1st New York Light Artillery / Battery B

Regimental History and Service Record

"Empire Battery"

(Information received from one of our visitors indicates that this unit was known as "Pettit's Battery", not "Empire Battery". Also, that this unit was actually organized in Baldwinsville, NY on August 24 1861.)

Organized at Elmira, N.Y., and mustered in August 30, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., October 31, 1861, and duty in the Defenses of that city until March, 1862. Attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, November, 1861, to March, 1862. Artillery, 1st Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May, 1862. Artillery Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, to May, 1863. 1st Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to July, 1863. Artillery Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, to July, 1863. 2nd Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Brigade, Army of the Potomac, to December, 1863. Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to January, 1864. 1st Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to May 16, 1864. Artillery Brigade, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1865.

SERVICE.--Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15, 1862.

• March 17-September 2, 1862 - The Peninsula Campaign
  • April 5, 1862 - Skirmish near Lee's Mill, Virginia
  • April 5-May 4, 1862 - Siege of Yorktown, Virginia
  • May 31-June 1, 1862 - Battle of Seven Pines, Virginia
  • June 25-July 1, 1862 - The Seven Days Battles before Richmond, Virginia
    • June 25, 1862 - Engagement at Oak Grove, Virginia
    • June 27, 1862 - Engagement at Gaines's Mill, Virginia
    • June 29, 1862 - Battle of the Peach Orchard, Virginia
    • June 29, 1862 - Engagement at Savage's Station, Virginia
    • June 30, 1862 - Engagement at White Oak Swamp, Virginia
    • June 30, 1862 - Engagement at Glendale, Virginia
    • July 1, 1862 - Engagement at Malvern Hill, Virginia

At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to Alexandria, thence to Centreville August 16-30. Near Centreville September 1. Germantown Road September 2.

• September 3-20, 1862 - The Maryland Campaign
  • September 17, 1862 - Battle of Antietam, Maryland

Duty at Harper's Ferry September 22 to October 29. Reconnaissance to Charlestown October 16-17. Advance up Loudoun Valley and movement to Falmouth, Va., October 20-November 17. Snicker's Gap November 2. Falmouth November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Duty at Falmouth until April 27, 1863. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863.

• April 27-May 6, 1863 - The Chancellorsville Campaign
  • May 1-5, 1863 - Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia
• June 11-August 1, 1863 - The Gettysburg Campaign
  • July 1-3, 1863 - Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• Bristoe Campaign October 9-22.
• Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8.
• Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2.
• Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15, 1864.
  • May 5-7, 1864 - Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia
  • Laurel Hill May 8;
  • May 8-21, 1864 - Battles of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia
  • May 22-26, 1864 - Operations on Line of the North Anna River, Virginia
    • May 25, 1864 - Engagement at Jericho Ford, Virginia
  • May 26-28, 1864 - Operations on Line of the Pamunkey River, Virginia
  • May 28-31, 1864 - Operations on Line of the Totopotomoy River, Virginia
  • June 1-12, 1864 - Battles of Cold Harbor, Virginia
    • June 1-3, 1864 - Battle of Bethesda Church, Virginia

Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864 (Reserve). Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Poplar Grove Church, Peeble's Farm, September 29-October 2. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9, 1865. White Oak Road March 31. Five Forks April 1. Pall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Moved to Washington, D. C., May. Grand Review May 23. Mustered out June 18, 1865.

Regimental Roster

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Regiment Statistical Information

Regiment Casualty Comparisons by Source

Source	Casualties	Remarks
Dyer	16 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded 10 enlisted men by disease Total 26	None
Fox	16 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded Total 16 (Combat Losses) Fox lists this unit as 11th on the list of units "sustaining greatest loss in action" (Volunteer Light Artillery Companies)	None
WotRWiki Statistics	0 troops killed Includes 0 troops mortally wounded Includes 0 troops killed by disease All others are troops killed in action or under special circumstances	This feature is not yet available. Check back soon for updates!

Legacy

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Sources

• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. The Dyer Publishing Company (Des Moine, 1908). (Pages 761, 827, 897, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 916, 932, 934, 938, 940, 941, 1388-1389)
• Fox, William F. 1840-1909. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865: A Treatise on the Extent and Nature of the Mortuary Losses in the Union Regiments, With Full and Exhaustive Statistics Compiled From the Official Records on File in the State Military Bureaus and at Washington. Albany: Albany Pub. Co., 1889. (Page 7)