HISTORICAL NOTES:
The 5th Massachusetts Battery (or 5th Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery) was organized in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call on May 2, 1861 for volunteer troops to serve a term of three-years. The battery trained at Camp Shouler in Lynnfield, Massachusetts and Camp Massasoit in Readville, Massachusetts. It departed Boston by steamship on December 25, 1861.
For their first months of service, the members of the battery performed garrison duty at Capitol Hill in Washington and at Hall's Hill in Alexandria, Virginia. The battery was assigned to the First Division of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac in preparation for the Peninsular Campaign in March 1862. They departed for Fortress Monroe on March 21. During the Peninsular campaign, the battery was engaged in the Siege of Yorktown and the Seven Days Battles. In particular, it was very heavily engaged during the Battle of Gaines's Mill, losing 4 men killed in action, 22 horses and four out of six guns. For several months, this heavy loss resulted the temporary reassignment of the members of the 5th Massachusetts Battery to the 3rd Massachusetts Battery and the 4th Rhode Island Battery. The 5th Massachusetts Battery returned to Washington in September 1862 and was resupplied with guns in October. It rejoined the Army of the Potomac in time to participate in the Union advance into Northern Virginia in November and the Battle of Fredericksburg.
In 1863, the battery took part in the Mud March, the Battle of Chancellorsville and was heavily engaged during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2 and 3, firing 700 rounds and losing 7 men killed in action and 59 horses. During the latter part of 1863, they took part in the Mine Run Campaign and at the end of the year went into winter camp at Rappahannock Station (now Remington, Virginia). In 1864, they participated in Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg.
In September 1864, the recruits and reenlisted men of the 3rd Massachusetts Battery were consolidated with the 5th Massachusetts Battery. On October 3, those of the 5th Massachusetts Battery who had served out their term and did not reenlist went home. A total of 39 of the original members did reenlist for a second term of three years so that, with the addition of some new recruits, the battery continued to serve. They operated at various points along the Petersburg siege lines but for the most part the battery was stationed at Fort Hays to the south of Petersburg. During the final assault on Petersburg on April 1 and 2, 1865, a detachment operating two guns of the battery took Confederate Battery 27 on the siege lines. This engagement was the last time the battery fired their guns in battle. When the Confederates abandoned Petersburg, the battery was withdrawn to City Point, Virginia and remained there until May 3. On that day the unit began its return to Massachusetts, marching to Washington to turn in their guns and equipment. They reached Boston on June 3 and were mustered out at Camp Meigs on June 12, 1865.
The Battery lost during service 1 Officer and 18 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 11 Enlisted men by disease. Total 30.
SERVICE:
At Capital Hill, Defenses of Washington, D.C., until February 15, 1862, and at Hall's Hill until March 18. Moved to Alexandria and Fortress Monroe, Va., March 18-24. Warwick Road April 5. Siege of Yorktown April 3-May 4. Hanover C. H. May 27. Operations about Hanover C. H. May 27-29. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battles of Mechanicsville June 26; Gaines' Mill June 27; White Oak Swamp and Turkey Bridge June 30; Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Manassas August 15-28. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Duty in the Defenses of Washington until October 8, and at Sharpsburg, Md., until October 30. Reconnaissance to Smithfield October 16-17. Kearneysville and Shephardstown October 16-17. Movement to Warrenton and Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 11-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5 Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 2-4. Kelly's Ford July 31-August 1, Brandy Station August 1-3. At Beverly Ford and Culpeper C. H. until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. At Rappahannock Station December 6, 1863, to May 1, 1864. Rapidan Campaign May 3-June 12, 1864. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7. Laurel Hill May 8. Spottsylvania May 8-12. Spottsylvania C. H. May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Mills May 23. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-19. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Six Mile House, Weldon Railroad, August 18-21, 1864. Non-Veterans mustered out October 3, 1864. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Warren's Raid on Weldon Railroad December 7-12. Dabney's Mills February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Assaults on and fall of Petersburg April 2. Moved to City Point April 4, and duty there until May 3. March to Washington, D.C., May 3-13. Grand Review May 23. Moved to Readville, Mass., June 4-6, and there mustered out June 12, 1865.
ROSTERS:
The composite roster of this regiment contains the names of 404 men.
HISTORICAL NOTES: