was being hard pressed by the enemy.As soon as Captain Thompson could get his guns into position, Mathews retired, and fire was opened, skirmishing being kept up during the entire day.On the following day there was occasional firing, but without loss.

At daylight on the 22d, the battery was ordered to retire across the railroad bridge,fears being entertained for its safety, on account of a sudden rise of the water.The howitzers moved with Hurtsuff's Brigade, and effected a crossing; but asthe Parrotts were about to follow, the enemy made his appearance, and openedupon them. Captain Thompson replied, causing the enemy to frequentlychange his position. Soon two brigades of infantry made their appearance,and upon these Thompson turned a part of his guns, keeping up a fire alsoupon the enemy's artillery. At the moment when the ammunition was exhausted, an order was received to retire across the bridge, which order wassuccessfully executed. The enemy came rapidly up, and soon made his appearance on the little eminence which had just been abandoned; but a few shellsfrom the howitzers sent him back.

Jackson finally turned the right of Pope, and came in upon his rear. To checkLongstreet, who was following hard upon the footsteps of Jackson, and if possible divide the rebel army, Ricketts was ordered to Thoroughfare Gap. Onnearing the Gap, Captain Thompson found the road through the woods obstructed. By the aid of the pioneers of the Ninth New York, the obstructions were cleared away, CaptainMathews having taken position with his battery in advance. General Ricketts ordered Captain Thompson to cross the creek with two guns, if practicable, and take position on the opposite side.This was effected, and a fire opened upon the enemy at three hundred yardsdistance. The skirmishers, who were in advance, were soon after obliged toretire, leaving the guns exposed to a severe fire from the rebel sharp-shooters,posted in trees and behind rocks. Seeing this, an order was sent to Thompsonto retire with his guns, which he succeeded in doing, with the loss of two menwounded, one missing, and one horse killed. The division retired at nighttowards New Market, the battery acting as rear guard upon the march.

During the fierce fighting at Bull Run on the 30th, the battery was orderedinto position on the right of the line occupied by the corps, and at ten A. M.,opened a sharp fire from the Parrott guns upon a rebel battery, posted in rear ofwoods opposite the centre, which was engaged in throwing shells with deadlyeffect. Captain Thompson had not been long in action, before the enemybrought a six-gun battery to bear upon his right flank, subjecting him to asevere cross-fire. Seeing that his position was untenable, and that the enemy'sinfantry was preparing to charge for the capture of his guns, he withdrew andtook position on the right of the line. At half-past three in the afternoon, thebattery was again brought into action on the right of the artillery, on a lineat right angles with Captain Mathews' Battery, with the design of delivering across-fire upon the rebel batteries.Soon the enemy's infantry was descried,advancing from the wood, and charging upon the guns on the crest in front.Captain Thompson at once opened with grape and canister upon these advancing lines, and twice their colors were shot down. But the Union batteries weresoon afterwards obliged to retire, their supports having been driven away,and in passing through the woods in his rear, Captain Thompson was flankedby the enemy's infantry, who opened a galling fire upon him, killing severalof the draught horses, cutting down and capturing the drivers, and compellinghim to abandon one Parrott and two howitzer guns, with limbers and horses.

At the Stone Bridge across Bull Run, Captain Thompson took position withone of his guns, and in conjunction with guns of other batteries hurriedly collected, covered the retreat, until all the Union forces had passed, when thebridge was destroyed by Colonel Kane, of the Bucktails. He then retiredwith the three guns which he had saved, to Centreville. The loss was tenwounded, a part of whom fell into the enemy7s hands. Lieutenant Stephensonwas among the severely wounded.

On the evening of September 1st, the battery was engaged in the fierce fighting at Chantilly, where it was supported by the Bucktails.

At the close of the campaign, the battery retired to Washington, and wasimmediately put upon the march through Maryland, to meet the enemy, whohad crossed the Potomac, receiving four ten-pound rifled guns from the Second Maine, at Rockville, while on the march. In the battle at South Mountain, on the 14th, it was engaged, but sustained no loss. On the morning of the 17th of September, the battery was brought into position upon the field at Antietam, and went into action upon the right of the line, with Duryea's Brigade, replying to a rebel battery upon the right front. Finding that a battery upon the left had gotten the exact range of his guns, Captain Thompson turned his fire upon it.

