Historical notes and Reports:

Fifth Light Battery
WISCONSIN
(3-YEARS)

Fifth Light Battery. -- Capts., Oscar F. Pinney, Charles B. Humphrey, George Q. Gardner, Joseph McKnight; First Lieuts., Washington Hill, George Q. Gardner, Joseph McKnight, George Lafferty, Daniel Titus, Charles B. Humphrey, Elijah Booth, Jr., Second Lieuts., Almon Smith, Joseph McKnight, George Lafferty, Daniel Titus, Elijah Booth Jr. John Dickinson, George Q. Gardner, Charles M. Wyman.

This battery was organized at Monroe, but afterwards rendezvoused at Camp Utley, Racine, and was mustered in Oct. 1, 1861. It left the state March 15, 1862, for St. Louis and was ordered to New Madrid, where it was engaged in building and guarding forts until the surrender of Island No. 10.

It moved with Pope's army in April, took position near Corinth, and was in the battle of Farmington, where two sections of the battery took position in the extreme front and for three days defended a bridge, across which the enemy must advance.

The battery passed through the siege of Corinth, was then on guard duty at Ripley from June 29 until Aug. 14, when it was transferred to the Army of the Tennessee and marched to Nashville, thence to Louisville, skirmished with the enemy at Bardstown and participated in the battle of Perryville.

It supported McCook's corps, which was hard pressed, and repelled three attempts to take the battery. Gen. McCook thanked the battery, saying it had ''saved the corps from disgraceful defeat.''

It was engaged at Stone's River, where it checked the enemy's advance and was again commended for its ''gallant and distinguished'' service. It encamped at Murfreesboro during the winter and spring of 1863, and joined the advance towards Chattanooga in June.

It reached Crawfish Springs at Chickamauga on the second day of the battle, but was not in action. It remained near Chickamauga until Nov. 20, going out on short expeditions. Most of the men reenlisted in Jan., 1864, and were furloughed home for a month.

On their return the battery was assigned to the 2nd division, 14th army corps, near Rossville, Ga. It was actively engaged at Resaca and was in a severe skirmish near Rome a few days later. It held several important positions in the operations about Dallas and was in the front at Kennesaw Mountain.

Subsequently it took a new position from which it did such effective work as to compel the enemy's artillery to vacate its position. At the battle of Peachtree Creek it shelled the enemy out of his works and was then in active service about Atlanta until Aug. 28.

It was in the engagement at Jonesboro, and then remained in camp at Atlanta until Oct. 3, when it went on the expedition to repel Hood's threatened attack upon the railroad communications. It returned to Atlanta, moved from there to Savannah with the army, accompanied Sherman north, participated in the battle of Bentonville, and the review at Washington.

It was mustered out at Madison June 14, 1865. Its original strength was 155. Gain by recruits, 70; reenlistments, 79; total, 304. Loss by death, 24; desertion, 1, transfer, 5; discharge, 61; mustered out, 213.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 80


Chickamagua after battle report:

Report of Capt. George Q. Gardner, Fifth Wisconsin Battery.

HDQRS. FIFTH WISCONSIN BATTERY, Behind Breastworks, Chattanooga, Tenn. September 27, 1863.

COL.: In accordance with instructions from your headquarters, I herewith respectfully submit to you the following report of the part performed by the Fifth Wisconsin Battery in the late campaign since leaving the Tennessee River:

Until we arrived at a point about 2 miles from this point nothing worthy of note transpired, excepting the hardships endured by both men and horses.

As above stated, when we reached the point where the Trenton road descends the mountain, a skirmish ensued, during which a section of my command under command of Lieut. McKnight and one under Lieut. Lafferty engaged and silenced a rebel battery. After the enemy were driven off my command moved down the hill, joined the brigade, and marched safely into Chattanooga.

After joining the division, the right half of the battery engaged a battery and some rebel skirmishers in our immediate front, and soon caused both battery and skirmishers to move off. I am perfectly satisfied with the deportment of both officers and men under my command while on the march and under fire.

In conclusion, I would say that at the present time the battery is in an admirable position and the men in good spirits.

I am, colonel, your very obedient servant,

GEO. Q. GARDNER,
Capt., Comdg. Fifth Wisconsin Battery.

