United States Regiments & Batteries > New York
“1st Excelsior Light Artillery”
The battery lost 4 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 13 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.
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1861
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| Organized at New York City. The battery was raised to serve with Daniel Sickles’ Excelsior Brigade and was referred to as the 1st Excelsior Light Artillery. | |
| November 8 | Mustered in under Captain Elijah Taft, a state legislator and militia officer. |
| November 16 | Left State for Washington, D.C. |
| November | Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C. attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac |
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1862
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| March | Peninsula Campaign |
| April 5-May 4 |
Siege of YorktownFirst Sergeant Russell Durando was wounded |
| May | Attached to Artillery Reserve, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
| May 31-June 1 |
Battle of Seven Pines or Fair OaksPrivate Edwin Flynn was wounded |
| June 25-July 1 | Seven days before Richmond |
| June 26 | Battle of Mechanicsville |
| June 29 | Savage Station |
| June 30 | White Oak Swamp and Glendale |
| July 1 | Malvern Hill |
| July-August | At Harrison’s Landing |
| August 16-24 | Moved to Alexandria |
| September 6-22 | Maryland Campaign. Attached to Reserve Artillery, 5th Army Corps |
| September 16-17 |
Battle of AntietamPrivate Michael Ryan was wounded |
| September-October | Duty in Maryland |
| October 29-November 19 | Movement to Falmouth, Va. |
| December 12-15 |
Battle of Fredericksburg |
| December | Attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac |
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1863
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| January 20-24 | “Mud March” |
| February-April | At Falmouth |
| April 27-May 6 | Chancellorsville Campaign |
| May 1-5 |
Battle of Chancellorsville |
| May | Attached to 2nd Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac |
| June 3-July 31 | Gettysburg Campaign |
| July 1-3 |
Battle of GettysburgCommanded by Captain Elijah D. Taft, the batter brought 146 men and six 20-pounder Parrott Rifles to the field, losing 1 man killed and 2 wounded. From the marker: July 2. Arrived and halted in park about 10:30 a.m. Moved to the cemetery at 3:30 p.m. and engaged from 4 p.m. until dark. Four guns south of and facing Baltimore Pike firing on a Confederate battery on Benner’s Hill. Two guns firing westwardly. July 3. Engaged at intervals in same position until 4 p.m. One gun on Baltimore Pike having burst, the other three relieved the section firing westwardly. Remained in this position until close of battle.” Privates Anton Thalheimer and Adolph Wittenberg were mortally wounded on July 3, Thalheimer dying on July 4 and Wittenberg on September 3 at Summit House General Hospital in Philadelphia. Private John Begg was mortally wounded by the accidental explosion of a caisson, dying in a field hospital in Gettysburg on July 7. |
| July-October | On line of the Rappahannock |
| October 9-22 | Bristoe Campaign |
| November 7-8 | Advance to line of the Rappahannock |
| November 7 | Rappahannock Station |
| November | Attached to 1st Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve |
| November 26-December 2 | Mine Run Campaign |
| November 30 |
Mine RunPrivate George Woods was wounded and was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps in April of 1864 |
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1864
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| March | Attached to 2nd Brigade, Artillery Reserve |
| May 3-19 | Campaign of the Rapidan. Attached to Artillery Brigade, 5th Army Corps |
| May 5-7 |
Battle of the Wilderness |
| May 8 | Laurel Hill |
| May 8-21 |
Battle of Spotsylvania Court HousePrivate James Lyon was captured at Hawkins Church, Va., and died of disease in captivity in Anderson Prison on September 10. Private Thomas Newman was killed in action on May 18 and Privates James Biggs and August Zehorsh were wounded on May 17 and 18 |
| May 15-19 | Ordered to Washington |
| May 19 | Duty in the Defenses of attached to DeRussy’s Division, 22nd Army Corps, Dept. of Washington |
| July 11-12 | Repulse of Early’s attack on Washington |
| July | Attached to Artillery Brigade, 6th Army Corps |
| August 7- November 28 |
Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Attached to Artillery, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps, Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division |
| September 19 |
Third Battle of Winchester |
| September 22 |
Battle of Fisher’s HillPrivate Michael Ryan was wounded for the second time |
| October 19 |
Battle of Cedar Creek |
| October | Duty in the Shenandoah Valley and in the Dept. of West Virginia |
| December | Attached to Artillery Brigade, 19th Army Corps |
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1865
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| February | Attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Shenandoah |
| July 6 | Mustered out under Captain Taft at Hart’s Island, New York Harbor |