3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment - Company A
HISTORICAL NOTES:
Company A, 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery was initially organized in Providence, Rhode Island as the 3rd Rhode Island Infantry in August 1861. It was officially changed to heavy artillery on December 19, 1861 at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Individual company losses are not available, but the regiment's losses (all 12 companies) are reported as a total of 135 men during service; 2 officers and 39 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 90 enlisted men died of disease.
OFFICERS:
Captain William H. Hammer
Captain Martin S. James
Captain George S. Smith
ASSIGNMENTS:
The company was attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Department of the South, to July 1862. U.S. Forces Hilton Head, South Carolina, Department of the South, to September 1862. U.S. Forces Hilton Head, South Carolina, X Corps, Department of the South, to January 1863. District of Beaufort, South Carolina, X Corps, to November 1863. Morris Island, South Carolina, X Corps, Department of the South, to December 1863. Folly Island, South Carolina, X Corps, to January 1864. District of Hilton Head, South Carolina, X Corps, to April 1864. District of Florida, Department of the South, to October 1864. District of Beaufort, South Carolina, 2nd Separate Brigade, Department of the South, to November 1864. Artillery Brigade, Coast Division, Department of the South, to January 1865. District of Beaufort, South Carolina, 2nd Separate Brigade, Department of the South, and Department of South Carolina, to August 1865.
SERVICE:
Duty at Hilton Head, S.C., until January 1863. Action at Whitmarsh and Wilmington Islands April 16, 1862. At Beaufort, S.C., until November 1863. Moved to Morris Island, S.C., November 14–16, and operations against Charleston, S.C., from Morris and Folly Islands, until December 1863. Moved to Hilton Head, S.C., and duty there until April 1864. Moved to Jacksonville, Fla., and duty there until October 1864. Expedition from Jacksonville to Finnegan's Camp May 25. Cedar Creek May 25. Expedition from Jacksonville to Camp Milton May 31-June 3. Expedition to Baldwin July 23–28. South Fork Black Creek July 24. Near Whitesides July 27. Raid on Florida Railroad August 15–19. Engagement at Gainesville August 17. Moved to Beaufort, S.C., October, and duty there until November 29. Expedition to Boyd's Neck November 29–30. Battle of Honey Hill November 30. Demonstration on Charleston & Savannah Railroad December 6–9. Deveaux Neck December 6 and December 27. Duty at Beaufort, S.C., until May 1865, and in Department of the South until August 1865.
BATTLES:
Second Battle of Charleston Harbor
Battle of Gainesville (detachment)
Battle of Honey Hill
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998. Ref. See p. 1222 (1 photocopied page) for a concise summary of the regiment's service.
HISTORICAL NOTES: