1st Connecticut Light Artillery Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Connecticut

The First Connecticut Light Artillery lost 1 officer and 3 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 11 men wounded, 21 enlisted men died of disease, and 4 men discharged disabled during the Civil War.

1861
October 26 Organized at West Meriden and mustered in
1862
January 13 Left State for New York on the steamship Elm City
January 21 Captain Alfred P. Bockwell took command of the battery, which embarked late that day on the ship Ellwood Walter
Janury 27 Ellwood Waller leaves New York for Hilton Head, S.C.
February 4 Arrived at Hilton Head
February 5 Proceeded up the Broad River to Beaufort, S.C.
Februry 6 Battery landed at Beaufort.
February – April

Duty at Hilton Head, S. C.

Attached to Sherman’s expeditionary corps
April Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. of the South
May 31-June 28

Expedition to James Island and operations against Charleston, S.C.
June 16
Battle of Secessionville

Although several horses were killed the battery suffered no casualties.
May 28-July 7

Evacuation of James Island and movement to Hilton Head, S.C.

Assigned to District of Beaufort, S. C., Dept. of the South.
September 30-October 13

Expedition to St. John’s Bluff, Fla.

Assigned to District of Beaufort, S.C., 10th Army Corps, Dept. of the South
October 21-23 Expedition to Pocotaligo
October 22 Frampton’s Plantation, Pocotaligo
November Duty at Hilton Head and at Beaufort, S.C.
1863
June Moved to Folly Island, S.C. and assigned to United States forces Folly Island, S.C., 10th Corps, Dept. of the South
June One section embarked on the steamship Governor Milton with Colonel Higginson’s First South Carolina Volunteers (Colored) to destroy the Pompon River railroad bridge. The Governor Milton ran aground on its return from the unsuccessful mission, and the two guns were sunk in the river to prevent capture.
July 9-16

Expedition to James Island
July 10 Williston Bluff, Pon Pon River
July 16 Action on James Island
July-April

Siege operations against Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island and against Fort Sumter and Charleston, S.C., from Folly Island
December 46 of the men reenlisted as Veterans
1864
April, 18-23 Moved from Folly Island, S.C., to Gloucester Point, Va. on the transports General Meigs and Ella Knight, and assigned to Artillery, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina
May 4-June 21

Butler’s operations on south side of the James and against Petersburg and Richmond
May 10 Chester Station
May 12-16
Operations against Fort Darling
May 14-16
Battle of Drewry’s Bluff
May 14
Proctor’s Creek

The battery lost Lieutenant George Metcalf and Private Wilmot killed and ten men wounded.
May 17-June 21

On the Bermuda front
June 16-17
Port Walthal
June 16

Siege operations begin against Petersburg and Richmond
June 21 Moved to Deep Bottom, Va.
July 21 & 27-28
Actions at Deep Bottom
August 14-18
Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom
August 25 Moved to Petersburg front and duty in trenches before that city attached to Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Corps
September 28 Moved to Deep Bottom
September 29-30
Battle of Chaffin’s Farm, New Market Heights
October-April

Duty in trenches before Richmond
November The battery exchanged its six pounder James Rifles for twelve pounder Napoleon guns due to the difficulty in obtaining rifled ammunition.
December Assigned to Artillery Brigade, 25th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia
1865
April 3 Occupation of Richmond
April-June

Duty at Richmond and Manchester
June 11 Mustered out at Manchester
June 14 Returned to New Haven