Pennsylvania Independent Battery C

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > Artillery, Cavalry & Engineers

Pennsylvania Independent Battery C lost 1 officer and 2 enlisted men killed and 21 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
November 6 Organized at Pittsburgh under Captain James Thompson and Lieutenants John P. Barry and James Stephenson as the Second Maryland Battery, with men from western Pennsylvania and Maryland.
November Moved to Washington, D.C. Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C. attached to Military District of Washington
1862
May Attached to Ord’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock. By this time Captain Thompson had successfully lobbied to change the name of the battery to “Thompson’s Independent Pennsylvania Battery.”
May-August Duty at Front Royal, Catlett’s Station, Warrenton and Waterloo
June Attached to 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia
August 9
Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 10-September 2 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 12 Crooked Run
August 21-23 Fords of the Rappahannock
August 28 Thoroughfare Gap
August 29-30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1
Battle of Chantilly
September 6-24 Maryland Campaign. Attached to 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam
September-October Duty at Sharpsburg, Md.
October 30-November 19 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February-April At Falmouth and Belle Plains
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Pollock’s Mill Creek
April 29-30 Fitzhugh’s Crossing
May The State of Pennsylvania officially changed the name of the battery to “Independent Battery C”
May 2-5
Battle of Chancellorsville
June Attached to 1st Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac.
June 3 The survivors of Captain Hampton’s Pennsylvania Independent Battery F were combined with Battery C, under Captain Thompson’s command.
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The combined batteries were commanded by Captain James Thompson. They brought six Ordnance rifles to the field.

From the monument:

From June 3 1863 to March 25th 1864 Batteries C&F served as a consolidated battery.

July 2. Occupied this position from about 5 to 6 O’Clock p.m. July 3rd. In position on right of First Volunteer Brigade Reserve Artillery and engaged the enemy.

Present at Gettysburg (Consolidated Battery C&F) 105 officers and men. Died of wounds 1 man. Wounded 3 officers and 7 men. Captured or missing 3 men. Total loss 14.
September 13-17 Advance to line of the Rapidan
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock. Attached to Artillery Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
1864
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan at Morton’s Ford
March Separated from Pennsylvania Independent Battery F and ordered to Defenses of Washington and duty at Camp Barry and in Defenses of Washington South of the Potomac, 22nd Army Corps
1865
June Mustered out