United States Regiments & Batteries > Rhode Island


The Second Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 9 officers and 111 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 74 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg

1861
June Organized at Providence under Colonel John Slocum, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Wheaton and Major Sullivan Ballou
June 19 Left State for Washington, D.C.
June At Camp Sprague, Washington, D. C. attached to Burnside’s Brigade, Hunter’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeast Virginia
July 16-21 Advance on Manassas, Va.
July 21
Battle of Bull Run

The regiment lost 28 killed, 56 wounded and 30 missing. Colonel John Slocum and Major Sullivan Ballou, Captains Levi Tower and Samuel J. Smith were killed, and Lieutenants Stephen Arnold and Henry C. Cook were wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Frank Wheaton took command of the regiment and was promoted to colonel to replace Colonel Slocum.

August At Camp Sprague and Brightwood, Defences of Washington attached to Couch’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac
October Attached to Couch’s Brigade, Buell’s Division, Army Potomac
1862
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Army Potomac
March 11-15 March to Prospect Hill, Va.
March 26 Embarked at Alexandria, Va., for the Peninsula
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown
May 5
Battle of Williamsburg
May 9 Slatersville, New Kent C. H.
May 31-June 1
Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines
June 25-July 1 Seven days before Richmond
June 25 Oak Grove near Seven Pines
June 29 James River Road near Fair Oaks
June 30
White Oak Swamp
July 1
Malvern Hill
July-August At Harrison’s Landing
August 5-6 Reconnoissance to Turkey Island
August 8-11 To Haxall’s Landing
August 15-September 1 Movement to Alexandria
September 3-18 March into Maryland. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army Potomac
September 23-October 20 At Downsville
October Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps
October 20-November 18 Movement to Stafford C. H.
December 5 To Belle Plains
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations about Franklin’s Crossing
May 3 Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg
May 3-4
Salem Heights
May 4 Banks’ Ford
June 5-13 Deep Run Ravine or Franklin’s Crossing
July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Colonel Horatio Rogers. It brought 409 men to the field, losing one killed, five wounded and one missing.

July 10-13 Funkstown, Md.
July-September At Warrenton, Va.
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7 Rappahannock Station
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
December At Brandy Station
1864
March Attached to 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps
May-June Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spottsylvania Court House
May 12 Assault on the Salient
May 23-26
North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Cold Harbor
June 11 Old members left front for muster out
June 17 Old members mustered out
June 17-18 Before Petersburg
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road
June 24
Siege of Petersburg
July 9-11 Moved to Washington, D.C.
July 11-12
Repulse of Early’s attack on Washington

Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division

August – December Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)
September 22-December 1 Garrison duty at Winchester
December 2-6 Moved to Petersburg, Va. and Siege of Petersburg attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army Potomac
1865
February 5-7
Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 25
Fort Fisher, Petersburg
March 28-April 9
Appomattox Campaign
April 2 Assault on and fall of Petersburg
April 3-9 Pursuit of Lee
April 23-27 Expedition to Danville
May 20-June 7 Moved to Washington via Richmond
June 8 Corps Review
July 13 Mustered out