9th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment

Battery M in 1865

The 9th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment was a regiment in the American Civil War.

History

The regiment was originally mustered in on September 8, 1862 as the 138th New York Infantry Regiment, was quickly taken to Washington D.C. to be used in the defenses of the nation's capitol. On December 19, 1862, it was redesignated as the 9th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment. On February 5, 1863, an additional Company M was created within the regiment with the transfer of the 22d N.Y. Volunteer Battery. Company L was organized in Albany between November 4 and December 9, 1863.^[1]

Amongst the regimental commanders, William H. Seward, Jr. stands out as he is the son of then Secretary of State William H. Seward.

The Regiment was divided into three battalions. After the formation of the regiment, its duties were the protection of the capitol. After General Ulysses S. Grant took command of the Union Army, most of the troops defending the capitol, including the 9th New York Heavy Artillery, were called to bolster troop numbers. Beginning with in Cold Harbor, two of the battalions joined with the VI Corps and the Army of the Potomac, while one remained behind to guard the capitol.

Timeline

Defense of Washington D.C. (September 1862-May 1864)

• September 1862-August 1863: The Regiment stationed near Washington DC^[2] (Fort Bunker Hill, Fort Kearney, Fort Mansfield, and Fort Reno).

• August 1863-May 1864: Construction of Fort Foote.^[3][4]

May 18, 1864: Joined the Army of the Potomac

Overland Campaign (May through June 1864)

• May 26: Battle of North Anna

• May 26–28: On line of the Pamunky River

• May 28–31: Battle of Totopotomoy Creek^[5]

• June 1–12: Battle of Cold Harbor^[6]

• June 1–3: Bethesda Church

• June 18-July 6: Beginning of the Siege of Petersburg^[7]
• June 22–23: Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad Jerusalem Plank Road
• July 6–8: Move to Baltimore
• July 9: Battle of Monocacy^[8]

Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 (August 7 – November 28)

• August 21–22: Battle of Summit Point

• August 29: Battle of Summit Point

• September 19: Battle of Winchester

• September 22: Battle of Fisher's Hill

• October 19: Battle of Cedar Creek^[9]
• October through December: Duty at Kernstown
• December 3: Moved to Washington, D.C., then to Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg (December 1864-April 1865)^[10]

• March 25, 1865: Fort Fisher

Appomattox Campaign (March 28-April 9)

• April 2: Assault and fall of Petersburg^[11]

• April 5: Battle of Amelia Springs

• April 6: Battle of Sayler's Creek (also known as Sailor's Creek, Hillsman Farm, or Lockett Farm)

• April 9: Battle of Appomattox Court House: surrender of Lee and his Army

• April 17–27: Expedition to Danville
• April through June: Duty at Danville and Richmond
• June 8: Corps Review in Washington D.C.

Regiment losses

Regiment losses included 10 Officers and 204 Enlisted men killed or mortally wounded. 247 Enlisted men died by disease. The total deaths were 461 Total, not including wounded casualties.

Post War

After the war, the soldiers of the Regiment not eligible for discharge from service were transferred to the 2nd New York Volunteer Artillery Regiment. They formed four companies, I, K, L and M.^[12]

Further reading

Books

• Roe, Alfred Seelye "In a Rebel prison; or, experiences in Danville." Personal Narratives Rhode Island soldiers and sailors historical society 4th ser, no. 16, 1891.
• Roe, Alfred Seelye "Monocacy, a sketch of the battle of Monocacy, Md., July 9th, 1864", read before the Regimental reunion Oct. 19, 1894, in Weedsport, N. Y. Worcester: [F. S. Blanchard & co.] 1894.
• Roe, Alfred Seelye "The Ninth New York heavy artillery, a history of its organization, services in the defenses of Washington, marches, camps, battles, and muster-out, with accounts of life in a Rebel prison, personal experiences, names and addresses of surviving members, personal sketches, and a complete roster of the Regiment" Worcester, Mass.: Published by the author, 1899.
• Roe, Alfred Seelye "Richmond, Annapolis, and home." Personal Narratives Rhode Island soldiers and sailors historical society 4th ser, no 17, 1892.
• Roe, Alfred Seelye "The youth in the rebellion, address given before Geo. H. Ward post 10, G.A.R. in Mechanics hall, Worcester, Mass., June 3, 1883, by Alfred S. Roe" Worcester: Press of Charles Hamilton, 1883.
• "Recollections of Monocacy." Personal Narratives Rhode Island soldiers and sailors historical society 3d ser, no 10, 1885.
• Saunders, Lisa. Ever True: Civil War Letters of Seward's New York 9th Heavy Artillery of Wayne and Cayuga Counties Between a Soldier, His Wife and His Canadian Family. Heritage Books, 2004. More information is here www.authorlisasaunders.com/ (link opens new window)
• Snyder, Charles M. "A teen-age G.I. in the Civil war." New York History xxxv (1954) 14-31.

Websites

• http://www.petersburgbreakthrough.org/9thNYHA.htm
• http://www.fox300.com/regiments/regview.php?regID=2993
• http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unnyart1.htm
• http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/artillery/9thHeavyArty/9thHeavyArtyCWN.htm

References

External links

• The Ninth New York heavy artillery. A history of its organization, services in the defenses of Washington, marches, camps, battles, and muster-out … and a complete roster of the regiment. (1899) on the Internet Archive