HISTORICAL NOTES:
The 6th Massachusetts Battery (or 6th Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery) was one of the Massachusetts regiments 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 Chase in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf under Major General Benjamin F. Butler and departed Boston by steamship on February 8, 1862. At that time, the unit comprised 145 men armed with two rifled and four smoothbore six-pounder field guns.
The battery performed garrison duty at Ship Island off the Mississippi coast, which served as the staging point for Butler's expedition, until April 15. After proceeding on to New Orleans, the battery served garrison duty in that city until June. One section, consisting of two guns, was temporarily detached and took part in minor raids against Confederate cavalry west of New Orleans. On June 18, the battery was reunited in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Here the battery was again divided and two sections were deployed in demonstrations against Vicksburg, Mississippi for five weeks.[6] Although only lightly engaged during their actions near Vicksburg, the battery suffered its first casualty in battle with one man killed. The battery was reunited in Baton Rouge in July. The battery was heavily engaged in the Battle of Baton Rouge on August 5, 1862 and took additional casualties.
The unit wintered in Thibodaux, Louisiana and in April 1863 took part in the First Bayou Teche Campaign in western Louisiana, being engaged in the Battle of Fort Bisland among other actions. At the close of this campaign, one section of the battery remained at Point Coupee, Louisiana while the other two participated in the Siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana in May and June. During the first assault on Port Hudson in May, the right section of the battery advanced to within 300 yards of the Confederate fortifications and remained in that position for the duration of the siege. During the latter part of 1863, the battery was consolidated to a four gun battery due to losses in combat and from disease. It was stationed at various points in western Louisiana during the fall including Vermillionville and went into winter quarters at New Iberia.
In January 1864, 56 men (nearly the entire unit at that time) reenlisted for a second three-year term and returned to Massachusetts in April for a month's furlough. The 6th Battery returned to New Orleans in June and remained stationed there for the rest of the year, relatively inactive due to their small numbers. Over the course of the year, they received new recruits from Massachusetts until in January 1865 the unit numbered 169 men and was re-equipped with six guns. They remained on garrison duty in New Orleans until July 21, 1865 when they embarked for Boston.
The 6th Massachusetts Battery reached Boston August 1 and was mustered out at Camp Meigs on August 7, 1865. During their service, the unit lost six men killed in action or mortally wounded and 51 men who died from disease.
OFFICERS:
Captain Charles Everett
1st Lt. William W. Carruth
1st Lt. John F. Phelps
ASSIGNMENTS:
Sailed from Boston for Ship Island, Miss., on Steamer "Idaho" February 8, 1862, arriving there March 8. Attached to 2nd Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1862. Reserve Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to January, 1863. Artillery, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. Gulf, to August, 1863. Reserve Artillery, Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1863. Artillery, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps, to June, 1864. Reserve Artillery, Dept. of the Gulf, Defences of New Orleans, La., to July, 1865.
SERVICE:
Duty at Ship Island, Miss., till April 15, 1862. Expedition to Biloxi and Pass Christian April 2-5. Biloxi April 3. Pass Christian April 4. Operations against Forts St. Phillip and Jackson April 15-28. Occupation of New Orleans May 1. Expedition to New Orleans & Opelousas Railroad May 9-10. Moved to Baton Rouge May 12. (One Section on duty at Algiers till Jube.) Reconnoissance to Warrenton May 14-29. Williams' Expedition to Vicksburg, Miss., and operations against that place June 20-July 26. Ellis Cliff June 22. Hamilton Plantation, near Grand Gulf, June 24. Duty at Baton Rouge till August 21. Battle of Baton Rouge August 5. Evacuation of Baton Rouge and movement to Carrollton August 21-22. Duty there till October. Operations in La Fourche District October 24-November 10. Capture of Donaldsonville October 25. Georgia Landing, near Labadieville, October 27. Duty near Thibodeaux till February 22, 1863. Expedition to Bayou Teche January 11-15. Action with Steamer "Cotton" January 14. Moved to Brashear City February 22, thence to Bayou Boeuf and duty there till April 2. Operations in Western Louisiana April 9-May 14. Teche Campaign April 11-20. Fort Bisland, near Centreville, April 12-13. Jeanerette April 14. Pursuit to Opelousas April 14-20. Expedition to Alexandria May 4-17. Moved front Alexandria to Port Hudson May 17-25. Siege of Port Hudson May 25-July 9. Assaults on Port Hudson May 27-June 14. Surrender of Port Hudson July 9. Moved to Donaldsonville July 11 and duty there till July 30. Cox's Plantation July 12-13. Duty at Thibodeaux July 31-September 25. Moved to Algiers September 25, thence to Berwick October 6. Western Louisiana "Teche" Campaign October 11-November 7. Rejoined Division at Carrion Crow Bayou. Duty at New Iberia November 17, 1863, to January 7, 1864. Moved to Franklin January 7 and duty there till March 3. Moved to New Orleans March 3, thence to Boston, Mass., April 13-20. Moved from Boston to New Orleans May 23-June 8. Assigned to duty in the Defences of New Orleans till July, 1865. Moved to Readville, Mass., July 21-August 1, and there mustered out August 7, 1865.
ROSTERS:
The composite roster of this unit contains the names of 667 men.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
HISTORICAL NOTES: