Occupation of Winchester

Formed line of battle and moved into Winchester, which had been evacuated by Jackson. It was the first of dozens of times in the war Winchester would change hands.

Action at Newtown and Middletown

Marched to Strasburg and continued north but found a large body of Confederates blocking the advance three miles north of Strasburg and about a mile north of the turnpike’s crossing of Cedar Creek. After shelling the enemy for an hour the battery was forced to withdraw south to the high ground on the south side of Cedar Creek. The battery stayed here until dusk, firing at the Confederates, then in the darkness moved west around the Confederate flank and continued its march 22 miles to Winchester on side roads, which it reached around 1 a.m. Captain Hampton with the battery wagon, 18 men and a rearguard of cavalry were cut off and were forced to take the road to Romney out of the Valley in the mountains to the northwest. Lieutenant J. Presley Flaming would command the battery until Captain Hampton returned.

Battle of Winchester

Reached Winchester around 4 a.m.and took position on the left of the turnpike. The Confederates advanced on the town at dawn. After two hours of fighting one section under Lieutenant Irish was sent to a hill southwest of town. The Union line was forced to withdraw when it was outflanked, and the battery acted as a rearguard during the retreat, firing canister point blank into pursuers. Six men were wounded by small arms, none seriously. The battery retreated 24 miles to Martinsburg that night. Corporal Wallace was killed while blowing up the fort to keep it out of Confederate hands.

White Sulphur Springs

The battery lost William Hastings mortally wounded, with both legs shot off, and two men wounded in an artillery duel across the Rappahannock which drove off the Confederate artillery.

2nd Battle of Bull Run

Took position on the extreme right of the line. After an intense duel with three enemy batteries drove off enemy skirmishers. In late afternoon moved to the support of General Milroy, opening fire at point blank range on attackers from Confederate General Law’s brigade. The far left gun became jammed against a stump and could not be withdrawn, and was abandoned to the attackers by order of General Milroy. Corporal Henry Hess was shot in the head and killed as the limber withdrew.

During the withdrawal an enemy line emerged from the woods, and the battery unlimbered a fired double-shooted canister into them, halting their advance, before continuing its withdrawal. A gun broke its axel crossing a ditch, but was saved by slinging it from a limber. The battery joined 80 Union guns in a massed battery in he rear of the Union line while the disabled gun was moved to the rear. After the fighting died down at dusk the battery removed a short distance to the rear to bivouac.

2nd Battle of Bull Run (continued)

Took position in line with McDowell’s Corps. After three hours of fighting the entire army began too fall back. The battery withdrew as part of an orderly column across the Stone Bridge at Bull Run and about 5 miles to Centerville. After a hat to let Porter’s Corps pass by they continued to fall back to east of Centerville, where the battery bivouacked.

Chantilly

The right section was engaged, then moved to Alexandria at the close of the battle.

Battle of Antietam

The battery brought four 10-pounder Parrott Rifles and 79 men to the field. It was placed on the right of the Union line and given the task of keeping a part of the Confederate line free of artillery. The guns opened at around 7 a.m., and the battery successfully accomplished its orders, firing 217 rounds into the area around the Dunker Church and losing 3 men wounded.

Chancellorsville Campaign

Battle of Chancellorsville

Took position next to Knap’s Battery on rising ground at the intersection about 250 yards from the Chancellor House. The battery was heavily engaged in the afternoon in support of Geary’s Division.

Battle of Chancellorsville (continued)

Posted on a ridge behind Chancellorsville becoming part of a grand battery of 34 guns posted along Fairview Ridge to stem Jackson’s advance. Engaged during the day holding off Confederate attacks. At night the line entrenched.

Battle of Chancellorsville (continued)

Early in the morning the Union position at Hazel Grove was overrun and guns there were turned against the rest of the line. Confederate flanking fire raked the Union batteries. Captain Hampton was mortally wounded, struck by a shell which severed his leg and almost cut his horse in two. He was taken to the rear but would die in less than an hour. The fighting continued for another hour as the batteries were instructed to ignore the heavy fire from Hazel Grove and concentrate on the advancing Southern infantry, buying time for the extended and partially surrounded Union forces to withdraw to safety. Finally the Federal batteries were withdrawn, low on ammunition and with their teams and crews being picked off. Lieutenant Irish covered the withdrawal with his section, firing while withdrawing by prolongue in good order.

In addition to Captain Hampton one enlisted man was killed and seven wounded, three seriously. One caisson was exploded and a second disabled, and the loss of 30 horses killed or disabled forced the abandonment of a third caisson. Lieutenant Fleming took over command of the battery, which was taken to the rear.

Gettysburg Campaign

The battery moved north from Falmouth in response to Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania.

Battle of Gettysburg

The battery reached Taneytown, just south of the Gettysburg battlefield. The combined Batteries F&C were commanded by Captain James Thompson. They brought six 3″ Ordnance rifles to the field.

Battle of Gettysburg (continued)

The battery went into position in the Peach Orchard in support of Sickles’ 3rd Corps. Two guns were faced west and four faced south. When Longstreet’s attack was launched in the afternoon the battery fought for an for at the apex of the Union salient. The battery was eventually forced to withdraw, leaving one gun behind whose team had been killed which would be recovered after the battle. Fourteen men were killed or wounded in the Peach Orchard. Captain irish, serving as aide to Artillery commander Lieutenant Colonel Freeman McGilvery, was struck on the thigh by a solid shot but refused to leave the field until order to do so, then returned on the morning of July 3.

The battery made a fighting withdrawal to the line set up by Lt. Colonel McGilvery on Cemetery Ridge. It stayed in that position until nightfall, at which time it was out of ammunition and was withdrawn.

It was during this fighting withdrawal that Casper R. Carlisle of Battery F earned the Medal of Honor when he saved a gun of the battery under heavy musketry fire, most of the horses being killed and the drivers wounded.

From the monument:

From June 3 1863 to March 25 1864 Batteries F and C served as a consolidated battery. July 2. Occupied this position from about 5 to 6 O’Clock p.m. July 3. With the left centre on Cemetery Ridge on left of First Volunteer Brigade Reserve Artillery marked by tablet. 24 men from Battery F were detailed to Battery H 1st Ohio Artillery posted in the cemetery during the battle.

Battle of Gettysburg (continued)

The battery was moved to the center of the Union line in support of the 2nd Corps just south of the Copse of Trees where it helped repel Pickett’s Charge. Captain Thompson was wounded and Lieutenant Joseph L. Miller and six enlister men were mortally wounded (see monument below).

A third monument along Hancock Avenue on the Gettysburg battlefield marks the location of the battery on July 3:

Position occupied Indp’t Pa. Art’y F
Hampton’s Battery, July 3 A.D. 1863

Organized at Pittsburgh, Pa. Oct. 8th 1861.
Mustered out of United States Service June 24, 1865

On this field the following members fell
Joseph L. Miller
Jos. B. Todd – Adam Rath
Jacob Keirch – Hugh Purdy
John H. Herbert – Cha’s. R. Bright
And eleven men were wounded