Col. P. SIDNEY POST,
Comdg. First Brigade.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. XLII] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 514-50
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 50.]


Report of Lieut. Joseph Mc Knight, Fifth Wisconsin Battery.

HDQRS. FIFTH WISCONSIN BATTERY, Jonesborough, September 6, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to herewith transmit a report of the operations of the Fifth Wisconsin Battery, Veteran Volunteers, during the late Northern Georgia campaign.

The battery, commanded by Capt. George Q. Gardner, broke camp at Rossville, Ga., May 2, 1864, and advanced to Ringgold, where it remained May 5, when it marched to Cherokee Springs. On May 7 it marched with the Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, to Tunnel Hill, and on the 9th went into position in front of Rocky Face Ridge, whore it remained until the 12th, when it marched to the right, passing through Snake Creek Gap during the night, and on the afternoon of the 13th marched with the Second Division to re-enforce Gen. Johnson, commanding First Division, Fourteenth Arm Corps, six miles distant. At the battle of Resaca, Ga., May 14, at 3 p. m. the battery, by direction of Maj. Honghtaling, chief of artillery, Fourteenth Army Corps, took a position 500 yards from, and partially enfilading, the enemy's main works; fired rapidly until night-fall, when it withdrew and replenished with ammunition. On the 15th relieved Battery I, First Ohio Artillery, one-half mile to the right of our former position, and kept up a slow fire on the enemy's works during the day. Marched with the Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, May 16 and 17 until 4 p. m., when it engaged the enemy with the division at Rome, Ga., where it remained until the 24th of May, when it took up the line of march toward Dallas, Ga., arriving on the 27th, and was in position in different sections of the lines for the most part, yet firing but a few rounds until the enemy evacuated, June 5, 1864. After resting until the 10th of June the battery moved with the division and tool up a position. June 15, in line in front of the enemy's first line at Kenesaw Mountain, where it remained until the 19th, when the enemy fell back to the mountain. On the evening of the 22d of June earth-works were constructed for the battery in the new line in front of Kenesaw, and went into position at daylight on the 23d, dismounting ammunition chests and sending limbers, caissons, and horses to the rear, in which position it remained, firing more or less every day at the enemy's batteries on the top and rifle-pits on the slope of the mountain, with an accuracy rarely equaled by smooth-bore guns, until the evening of July 2, when it moved to the right during the night, when the enemy evacuated the very strong position. The battery marched with the division in pursuit of the enemy four miles south of Marietta, Ga., July 3, and on the 4th constructed earth-works, and kept up a slow fire on the enemy's rifle-pits and main works during the afternoon, and at night the enemy fell back to the Chactahoochee River. Followed up the enemy on the 5th, and went into position in front of his works on the north side of the Chattahoochee River, where it remained constructing earth-works and keeping up a slow fire on the enemy's works until the evening of the 9th, when the eneniy fell back across the river. It crossed the Chattahoochee July 17, and on the 20th crossed Peach Tree Creek and went into position on a commanding hill, and shelled the enemy out of their pits in front of the Third Brigade, Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps. On the 22d of July the battery advanced with the Second Division, then on the right, to within two miles of Atlanta, Ga., and constructed earth-works, where it remained in line, without change of position or becoming engaged until the 28th. The battery, on July 28, 1864, Lieut. J McKnight commanding, changed position into the lines of the First Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, by direction of Maj. Houghtaling, and fired a few rounds at the enemy's riflepits, where it remained until the evening of August 3, 1864, when it moved four miles to the right, and was held in reserve until the 6th. On the 6th of August the battery relieved a 12-pounder battery of the Twenty-third Army Corps and fired a few rounds during the day, and on the 7th took a position to the left and front on a hill within 200 yards of the enemy's skirmish line, arid fired rapidly at the enemy s batteries, covering our infantry, which took two lines of rifle-pits and many prisoners. At night erected earth-works, in which position it remained, firing more or less each day, and silencing the enemy's batteries in our immediate front, thus enabling our infantry to maneuver or fortify at pleasure, until the 26th of August, 1864.

