THIRTEENTH BATTERY
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY
THREE YEARS
The 13th Batty. Mass. Vol. Lt. Arty. was raised by Timothy W. Terry of New Bedford and others during the fall of 1862 and the early part of the following winter. It rendezvoused at Camp Meigs, Readville, October 27, 1862, and there completed its recruitment and organization. The men were mustered in on various dates, and the original officers were commissioned November 3. Philip H. Tyler was commissioned captain on this date, but on December 13 he was transferred to the 14th Battery and was not mustered.
The 13th Battery was ordered to New Orleans and left Boston on the sailing transport DE WITT CLINTON, January 20, 1863, under command of Captain Charles H. J. Hamlin who had had prior service in Batty. "H" 1st Regt. R.I. Lt. Arty. After a very stormy voyage of nineteen days, during which time it lost 60 horses, on February 8 the battery put in at Fortress Monroe, disembarked, and remained at Camp Hamilton near Hampton, Va., for about six weeks. Again setting sail and being greatly delayed by calms, after a long voyage it reached New Orleans on the 10th of May and was quartered at Apollo Stables.
About June 1, 1863, a detachment of 40 men went to Fort Banks where it remained four days. The battery horses being turned over to Captain Miller of the 12th Mass. Batty., the men of the 13th embarked, June 5, for Springfield Landing on the Mississippi, from whence they marched to the front of Port Hudson. The command was here divided into two wings each of which took charge of four siege mortars, one detachment under Captain Hamlin being posted on the left centre, the other under Lieutenant Terry being stationed near the extreme right. Here they remained for a full month keeping up mortar fire until the city surrendered. On July 9, the day of the formal surrender, the command entered the city. Here the men suffered much from sickness and a number died.
On August 27 Captain Hamlin was sent to Massachusetts on recruiting service, and, Lieutenant Terry having resigned, Lieutenant Motte was left in command of the battery. On August 31, the battery having been reduced by sickness and other causes to but 50 effective men, it was ordered to New Orleans and the men were attached to the 2d Massachusetts Battery, Captain Nims. It accompanied this battery on the Teche expedition in the fall of 1863, leaving Algiers, September 19, and proceeding by rail to Brashear City. Ten days later it marched via Berwick City to Fort Bisland, thence on via Vermillion Bayou, Carrion Crow Bayou, and Barre's Landing to Opelousas, having frequent skirmishes along the way.
Leaving Opelousas on the retrograde movement November 1, rear guard actions took place at Carrion Crow Bayou, November 2, and at Grand Couteau, November 3, and on the 18th the command reached New Iberia. Here it remained until January 8, 1864, when it proceeded to Franklin and went into winter quarters. On February 17, 1864, the men of the 13th were transferred to the 6th Massachusetts Battery, Captain Phelps, remaining with this command until March 6, when they were transferred to Batty. "L" 1st U. S. Arty.
With this battery they took part in the Red River expedition in the spring of 1864. On March 15 they left Franklin, passing over the old route through Opelousas and reaching Alexandria, March 25. Continuing its march on the 28th, it reached Natchitoches, April 3. Proceeding on to Pleasant Hill it was there engaged with the enemy April 9, suffering slight loss. Returning to Grand Ecore on April 11, after a week spent there the command returned to Alexandria whence it set out via Simmsport for Morganzia on the Mississippi. Thence it was transferred by boat to New Orleans, arriving at Apollo Stables, June 29.
On July 1, the 13th, again an independent command, was equipped with four guns and a month later was assigned to duty at Camp Parapet where it remained until its term of enlistment ended. The battery returned to Massachusetts in July, 1865, and on the 28th of that month was mustered out of the United States service.
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