OR XLVI P1 #181: Report of Bvt. Major Christian Woerner, 3rd NJ Btty, Mar 30-Apr 3, 1865

No. 181. Report of Bvt. Major Christian Woerner, Third Battery New Jersey Light Artillery.¹

HEADQUARTERS THIRD NEW JERSEY BATTERY,
Petersburg, Va., April 5, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report the operations of my battery from March 30 to the evacuation of Petersburg as follows:

On March 30 four guns of my battery were in position in Fort Haskell, and two in reserve in the caisson camp; nothing worthy of remark has occurred on that day about Fort Haskell. On the 1st instant, according to directions received, I opened and kept up a steady fire from the four guns in Fort Haskell on the enemy’s works on Cemetery and Spring Hills from 11.30 p. m. until 2 a. m. of 2nd instant, and from 4 to 9 a. m. of the 2nd instant; not a single shot was fired from the enemy’s works in response. From 1 to 5 p. m. of 2nd instant I kept up fire against a mortar battery of the enemy near Fort Mahone, who were shelling the forts captured by our troops. From 5 p. m., April 2, to the evacuation of this town nothing worthy of record has occurred in fort Haskell. The two guns of my batter in camp were held in reserve near the Avery house from the night of the 1st till the morning of the 3rd of April prepared for any service.

No casualties have occurred during the above mentioned time in my battery, and the expenditure of ammunition during the same time was as follows: 74 rounds of solid shot; 215 rounds of spherical case; 9 rounds of shell.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHRISTIAN WOERNER,
Brevet-Major U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

Lieutenant THOMAS HEASLEY,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

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