Consolidated Morning Report of Battalion 1st Pa. Light Artillery – January 4th 1862 SOLD

Description

Consolidated Morning Report of Battalion 1st Pa. Light Artillery, Commanded by Major Robert Mayhew West, dated January 4, 1862, at Camp near Washington.  This report lists the principle officers on duty in the unit, and the number of men in the respective batteries. Gives details on horses and the type of cannon being used by each of the batteries.

Signed by then Major Robt. M. West at Camp Key West.

Battery “C” commanded by Captain J. McCarthy , took part in the skirmish at Chain bridge on the Potomac in the early autumn of 1861; was attached to the artillery brigade of Buell’s division, defenses of Washington, and on March 1O, 1862, was assigned to Couch’s division, 4th corps. It participated in the campaign on the Peninsula, including the operations before Yorktown, the battle of Seven Pines and an engagement with cavalry at Glendale. With the 6th corps it was in action at Antietam and was posted on Stafford heights during the battle of Fredericksburg. Early in 1863 Battery C was united with Battery D.

Battery “D” commanded by Lieutenant William McLaughlin , was first assigned to Buell’s division; took part in the campaign on the Peninsula with Couch’s division, 4th corps, being engaged in the siege of Yorktown, the battle of Seven Pines and the short action at Glendale. On July 4 it was selected to fire a national salute. During the remainder of the year it continued in company with Battery C and after they were consolidated, it shelled the works on Marye’s heights during the battle of Chancellorsville. After Gettysburg, Battery D was ordered to join the Army of the Shenandoah at Harper’s Ferry and was engaged at Cedar creek. It was posted on Maryland heights during the rest of its term of service with a detachment of new recruits who composed a new Battery C. On June 29, and 30, 1865, at Harrisburg, these two batteries were mustered out of service.

Battery “H” commanded by Captain James Brady, was associated with Batteries D and E during the Peninsular campaign. In July it was made a reserve battery of the 4th corps. In June, 1863, it was ordered to Washington and posted at Camp Barry as a reserve battery. In May, 1864, it was dismounted and posted at Fort Whipple. In the winter of 1864 it was sent to Fort Marcy near Chain bridge on the Potomac, and later to Edwards, ferry. It was mustered out of the service at Philadelphia, June 27, 1865.

(info on batteries from Civil War database).

A 16.5 x 26 inch document.

Fine condition.

 

Col. Robert Mayhew West, 1st Pa. Light Artillery

“Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. A trained civil engineer before the start of the war, when the conflict commenced he received a commission of Captain and commander of Battery G, 1st Pennsylvania Volunteer Light Artillery in April 1861. Promoted to Major in September 1861 and to Colonel in July 1862, he served as Chief of Artillery on the staffs of first Brigadier General Darius Couch, then Major General Erasmus D. Keyes. On May 29, 1864 he was assigned to command the 5th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, a unit he would led though the end of the war. Brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on April 1, 1865 for “gallant and meritorious conduct at the Battle of Five Forks, Va.’, he served through the end of the war, and was honorably mustered out on August 7, 1865. In July 1866 he joined the Regular Army, being commissioned as a Captain in the 7th United States Cavalry. Posted in the frontier, he eventually was suspended from the service for drunkeness while stationed at Fort Arbuckle, Oklahoma. He resigned his commission in March 1869, but died six months later. Buried in the Fort Arbuckle Post Cemetery, when that outpost was abandoned in 1870, his and the remains of 65 others were re-buried in what would become Fort Gibson National Cemetery.”

(This bio written by Art Loux, who made it a mission to discover the graves of Civil War general. He has sadly passed away. From find a grave).

“West received an appointment to the Seventh U.S. Cavalry as Captain of Company K on July 28, 1866. In 1867, he took part in the Hancock Expedition in Kansas. During the Battle of the Washita, Captain West commanded Custer’s right wing, composed of Company D and Company K. Due to an ongoing illness, he resigned his commission and left the U.S. Army on March 1, 1869. West died on September 3, 1869, near Fort Arbuckle, Indian Territory.”

(The Officer Corps of Custer’s Seventh Cavalry by James B.Klokner).

In 1867, it was Captain West who brought Court Martial charges against Custer, resulting in Custer’s  suspension  from the service until 1868 – He also brought murder charges against Custer, but the charges were dropped.