No. 168. Report of Lieutenant Jacob Federhen, Battery A, Massachusetts Light Artillery, of operations June 12-July 11.1
CAMP BATTERY A, MASSACHUSETTS ARTILLERY, August 23, 1864.
SIR: +
The battery then [June 13] moved with the brigade, crossing the Richmond and York Railroad near Tunstall’s Station, thence crossing the Chickahominy at or near Jones’ Bridge on pontoons, and marched to James River, crossing on the 15th of June on pontoon bridge near Wilcox’s Landing. The battery remained on the south bank of the James until 9.30 p.m. of the 16th, when it marched with the brigade to near Petersburg. On the 18th the battery took position south by east of Petersburg, a little north of railroad to City Point. On the night or afternoon of the 19th expended four solid shot on the town in direction of the depot, and on the 20th expended eight solid shot at a train of cars and the depot. The battery sustained no loss, save the slightly wounding of one horse. Battery was relieved on the 21st, and then moved with the brigade to the left of the line on the Jerusalem plank road. Battery was in position on the Jerusalem road near Jones’ house from the night of the 22nd to the night of the 24th, and then relieved until the 27th, when it again took position near the Jerusalem road and remained there until the afternoon of the 29th, when it moved with the brigade to Reams’ Station, on the Weldon railroad, and went into position near the depot.
On the night of June 30 returned from Reams’ Station to Jerusalem plank road, and on the 2nd day of July took up its old position near Jones’ house, where it remained until 9 p.m. of July 9, and then marched with the brigade to City Point, Va., from whence it embarked on the night of the 11th for Washington on steamer Hero of Jersey.
I have also the honor to report that Captain McCartney is now away on leave, and as I was wounded on the 10th of May of Spotsylvania,
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+For portion of report [here omitted] covering operations from May 4 to June 12, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p.762.
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and sent to hospital in Georgetown, I cannot give so full an account of the battery’s movements from the fact that I have but just joined the command.
J. FEDERHEN,
Lieutenant, Commanding Battery A, Massachusetts Artillery.
Lieutenant E. N. WHITTIER,
Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Artillery Brigade, Sixth Corps.
Source:
- The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), pages 515-516 ↩
FYI – There is a book published about Lieutenant Jacob Federhen’s younger brother, WFO Federhen. He wrote a memoir about being a federal prisoner.
Amazon: Thirteen Months in Dixie recounts Federhen’s always thrilling and occasionally horrifying ordeals as a starving prisoner. The captured artillerist tried his hand at escaping several times and faced sadistic guards and vicious hounds before finally succeeding. But his ordeal was just beginning.