On the evening of the 26th of August the battery withdrew from the line and advanced with the other batteries of the Fourteenth Army Corps to the rear of Atlanta, crossing the Montgomery railroad on the 28th, and encamping on the 30th four miles north of Jonesborough, situated on the Macon railroad and eighteen miles south of Atlanta, where it remained on tho 31st until 4 p. m., when it marched one mile east, then countermarched and advanced two miles south and went into camp for the night. September 1, the battery marched at 7 a. m., with the Second Division, to the left of the Army of the Tennessee, and went into position by direction of Capt. Charles M. Barnett, commanding Second Battalion Artillery, Fourteenth Army Corps, when it fired vigorously at the enemy's batteries for two hours, then changed position to the left and front and again opened on the enemy's lines and batteries, and ceased when our lines, charging were but a few yards of their works. On tho 2d marched into Jonesborough, Ga., where it is at this date in a serviceable condition in all its parts, the men hale and hearty and in the best of spirits.

The casualties of the command, after firing 4,232 rounds, being but 4 slightly wounded and perhaps a dozen others struck with spent balls or pieces of shell, and none prisoners of war, would not meet the ideal brilliancy of some minds, considering the long and arduous campaign, yet it is such a record that we can best afford, with the consciousness of having done the enemy as great damage as we could have done and had the result otherwise. Commanding officers of the battery have, without an exception, had the hearty co-operation of the subordinate officers, who merit equal honor with themselves for the fortitude and endurance of the command during the longest and most arduous campaign of the war.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH McKNIGHT,
Senior First Lieut., Comdg. Fifth Wisconsin Battery.

Maj. CHARLES HOUGHTALING
Chief of Artillery, Fourteenth Army Corps.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 836-72 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. [CHAP. L.
[Series I. Vol. 38. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 72.]


Report of Capt. Joseph McKnight, Fifth Wisconsin Battery, of operations January 20-March 23.

HDQRS. FIFTH WISCONSIN BATTERY, 14TH ARMY CORPS, Goldsborough N. C., March 28, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report the following active part the command has taken during the campaign from Savannah, Ga., to its present encampment at Goldsborough, N. C.:

On the afternoon of the 20th of January, 1865, the battery decamped from its encampment near the city of Savannah, Ga., and marched amidst a very disagreeable rain-storm and through swamps, arriving at Springfield, Ga., on the 27th instant. 28th, marched until nightfall and encamped at Sister's Ferry, on the Savannah River, where we remained until February 5, then crossed the river on pontoon bridge, and encamped at the upper landing, S. C., where the battery was placed in position to oppose a rebel gun-boat that was reported descending the river from Augusta, Ga. 7th instant, marched to Brighton and encamped for the night; was assigned to the Third Division, Fourteenth Army Corps. 8th and 9th, marched. 10th, passed through the town of Barnwell and bivouacked within its suburbs. 12th, marched with the Third Division within twenty-four miles of August. Ga., where we struck the Charleston and Augusta Railroad. Several miles were destroyed by the division. 13th, the march was resumed. 14th, crossed Edisto River. 16th, passed through the town of Lexington. 17th, crossed Saluda River. 19th, crossed Broad River; marched through a mountainous country. 21st, crossed Little Rock, and at dusk encamped near the Charleston and Richmond Railroad, which was being destroyed. 27th, crossed Catawba River at midnight.

March 5, encamped within eight miles of Cheraw. 7th, crossed Great Pedee River. 9th, crossed Little Pedee River. 11th, encamped at Fayetteville, N. C.; remained there until the 15th, then crossed Cape Fear River; the battery was placed in position upon the bank. 20th, engaged the enemy twenty-one miles west from Goldsborough; fired twenty rounds of solid shot from the left section of the battery, but was not replied to by the enemy's batteries. 23d, crossed Neuse River and passed through the town of Goldsborough, N. C., and at present are encamped within its limits. During the campaign we have lost by capture five enlisted men while foraging for the battery animals. We have obtained subsistence for man and beast principally from the enemy since leaving Sister's Ferry, Ga., and have during the month captured 10 horses and 3 mules. More mules were captured, but were exchanged for horses. Loss sustained in horses, 19. The general condition of the animals at present is far from being termed good, for many are worn down and should be replaced by more serviceable ones.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH McKNIGHT,
Capt., Cmdg. Fifth Wisconsin Battery.

Maj. CHARLES HOUGHTALING,
Chief of Artillery, Fourteenth Army Corps.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. LIX.] THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS. PAGE 580-98
[Series I. Vol. 47. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 98.]