The 5th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment was Organized at Providence as a Battalion of 5 Companies and mustered in December 16, 1861. (5 new Cos. organized December 27, 1862.) Moved to Annapolis, Md., December 27-29, 1861.
The Regiment lost during service as Infantry and Heavy Artillery 1 Officer and 8 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 106 Enlisted men by disease. Total 119.
OFFICERS:
Colonel Henry T. Sisson.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Attached to Parke's 3rd Brigade, Burnside's Expeditionary Corps, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Dept. of North Carolina, to July, 1862. 2nd Brigade. 1st Division, Dept. North Carolina, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 18th Army Corps, Dept. of North Carolina, to May, 1863. Lee's Brigade, Defenses of New Berne, N. C., Dept. North Carolina, to July, 1863.
SERVICE:
Burnside's Expedition to Hatteras Inlet and Roanoke Island, N. C., January 7-February 8, 1862. Battle of Roanoke Island February 9. At Roanoke Island till March 11. Expedition up Currituck Sound February 19. Advance to New Berne March 11-13. Battle of New Berne March 14. Operations against Fort Macon March 19-April 26. Moved to Havelock Station, Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad, March 19-20. Companies "A," "B" and "C" to Newport Barracks March 23, thence Battalion moved to Carolina City April 4. At Bogue Banks April 6-30. Camden, South Mills, April 19. At Fort Macon April 30-June 30. At Beaufort, N. C., till August 7, and at New Berne till December. Expedition to Tarboro November 2-12. Rawle's Mills November 2. Demonstration on New Berne November 11. Foster's Expedition to Goldsboro December 11-20. Kinston December 14. Whitehall December 16. Goldsboro December 17. Duty at New Berne till May, 1863. Expedition to relief of Little Washington April 7-10. Duty in the Defences of New Berne till July. Designation of Regiment changed to 5th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery July, 1863.
ROSTERS:
There is no roster on file for this regiment. The men are listed as the Rhode Island 5th Heavy Artillery.
Company E - Newport County
Company G - Newport County
Company H - Newport County
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998. Ref. See p. 1222 (1 photocopied page) for a concise summary of the regiment's service.
HISTORICAL NOTES: