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1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Battery A

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this unit’s role at the Siege of Petersburg?  Please contact us using the Contact button in the menu at the top of the screen.  We are happy to exchange information with other researchers.

Muster In: Organized at Philadelphia August 5, 1861.1
Muster Out: Mustered out July 25, 1865.2

Commander(s):
Captain John G. Simpson
Commander Image

Captain William Stitt
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: District of Eastern Virginia | Department of Virginia and North Carolina | Union Army3

  • Not present at the Siege of Petersburg.4
  • Weapons: ? (March 31, 1864)5

Second Offensive Order of Battle: District of Eastern Virginia | Department of Virginia and North Carolina | Union Army6

  • Not present at the Siege of Petersburg.7

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Unattached | Army of the James | Union Army8,9

  • Commander: Captain John G. Simpson (July 31, 1864)10
  • Unit Strength:
    • >93 officers and men PFD (July 20, 1864)11
    • >114 officers and men PFD (July 31, 1864)12
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army13

  • Commander: Lieutenant William Stitt (August 31, 1864)14
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army15,16

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: This battery accompanied the Eighteenth Corps in the field during the Fifth Offensive.17

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army18

  • Commander: Captain William Stitt (October 31, 1864)19
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
    Note: This unit accompanied the Eighteenth Corps in the field during the Battle of Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road on October 27-28, 1864.20

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle:

Artillery Brigade | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (November 1-December 3, 1864)21

Artillery Brigade | XXIV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (December 3-31, 1864)22

  • Commander: Captain William Stitt (December 31, 1864)23
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: On December 3, 1864, the X Corps and XVIII Corps of the Army of the James were reorganized into the XXIV Corps and the XXV Corps.

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | XXIV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army24,25

  • Commander: Captain William Stitt (January 31 & February 28, 1865)26,27
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Artillery Brigade | XXIV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army28,29

  • Commander: Captain William Stitt (March 31, 1865)30
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles31:

  • Dix’s Peninsula Campaign June 26-July 8.
  • Expedition from White House to South Anna River July 1-7.
  • Duty at Portsmouth, Va., until July, 1864.
  • Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond July, 1864, to April, 1865.
  • Chaffin’s Farm, New Market Heights, September 28-30, 1864.
  • Fair Oaks October 27-28.
  • Before Richmond until April, 1865.
  • Occupation of Richmond April 3.
  • Engaged in demolishing defenses and removing Ordnance until July.

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    2. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    3. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    4. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    5. The Union Ordnance return for March 31, 1864 lists this unit but shows that no return was ever officially submitted.
    6. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    7. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    8. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), page 268
    9. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738
    10. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738
    11. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), pp. 163-178: The unit had this number of officers and men “present for duty equipped” on June 30, 1864.  Present for Duty Equipped attempts to strip away anyone not actually going into combat.  Those non-combatants are included in PFD, the way I represent unit strengths across this web site for consistency.  So the unit had at least this number of officers and men PFD, though we know that number is higher.
    12. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), pp. 163-178: The unit had this number of officers and men “present for duty equipped” on June 30, 1864.  Present for Duty Equipped attempts to strip away anyone not actually going into combat.  Those non-combatants are included in PFD, the way I represent unit strengths across this web site for consistency.  So the unit had at least this number of officers and men PFD, though we know that number is higher.
    13. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 620: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864”
    14. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 620: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864”
    15. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1304.
    16. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 136: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces (September-October 1864)”
    17. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1304.
    18. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 467: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)”
    19. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 467: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)”
    20. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 152: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces…Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Va., October 27-28, 1864”
    21.  A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    22. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1125: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864)
    23. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1125: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864)
    24. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 336: “Organization of the Union Forces” (January 31, 1865)
    25. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 750: “Organization of the Union Forces” (February 28, 1865)
    26. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 336: “Organization of the Union Forces” (January 31, 1865)
    27. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 750: “Organization of the Union Forces” (February 28, 1865)
    28. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 579: “Organization of the Union Forces” (March 31, 1865)
    29. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 595: “Return of casualties in the Union Forces commanded by Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, March 29-April 9, 1865”
    30. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 579: “Organization of the Union Forces” (March 31, 1865)
    31. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
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