" Immediately afterwards," says Captain Thompson, in his official report, " I was ordered to advance, when I selected a little knoll in the centre of a corn-field, and coming into action, I observed the enemy's infantry advancing from the woods to our right. I at once directed my fire on them, using three, two, and one and a-half second fuse as they advanced, but was unable to use canister, as many of our men retiring, wounded, got in front of my guns. Finding at length, the remnants of the brigade retiring their ammunition exhausted-and the enemy already in the corn-field, within seventy-five yards of the battery, I retired to the rising ground in the centre of the grass-field, about two hundred yards in rear, and continued my fire.But finding that all of our division had gone, and that my men and horses were falling fast, I limbered up and moved off, just as fresh troops coming up, obliqued across the front of the battery into position for our relief."

One gun had to be abandoned for a few moments, on account of the loss of horses, untilother horses could return for it, when guns and limbers were brought off insafety. The loss was eleven men wounded, one mortally, and thirteen horseskilled.

In the re-organization of the army which took place under General Burnside, the battery was attached to the Second Division of the First Corps, with which it participated on the 13th of December, in the battle of Fredericksburg. At nine o'clock on the morning of that day, the corps having previously crossed the Rappahannock at the lower bridge, the battery was ordered into position in a corn-field to the right of the division, and opened fire upon the enemy,in the edge of the wood to the right, thus preventing him from flanking thedivision as it went forward. But a few rounds had been delivered, when thebattery was ordered to advance closer, and to the right. From the new position, a rapid fire was directed upon the enemy's infantry, though it was subjected to a galling cross-fire from the enemy's guns. To these, Captain Thompson refused to reply, until the infantry of the division had been compelled to fall back, when he turned upon them and continued his fire until ordered back, succeeding in the meantime, in exploding one of the enemy's ammunition chests.The loss was two men wounded, and two horses killed. One gun, and one gun carriage were disabled.

When General Hooker commenced his Chancellorsville campaign, towardsthe close of April, 1863, the First Corps was again sent to the lower crossingof the Rappahannock.Captain Thompson took position with his battery atdaylight on the 29th, near Purdy's Dam, to cover the troops while laying thepontoons, and the march in crossing. The fog was dense, but at seven A. M.,twelve rounds were fired upon parties of the enemy, fourteen hundred yardsaway. The following day was rainy, and quiet prevailed, until a little pastfive P. M., when the enemy opened with a battery of twenty-pounder Parrottguns upon the Union infantry, and Thompson promptly replied, and thoughsubjected to a cross-fire, continued the contest until dark.

The morning of the 2d of May, opened clear. and from eight, until half-past nine A. M., Captain Thompson engaged the enemy's batteries. At eleven, he moved with the corpsfor the support of Hooker at Chancellorsville, arriving at the front, and takingposition on the right of the army line at two A. M.; but at eleven was relievedand ordered to join the reserve artillery.

On the morning of the 5th, it recrossed the river, and took position to cover the pontoon bridge, which was threatened by the enemy, who had approached from below. At daylight of the 6th, the enemy was discovered throwing up earth-works on an oppositeeminence. Fire was opened upon him, to which he answered with two twenty-four pound howitzers, and several rifled guns posted to right and left. With the aid of Knap's Battery, Captain Thompson succeeded in blowing up the rebel caissons, silencing their guns, and compelling the gunners to run to cover of woods, leaving their pieces on the field. When the army had recrossed the river, and the last of the pontoons had been taken up, the battery retired and returned to camp. The loss was one man killed, and three wounded.Three horses were also killed.

In this battle, Captain Hampton, who commanded Independent Battery F,was killed, and his battery seriously disabled. So much reduced in numberhad both batteries become, that on the 3d of June, a special order was issuedconsolidating the two under command of the senior officer, Captain Thompson.It was then directed to report to General Tyler, in command of the artilleryreserve of the Army of the Potomac, and was by him assigned to M'Gilvery'sBrigade.

At five o'clock on the afternoon of the 2d of July, the second day ofthe battle of Gettysburg, the reserve artillery having come up in rear of thelines at Little Round Top, Colonel M'Gilvery ordered Captain Thompson toadvance with his battery to the support of General Sickles, who was alreadyengaged. It was accordingly brought into position at the angle of Sickles'line, in the Peach Orchard on the Emmettsburg Pike, two guns facing to thewest, and four to the south, and for the space of an hour was desperately engaged with the enemy's infantry and artillery. The enemy then made a determined advance, driving back the Union infantry, and leaving the batterywithout supports, at the same time capturing one of the guns facing to the west.The Union infantry, however, soon after rallied, and the gun was saved. Thebattery was then withdrawn a short distance, and again brought into action;but the pressure became too great to withstand, the enemy gaining ground rapidly, and it again retired with the loss of one gun. The loss in this briefstruggle was one killed, nine wounded, and four missing. Captain Thompsonhad one horse killed under him, and eighteen horses of the battery killed orwounded.

