Letter Discussing General Lee's Surrender / DOC

Letter Discussing General Lee's Surrender - Inventory Number: DOC 204 / SOLD

Letter dated 1865 on United States Sanitary Commission Letterhead, written April 21st, 1865 by L.D. Fairchild of the 2nd Heavy Artillery New York to his wife from City Point Hospital Virginia.  

Lewis D. Fairchild:

Enlisted on 1/4/1864 at Exeter, NY as a Private at 35 years of age. 

On 1/5/1864 he mustered into "L" Co. NY 2nd Heavy Artillery

He was Mustered Out on 9/29/1865 at Washington, DC

Intra Regimental Company Transfers:

* 7/31/1865 from company L to company B

New York:

SECOND REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY (HEAVY; VETERAN).  Governor Morgan's Second Regiment United States Light Artillery; Palmer's Artillery; Latson's Artillery. (Three Years)

    Col. John W. Latson received authority from the War Department, July 24, 1861, to recruit a regiment of artillery; of this the National Union Rangers formed part.  Col. Jeremiah Palmer received authority from the Governor of the State to recruit a regiment of artillery, known as Governor Morgan's Light Artillery.  August 24th Colonel Latson's authority was revoked, and October 18th these two organizations were consolidated, forming eight companies, and the new organization designated the 2d Regiment of Artillery.  Captain Maguire's company of the Latson Artillery became Company A; the companies of Captains Kitching, Hogg, Jones, Klinck, Houseman, Clarke and Smith, became Companies B, C, D, E, F, G and H, respectively.  December 5, 1861, there was assigned to the regiment, completing its organization, the so-called third battalion of the Morgan Artillery and the Flushing Artillery.  The companies of Captains Griffin, Joslin and Halstead, of the Morgan Artillery, became Companies I, K and M, and the Flushing Artillery, Capt. Thomas L. Robinson, Company L; the men of Company M of the Morgan Artillery were assigned to Companies I and M.  The regiment was organized at Staten Island for a service of three years.  The companies were mustered in the United States service at Staten Island, A and E October 2; B August 23; C and D September 18; F, G and H October 15; I and K December 11; L November 18; M December 12, 1861.  In June, 1862, a number of Indians, members of Company F, were discharged.  November 19, 1863, Battery L, which served detached from the regiment since March, 1862, as a light battery, was permanently detached and became the 34th Battery; it was replaced by a new company in January, 1864.  At the expiration of its term of service, those entitled thereto were discharged, and the regiment retained in the service.  June 27, 1865, the regiment was consolidated into eight companies, the men of Company I being transferred to Companies A and E; those of K to A, C and F; of L to B, C, D and H; and of M to A, G and H; and the members of the 9th Artillery, not discharged on the muster-out of their regiment, were transferred to it as Companies I, K, L and M.

     The companies were recruited principally: A (Company B of John W. Latson's Regiment of Light Artillery, Horse Artillery, 1st Regiment U. S. Volunteers), on Staten Island; B (1st Regiment Heavy Artillery), on Staten Island; C, D, E and F, at New York city; G at Utica; H (Carthage Battery), at Waterloo and Carthage; I, formed partly of Latson's Light Artillery and the Morgan Artillery at New York city and Norwich; K (Morgan Artillery), at Frankfort, Mohawk, Tompkinsville and Herkimer; L (Flushing or Hamilton Light Artillery, originally Artillery Company, 15th Militia), at Flushing; and M (Morgan Artillery), at Utica, Little Falls, Trenton Falls, Russia, Taberg, Camboy, Holland Patent, Rochester and Sand Bank.  The second Company L was recruited principally at Frankfort, Schuyler, Hamilton, German Flats, Richfield, Warren, Utica, Exeter, Camden, Stark, Otsego, Burlington, Norwich and Watertown.

     The first eight companies left the State November 7, 1861; Company L December 2d; and Companies I, K and M December 12, 1861; and the regiment (except first Company L for which see 34th Battery) served at and near Washington, D. C., in the Military District of Washington, from March, 1862; in Sturgis' Brigade, Military District of Washington, from May, 1862; in the Reserve Corps, Army of Virginia, from June, 1862; in the defenses of Washington, from September, 1862; in the artillery defenses of Alexandria, from January, 1863; and in the 22d Corps from February, 1863; in Tyler's Artillery Division, 2d Corps, Army of Potomac, from May 18, 1864; in the 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 2d Corps, from May 29, 1864; in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 2d Corps, from July, 1864; in the 1st Brigade, DeRussy's Division, 22d Corps, from June, 1865, as heavy artillery and infantry.  September 29, 1865, commanded by Col. Joseph N. G. Whistler, it honorably discharged and mustered out at Washington, D. C.

Inventory Number: DOC 204 / SOLD