Heroic Battery "C" to be Honored in Coventry by Elisha Dyer Camp No. 7

Elisha Dyer Camp no. 7, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), will celebrate the heroic final action of Battery “C” 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery during the U.S. Civil War, and pay tribute to the battery’s legacy and place in history.

The commemoration and celebration will take place over the weekend of October 4-5 at Spell Hall, the Maj. General Nathanael Greene Homestead in Coventry, RI. Featuring guest speakers, an encampment of uniformed Civil War artillery and infantry living historians and live engagements with Confederate forces, the event will shed light on the events of the Battle of Cedar Creek, the October 1864 battle that proved to be the last time that Battery C took the field.

On the morning of October 19, 1864, Confederate forces rushed the sleeping Federal encampment and began a rout that could have ended in tragedy. Rhode Island Batteries C and G were among a contingent of artillery units that were ordered to hold the line in order to protect the Union retreat. In the ensuing battle, Batteries C and G heroically stood their ground, but suffered incredible casualties and were ultimately overrun. The batteries held up the Confederate forces long enough for the Union’s Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan to arrive and mount a counterattack that threw back the Confederate forces and effectively ended Confederate plans for a final invasion of the North.

“As a result of the incredible casualties suffered, Battery C was effectively dismantled,” stated Commander Michael Stewart of Elisha Dyer Camp no. 7. “The remaining men were consolidated into Battery G, where several “C” men would go on to win the Medal of Honor at Petersburg, including Coventry’s Samuel Lewis, who we will also honor at this event.”

The two-day commemoration of Battery C’s heroic last stand will culminate in a Sunday ceremony with an address by Brig. General Richard J. Valente (ret.), US ARMY, President of the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery and the presentation of citations to living descendants of the men of Battery C, 1st RILA.

This event is represents the 4th annual Civil War Signature Sesquicentennial Event produced by Elisha Dyer Camp no. 7. in honor of the sacrifice of Rhode Islanders who fought in the Civil War 1861-1865. Rhode Island provided more soldiers-per-population than any other State that supported the Union cause.