6th Corps Artillery At Gettysburg

For the next couple of days I'm going to cover the 6th Corps Artillery Brigade during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Just like the rest of the 6th Corps, the Artillery Brigade made the forced march of over 30 miles in 17 hours, on the night of  1 July and into the day of 2 July 1863.  They came onto the field under the command of Colonel Charles H Tompkins, with 937 men and 48 cannon.  They were placed upon arrival in reserve under the orders of Chief of Artillery for the Army of the Potomac; Brigadier General Henry Hunt.

The units making up the Union 6th Corps Artillery where the Massachusetts 1st Light Battery A, the 1st New York Independent Battery, the 3rd New York Independent Battery, the Rhode Island 1st Batteries C and G, the 2nd United States Batteries D and G, and the 5th United States Battery F.  The commander of this Brigade was Colonel Charles H Tompkins.

Colonel Thompkins

Tompkins was born 5 May 1834 in New Windsor, NY.  He attended West Point and would have been with the graduating class of 1851, but like so many men who start at West Point, he did not make to graduation.  He did however serve in the United States First Dragoons.  At the beginning of the Civil War he was a commissioned officer with the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery.  Following the Battle of Fredericksburg, Tompkins was promoted to Colonel.  He would spend the rest of the war as the Chief of Artillery for the 6th Corps of the Union Army.  Ending the war with a brevet of Brigadier General of Volunteers, which he received on 13 March 1865.

There were two Rhode Island Batteries serving with the 6th Corps; the 1st Rhode Island Batteries C and G.  Both of these units were held in reserve during the battle.

The 1st Rhode Island Battery C came on the field at Gettysburg under the command of Captain Richard Waterman.  Waterman was born in Providence, RI, 29 January 1839 the son of William and Martha Waterman.  He graduated in 1858 from Brown University.

This Battery had moved around within the Army of the Potomac, and hadn't become permanent members of the 6th Corps until 15 June 1863.  They reported to the field with six 3 inch Ordnance Rifles.  The men were kept in readiness, but weren't called in for relief until the threat had passed.  They didn't have any casualties during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Captains Waterman and Adams

back of photo

1st Rhode Island Battery G was commanded by Captain George W Adams.  They had also only joined the 6th Corps in June 1863.  They reported to the field with six 10 Pound Parrotts.  The men were held in reserve throughout the Battle.

[This will be continued tomorrow....]