An engagement going
on near Warwick Creek. Our division is ordered forward. We advanced to within
two miles of the rebels' first line. The battery went to camp. Battery B was in
action.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 39
Our two howitzers go
to the front. Considerable fighting was going on during the night. Our four
Parrott guns ready to march at a minute's notice.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 39
At three o'clock P.
М., orders came for our Parrott guns to advance to within a mile of the enemy;
when, getting in sight of the rebels, we were saluted by a twelve-pound shot,
the only fired at us this day. The sections divided, the guns were unlimbered.
We kept up a desultory fire until sunset. The guns were sighted for the night.
The order given to fire one gun every thirty minutes at the enemy's works,
which was carried out.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 39
A brisk cannonade,
kept up since daylight from our side, without response from the enemy. By six
o'clock P. M. the enemy fired three times at Carlile's battery. Heavy
picket firing at ten o'clock in the night.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, pp. 39-40
The rebel infantry
fired several heavy volleys into our lines, doing no damage however. Generals
Sumner, Sedgwick and Gorman inspected the line. Our battery fired steadily all
the morning. We were relieved at four o'clock by Battery B, and went back to
camp.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 40
Camp Scott. The
Vermont brigade, under General Smith, was defeated at Warwick Creek. Temporary
suspension of beating drums, sounding the bugle, and playing of musicians.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 40
At nine o'clock A.
M. we went to the front. The enemy fired twice at our arrival. We did not respond.
In the evening we fell back to the woods, covered by the Fifteenth
Massachusetts regiment. A siege gun was fired during the night.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 40
At the front. The
enemy fired twice in the morning, and several times in the evening. Fire
returned in both cases. At dark we fell back again, in reserve.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 40
At the front. We
were relieved at nine o'clock A. M., by Battery B. News arrived of McDowell's
occupation of Fredericksburg. Heavy cannonade in the night.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 40
Fighting going
on. Our battery was ordered to the front. At our arrival,
fighting closed, and we went back to camp.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 40
Going to the front.
At ten o'clock P. M., General Sedgwick ordered Captain Tompkins to take
his battery to the Redoubt No. 7, to cover the finishing of Battery No. 8. The
rebels commenced heavy shelling, to which we replied vigorously. Sections of
Batteries B and G were also engaged in it. They returned to their camps at
nightfall. We fell back in reserve, supported by the Fifteenth Regiment
Massachusetts volunteers.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, pp. 40-1
At daylight we took
position in Battery No. 8, supported by one company of telescope-rifle
sharp-shooters. The rebels kept up a heavy fire all day. We went back in
reserve at dark.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 41
Battery No. 8. We
were relieved in the morning by Battery B. Heavy cannonading in the night.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 41
Two French men-of-war and the Monitor, close to the Onrust. Eighteen men from the centre section were sent to Hampton Roads in a small boat, in the afternoon, to unload the battery from the Novelty. Some of the other sections arrived there before us. At dark the centre section was sent back to the schooner; but, unable to find it in the dark, had to go aboard of one of the schooners occupied by Battery B.
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37
Returned to Hampton at daylight. The battery and horses were unloaded at once. General Sedgwick ordered the battery to go to camp outside of Hampton, which was done in the afternoon.
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37
Hampton Roads. Great concentration of McClellan's army. Our battery has to give up the tents.
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37
The Second Corps on the move. Started by eight o'clock A. M.; by four o'clock we went into park at Big Bethel, to camp for the night.
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37
Marched at daybreak. Cannonading going on in front of Yorktown. General McClellan passed the line amidst great cheering of the troops. Strong intrenchments were found near Howard's Mills. At six o'clock P. М. we went to camp three miles from Yorktown.
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37
Great scarcity of
food. Our battery went on a reconnoisance with General Burns' brigade. Only the
pieces were taken along, with eight horses to each. We are in plain sight of
Yorktown. See the rebel flag floating from the parapet. They fire very
frequently at our troops. After running suddenly against some of the enemy's
batteries, we returned to our former camp, "Winfield Scott."
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37
Siege of Yorktown. The engineers at work. Heavy ordnance on the way from Fortress Monroe.
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 39
