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3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Battery C

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this unit’s role at the Siege of Petersburg?  Please contact us using the Contact button in the menu at the top of the screen.  We are happy to exchange information with other researchers.

Note: This unit is incorrectly designated as Battery C of the Third Rhode Island “Light” Artillery in the June organizational tables in the Official Records and possibly elsewhere, but there was no 3rd Regiment of Light Artillery for the state of Rhode Island.  The correct designation is Battery C of the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, which will be used across this site.  It would appear from the official report of operations on October 7, 1864, linked to near the bottom of this page, that company C was acting as light artillery.  The designation used in the report is “Light Company C, 3rd Rhode Island Artillery.”

Muster In: ?1
Muster Out: Mustered out June 9, 1865.2

Commander(s):
Captain Martin S. James
Commander Image

Lieutenant William A. Sabin
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | First Division | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army3,4

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
    • 2 x 12-lb. Field Howitzer, 4.62″ bore (March 31, 1864)5
    • 4 x 3-inch Ordnance Rifles (March 31, 1864)6

Second Offensive Order of Battle: (Artillery Brigade | First Division | X Corps) ? | Army of the James | Union Army7,8

  • Commander: Captain Martin S. James (June 30, 1864)9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | First Division | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army10,11

  • Commander: Captain Martin S. James (July 31, 1864)12
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army13,14

  • Commander: Captain Martin S. James (August 31, 1864)15
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army16,17,18

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army19

  • Commander: Captain Martin S. James (October 31, 1864)20
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: This battery does not appear to have participated in the Battle of Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road on October 27-28, 1864 because it is not listed in the Union casualty returns for that battle.21

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle:

Artillery Brigade | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (November 1-December 3, 1864)22

Artillery Brigade | XXV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (December 3-31, 1864)23

  • Commander: Captain Martin S. James (December 31, 1864)24
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: On December 3, 1864, the X Corps and XVIII Corps of the Army of the James were reorganized into the XXIV Corps and the XXV Corps.

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | XXV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army25,26

  • Commander:
    • Lieutenant William A. Sabin (January 31, 1865)27
    • Captain Martin S. James (February 28, 1865)28
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | XXV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army29,30

  • Commander: Captain Martin S. James (March 31, 1865)31
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles32:

  • On Bermuda Hundred front May 17-June 15.
  • Appomattox River May 28-31 and June 5.
  • Before Petersburg June 15-19.
  • Siege of Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865.
  • Demonstration on north side of the James August 13-20, 1864.
  • Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18.
  • Laurel Hill August 17.
  • Chaffin’s Farm September 28-30.
  • Darbytown and New Market Roads October 7.
  • Fort Burnham December 10 and January 24, 1865.
  • Fall of Petersburg and Richmond April 2-3.
  • Duty in the Dept. of Virginia until June.

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3): The first piece of information in Dyer’s Compendium simply states, “Attached to Sherman’s Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862.” ↩
    2. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    3. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), p. 234 ↩
    4. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 553 ↩
    5. Volume 3 (Ordnance Returns for the First Quarter, January-March, 1864); 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Battery C Entry, Page 151; Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867, 1870-1876. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1281, Roll 1); Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, 1797-1969, Record Group 156; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.: Not many returns exist for June 30, 1864, and none exist past that, so I’ve made the decision to include the March 31, 1864 ordnance return data in the absence of better information.  I’ll add more immediate reports of tube numbers and types as they are found. ↩
    6. Volume 3 (Ordnance Returns for the First Quarter, January-March, 1864); 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Battery C Entry, Page 151; Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867, 1870-1876. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1281, Roll 1); Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, 1797-1969, Record Group 156; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.: Not many returns exist for June 30, 1864, and none exist past that, so I’ve made the decision to include the March 31, 1864 ordnance return data in the absence of better information.  I’ll add more immediate reports of tube numbers and types as they are found. ↩
    7. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), p. 234 ↩
    8. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 553: However, page 555 shows the same unit as belonging to the Artillery Brigade of the XVIII Corps.  More research is needed. ↩
    9. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 553 ↩
    10. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), page 263 ↩
    11. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738 ↩
    12. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738 ↩
    13. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 620: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864” ↩
    14. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 120: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces (August 1864)”: Incorrectly referred to as “3rd Rhode Island Light”, Battery C. ↩
    15. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 620: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864” ↩
    16. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1303. ↩
    17. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 134: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces (September-October 1864)” ↩
    18. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 145: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces (September-October 1864)” ↩
    19. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 466: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)” ↩
    20. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 466: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)” ↩
    21. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 150: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces…Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Va., October 27-28, 1864” ↩
    22. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    23. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1127: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864) ↩
    24. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1127: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864) ↩
    25. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 337: “Organization of the Union Forces” (January 31, 1865) ↩
    26. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 751: “Organization of the Union Forces” (February 28, 1865) ↩
    27. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 337: “Organization of the Union Forces” (January 31, 1865) ↩
    28. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 751: “Organization of the Union Forces” (February 28, 1865) ↩
    29. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 580: “Organization of the Union Forces” (March 31, 1865) ↩
    30. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 597: “Return of casualties in the Union Forces commanded by Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, March 29-April 9, 1865” ↩
    31. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 580: “Organization of the Union Forces” (March 31, 1865) ↩
    32. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩

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