During the night, horses were supplied in place of those lost, and atfive o'clock on the morning of the 3d, it was again brought into position, onthe left centre of the general line of battle, with battery K, Fourth UnitedStates, on its right, and Fifteenth New York, (Hart's,) on its left. The groundat this point was low, and the enemy's guns on the commanding position infront and to the left, bore heavily upon it. But this was a vital part of theline and had to be defended. During the progress of the fierce artillery duelin the afternoon, the battery suffered severely, but held its ground, and defiantly answered shot for shot. The loss on this day was fourteen wounded.

Among these were Captains Thompson and Irish, and Lieutenants Stephenson,Hazlett, and Miller, the latter mortally. Special mention was made by Captain Thompson, in his official report, of the gallant conduct of Sergeant ThomasBrown. Of private Casper R. Carlisle, he says: "When the four lead horsesof one of the guns were killed, one wheel horse badly wounded, and driversalso wounded, he assisted me to disengage the traces of the dead leaders, under a heavy fire of musketry, (in the action of the 2d instant,) and mountingone of the wheel horses, took the gun off the field, thereby saving it. I recommends that a medal be granted him for his conduct on this occasion, and subsequent good conduct on the 3d instant."

Colonel M'Gilvery, says in his official report: " In conclusion, I feel it my duty to state, that the officers and men of my own brigade, and other batteries that served under me, during the two days' battle, behaved in the most gallant manner. * * * On the2d of July, when the battle raged most furiously, Thompson's, C and F, Pennsylvania Battery, contested every inch of ground, and remained on the fieldto the very last."

The battery was afterwards engaged in the affairs at Mitchell's Ford, onthe 15th of October, at Mine Run, on the 27th of November, and at Morton'sFord, on the Rapidan, on the 6th of February, 1864, but sustained only triflingloss in either.

In the spring of 1864, a sufficient number of recruits had been received, torenew the organization of the two batteries, which was accordingly effected,and on the 5th of April they were ordered from Camp Hancock, near BrandyStation, where the command had been stationed during the winter, to CampBarry, Washington, to re-fit and equip for active duty. They were, however,retained in the defenses north and south of Washington, and in the neighborhood of Harper's Ferry, until the 20th of June, 1865, when battery C was ordered to Pittsburg, where, on the 30th, it was mustered out of service.

Organization

Organized at Pittsburg November 6, 1861.
Moved to Washington, D.C., November, 1861.
Attached to Military District of Washington till May, 1862.
Ord's Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862.
2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862.
2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1863.
1st Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to November, 1863.
Artillery Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1864.
Camp Barry, Defences of Washington, 22nd Army Corps, to June, 1865.

Service

Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till May, 1862.
Duty at Front Royal, Catlett's Station, Warrenton and Waterloo, till August.
Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9.
Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 10-September 2.
Crooked Run August 12. Fords of the Rappahannock August 21-23.
Thoroughfare Gap August 28. Bull Run August 29-30.
Chantilly September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-24.
Battle of Antietam, Md., September 16-17.
Duty at Sharpsburg, Md., till October 30.
Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19.
Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15.
"Mud March" January 20-24, 1863.
At Falmouth and Belle Plains till April.
Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.
Operations at Pollock's Mill Creek April 29-May 2.
Fitzhugh's Crossing April 29-30. Chancellorsville May 2-5.
Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24.
Advance to line of the Rapidan September 13-17.
Bristoe Campaign October 9-22.
Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8.
Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2.
Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864.
Morton's Ford February 6-7.
Ordered to Defences of Washington and duty at Camp Barry and in Defences south of the Potomac till June, 1865. Mustered out June 30, 1865.

Losses

Battery lost during service 1 Officer and 2 Enlisted men killed and 21 Enlisted men by disease. Total 24.

Source:

Bates, Samuel P.History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, Harrisburg, 1868-1871.

Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion Compiled and Arranged from Official Records of the Federal and Confederate Armies, Reports of he Adjutant Generals of the Several States, the Army Registers, and Other Reliable Documents and Sources.Des Moines, Iowa:The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908

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