GDG- Artillery from Maine

[Batrinque at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/11/2008 9:51:58 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
cchatto at maine.rr.com writes:

I've got  a question I've been wondering about for awhile.

In some sources,  artillery batteries from Maine are referred to as 
something like "Battery  B, 2d Maine Light" or Battery E, 5th Maine 
Light", where the battery  letter corresponds with the number [B-2, E-5]. 
Other sources show it as  Battery B, Maine Light Artillery" and others as 
"5th Maine Artillery".  I've got a letter written later in the war by an 
ancestor who referred to  his unit as the 7th Maine Artillery. It seems 
like that's the correct  reference. Does anyone have some other thoughts?


Well, in some states light artillery was theoretically organized as  
regiments (e.g., the Fourth North Jersey Light Artillery) but as a practical  matter 
deployed as separate batteries (e.g. Battery A, Fourth North Jersey;  Battery 
B, Fourth North Jersey; etc.).  On the other hand, Heavy Artillery  Regiments 
late in the war frequently served as infantry and were typically  deployed as 
whole regiments, and hence usually referred to under that  designation.  In the 
case of Maine, however, as far as I can make out, each  light artillery b
attery had its own "regimental" disignation (i.e. Batttery A  was the 1st Maine 
Artillery, Battery B was the 2nd Maine, etc.; I believe that  Battery F was also 
known as the 7th Maine -- and because there was only a single  battery in the 
7th Maine, Battery F, there was no chance of confusion).



Bruce  Trinque
Amston,  CT





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