SIXTEENTH BATTERY MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY THREE YEARS

The 16th Batty. Mass. Vol. Lt. Arty., the last light battery raised in Massachusetts, was recruited at Camp Meigs, Readville, in the early part of 1864. Most of the officers and men were mustered into the service March 11, and on the 17th of April the men were ordered to proceed to Washington. Leaving Massachusetts, April 19, under command of Capt. Henry D. Scott, formerly a first lieutenant in the 5th Battery, two days later the capital was reached, and the battery reported to Maj. James A. Hall at Camp Barry near the Bladensburg Toll Gate on the northeasterly outskirts of Washington. Here on the 29th of April it received a full equipment of horses and 3 inch guns. About the middle of May it was sent to Fort Thayer, one of the northerly defenses of Washington, where it remained for about a week, when it returned to Camp Barry. On June 1, having turned in its guns and horses, two sections were sent to Fort Lyon and one to Fort Weed southwest of Alexandria, Va., where they were drilled as heavy artillery. On July 10, when Early with a large Confederate force was menacing Washington, the command was ordered to Fort Reno near Tennallytown on the northwesterly outskirts of the District of Columbia, but on arriving was assigned to duty in Fort Kearney. Here the men remained two days, until the Confederate force had withdrawn from the front of the capital, after which they returned to their old station at Camp Barry. On July 13 the command was again equipped with four 12 pounders and horses and remained at Camp Barry most of the time until September 5, when it was ordered to Albany, N.Y. There it was stationed at the Troy Road Barracks until November 16, when it entrained for Washington, and on the l9th was again quartered at Camp Barry. Here, November 26, it received two more 12 pounders giving it now the full complement of a six gun battery. On December 16 the battery crossed the Potomac and proceeded to Fairfax Court House, where it reported to Col. William Gamble commanding the 1st Separate Brigade. One section was then sent to Vienna on the Loudon and Hampshire Railroad and one to Fairfax Station on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, while the other section with the battery headquarters remained at Fairfax Court House on the Little River Turnpike midway between the other two. Here the battery remained doing picket and guard duty during the winter of 1864-65. In March, 1865, it accompanied the 8th Illinois Cavalry on an expedition into Loudon Valley, returning to Fairfax Court House where it remained until June 17 when it received orders to proceed to Massachusetts. On the 18th it marched to Washington, and turned in its guns and equipment, and on the following day entrained for New York. Remaining over night at the New England Rooms in that city it then continued on its journey home. On June 22 the men arrived at their old rendezvous at Camp Meigs, Readville, where on the 27th they were mustered out of the United States service. However, delays occurred so that it was not until the 13th of July that they were finally paid off and disbanded.

Source: Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors & Marines in the Civil War

Massachusetts 16th Volunteer Light Artillery (Union)

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