1861

Battery I was organized at Buffalo, NY, from a German American militia battery attached to the 65th New York State Militia under Captain Michael Wiedrich.

 

October 16: Left Buffalo for Albany, NY.

 

November 15: Left Albany for Washington and duty in the defenses of that city, attached to Blenker’s Division, Army of the Potomac.

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1862

 

March 10: Advance on Manassas, VA, attached to 3rd Brigade, Blenker’s Division, II Corps, Army of the Potomac.

 

March 11-24:  At Fairfax Court House, VA.

 

April: Joined General Fremont in western Virginia, and in the pursuit of Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley attached to 3rd Brigade, Blenker’s Division, Mountain Department.

 

June 1: Near Strasburg, VA.

 

June 5: At Union Church, VA.

 

June 8: Battle of Cross Keys, VA. The battery lost 1 killed and 6 wounded in its baptism of fire against Stonewall Jackson's Louisiana Tigers.

 

June 9: Near Port Republic, VA.

 

June-August: At Sperryville, VA, attached to Reserve Artillery, I Corps, Army of Virginia.

 

August 16-September 2: Pope’s Northern Virginia Campaign.

 

August 20-23: Fords of the Rappahannock. Skirmish at Waterloo Bridge, Freeman's Ford, the battery lost 2 killed and 3 wounded. 

 

August 23-24: At Sulphur Springs, VA.

 

August 27-29: Vicinity of Manassas, VA.

 

August 30: Second Battle of Bull Run. The battery lost 15 wounded, including Lieutenant Schenkelberger, who lost his leg to a shell fragment. Only one gun was effective by the end of the battle. While all guns were brought off the field, several caissons and limbers were lost.

 

September: Duty in the defenses of Washington, attached to Artillery Battalion, 3rd Division, XI Corps, Army of the Potomac. The battery was re-fitted with 6 three-inch Ordnance Rifles and 40 recruits.

 

October: Re-assigned to Artillery Battalion, 2nd Division, XI Corps.

 

December 10-16: March to Fredericksburg, VA.

 

December 17-31: Duty at Falmouth and Brook’s Station, VA.

 

1863

 

January 1-April 26: Duty at Falmouth and Brook’s Station.

 

January 20-24 : “Mud March,” an attempted advance by the Army of the Potomac along the Rappahannock River that failed due to the conditions of the roads and mismanagement.

 

April 27-May 6: Chancellorsville Campaign.

 

May 1-5: Battle of Chancellorsville, VA. The battery suffered 4 killed, 10 wounded and two guns captured.

 

May: Attached to Artillery Brigade, XI Corps. The battery refitted near Brooke’s Station and received men who still had time to serve from the mustered-out 2nd New York Independent Battery.

 

June 12: Left camp at Brooke’s Station, VA, on the Gettysburg Campaign.

 

July 1-3: Battle of Gettysburg, PA. The battery brought 141 men and 6 Ordnance Rifles to the field and lost 3 men killed and 10 wounded. Two sections of the battery were placed on East Cemetery Hil, while one section under Lieutenant Christopher Schmidt took position on the west side of the hill. The battery was taken under fire by a Confederate sharpshooter firing from a steeple in town, who wounded Lieutenants Nicholas Sahm and Christian Stock, and several enlisted men. Finally, against orders, they fired a shell at the steeple, silencing the sniper.

The assault by Hays’ Confederate Brigade late on July 2nd led to hand-to-hand fighting among the guns with rammers, sponge-staffs and stones. One set of Confederate colors was planted on one of the battery’s lunettes before its bearer was knocked down with a handspike and the flag captured. The next day, July 3rd, the battery withstood the great Confederate artillery barrage that preceded Pickett’s Charge on Cemetery Ridge. The battery is honored by a monument on Cemetery Hill.

 

July 5-24: Pursuit of Lee's army towards Virginia.

 

August-September: Near Bristoe Station, VA. Ordered to Western Theater.

 

September 24-October 3: Movement by rail to Bridgeport, AL. Attached to Artillery Brigade, XI Corps, Dept. of the Cumberland.

 

October 26-29: Participated in the reopening of the Tennessee River, 

 

October 28-29: Battle of Wauhatchie, Lookout Valley, TN.

 

November 23-27: Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign.

 

November 23-24: Battle of Lookout Mountain, TN.

 

November 25: Battle of Missionary Ridge, TN.

 

November 28-December 17: March to relief of Union forces at Knoxville, TN.

 

1864

 

January: At Bridgeport, AL, attached to Artillery Battalion, 2nd Division, XI Corps.

 

March: Capt Wiedrich was promoted to lieutenant colonel and transferred to command of 15th New York Heavy Artillery. First Lieutenant Nicholas Sahm was promoted to captain and took command of the battery.

 

April: Attached to the Artillery Battalion, 1st Division, XX Corps, Army of the Cumberland.

 

May - September: Atlanta Campaign. Captain Sahm died of typhoid and First Lieutenant Schmidt resigned. First Lieutenant Charles E. Winegar of Battery M, 1st New York Light Artillery, was promoted to captain and transferred to command Battery I.

 

May 7-12: Battle of Rocky Faced Ridge, GA (including Tunnel Hill, and Buzzard’s Roost Gap).

 

May 14-15: Battle of Resaca, GA.

 

May 17-18: Battle of Adairsville, GA.

 

May 19: Battle of Cassville, GA.

 

May 23-25: Advance on Dallas, GA.

 

May 25: Battle of New Hope Church, GA.

 

May 25-June 5: Operations along Pumpkin Vine Creek, including Battles of Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills, GA.

 

June 10-July 2 : Operations around Marietta, GA, and Kenesaw Mountain.

 

June 11-14: Battle of Pine Mountain, GA.

 

June 15-17: Battle of Lost Mountain, GA.

 

June 15: Battle of Golgotha Church, GA.

 

June 17: Battle of Muddy Creek, GA.

 

June 19: Battle of Noyes’ Creek, GA.

 

June 22: Battle of Culp’s Farm, GA. The battery fired canister and case shot at very close range, and was key to the repulse of a

determined Confederate infantry attack. One battery member killed.

 

June 27. Assault on Kenesaw Mountain, GA.

 

July 4: Battle of Ruff’s Mill - Smyrna, GA.

 

July 5-17: Operations crossing the Chattahoochee River.

 

July 19-20: Battle of Peach Tree Creek. One killed.

 

July 22-August 25: Siege of Atlanta, GA attached to Artillery Brigade, XX Army Corps. One killed, one died of wounds.

 

August 26-September 2: Operations at Chattahoochee River Bridge

 

September 2-November 15   Occupation of Atlanta.

 

November 15-December 10: "March to the Sea," aka Savannah Campaign. Battery I returned to the Artillery Battalion, 1st Division, XX Corps,

which was transferred to the new Army of Georgia. One member of the battery was killed by bushwhackers while foraging during the march to Savannah, GA.

 

December 10-21: Siege of Savannah. Based on Argyle Island in the Savannah River, the battery engaged a Confederate gunboat and two tenders, sinking the gunboat and one tender.

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1865

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January to April: Carolinas Campaign.

 

February 2: Skirmish at Lawtonville, SC.

 

March 16: Battle of Averysboro, NC.

 

March 19-21: Battle of Bentonville, NC.

 

March 24: Occupation of Goldsboro, NC.

 

April 14: Occupation of Raleigh, NC.

 

April 26: Surrender of Confederate General Joseph Johnston and his army near Durham, NC.

 

April 29-May 20: March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, VA.

 

May 24: Grand Review, Washington, D.C.

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June 23: Mustered out.