United States Regiments & Batteries * U.S. Regulars


Battery E is referenced on a War Department marker at Antietam and honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
January Stationed at Fort Sumter, S. C.
April 12-13
Defense of Fort Sumter
April 13 Evacuation of Fort Sumter
April 19 Reached Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Harbor
June 3 Moved to Chambersburg, Pa. and attached to General Patterson’s Army, Department of Pennsylvania
August 26 Ordered to Washington, D.C.
August 28 Arrived Washington, D.C., having marched to Hagerstown and moved by rail via Harrisburg and Baltimore. Duty at Arsenal and at Camp Duncan, Defenses of Washington.
October Attached to Hooker’s Division, Army of the Potomac
1862
February Attached to Battery G, 1st Artillery
March Attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula.
April 5-May 4

Siege of Yorktown

May Attached to 2nd Brigade, Artillery Reserve, 5th Army Corps, Army Potomac
May 31-June 1
Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines
June 26-July 1
Seven days before Richmond
June 29
Savage Station and Peach Orchard
June 30 White Oak Swamp and Glendale
July 1
Malvern Hill
July-August At Harrison’s Landing
August 16-28 Moved to Fortress Monroe, then to Centerville
August 28-September 2 Pope’s Virginia Campaign
August 29
Battle of Groveton
August 30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September 6-22 Maryland Campaign. Attached to Artillery, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

Battery E was commanded by Lieutenant Alanson M. Randall. It was armed with four 12-pounder Napoleons.

From the marker on the Antietam battlefield:

Early in the afternoon of the 17th, Battery E, 1st U.S. Artillery, crossed the Antietam by the Middle Bridge and relieved Robertson’s Battery (B and L, 2d U.S. Artillery) which was in position on a knoll about 80 yards south of this point. It opened a fire of spherical case on the flank of one of the Confederate Batteries on Cemetery Hill compelling it, apparently, to retire beyond the range of its guns. As the position was an unfavorable one for the use of Artillery and subjected to an annoying fire of the Confederate skirmishers, the Battery was withdrawn and recrossed the Antietam.

September 19-20 Shepherdstown Ford
October At Sharpsburg. Attached to Artillery, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps
October 29-November 19 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 11-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
December At Falmouth, Va.
1863
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5
Battle of Chancellorsville
May Attached to 2nd Regular Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac
June Attached to 2nd Brigade, Horse Artillery, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac
June 11-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign

June 17 Aldie
June 19 Middleburg
June 21 Upperville
June 21 Ashby’s Gap
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The battery brought 84 men to the field under Captain Alanson M. Randol. It brought four 12-pounders to the field and suffered no casualties.

From the monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield:

July 1&2 With First Brigade Second Cavalry Division. Not engaged.

July 3 One section under Lieut. James Chester was ordered to Second Brigade Third Cavalry Division and took position west of the Low Dutch Road and with Brig. General Custer’s Second Brigade Third Division Cavalry Corps was hotly engaged in repelling the attack of Major General Stuart’s Confederate Cavalry Division. The one section under Lieut. Ernest L. Kinney remained near the Hanover Road.

July 14 Near Harper’s Ferry
July 16 Shepherdstown
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign

1864
February 28-March 1 Custer’s Raid into Albemarle County
February 29 Near Charlottesville
March 1 Stannardsville
May 4-June 8

Rapidan Campaign

May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 21 Milford Station
May 23 Chesterfield
May 23-26
North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31
Totopotomoy
May 31 Mechump’s Creek
June 1-5
Cold Harbor
June 3 Sharp’s Farm
June 18 Moved to Washington, D.C.
June Garrison duty at Forts Willard and Strong, Defenses of Washington, D.C. until end of war. Assigned to 3rd Brigade, DeRussy’s Division, 22nd Army Corps
July Assigned to 1st Brigade, DeRussy’s Division, 22nd Army Corps
December 23 Captain Randol was appointed colonel of the 2nd New York Cavalry.