Unit

Federal Battery

Massachusetts Light Artillery, 8th Battery

"Cook's Battery"
Organized: North Cambridge, MA; mustered in 6/24/1862
Disbanded/Mustered out on 11/29/1862

Arms:
  4   12-pdr. James
  2   12-pdr. Howitzer

Maps Showing this Unit:
   Detail Map #9: Burnside Attacks the Lower Bridge
   Detail Map #11: Burnside Climbs Toward Sharpsburg
   Detail Map #12: AP Hill Hits Burnside's Flank

Battlefield Tablets for this Unit:
   Tablet #56: Ninth Army Corps - 15 Sep, 7 AM to 16 Sep, 3 PM
   Tablet #62: Willcox's Division, Ninth Army Corps - 16 Sep, 9 PM to 18 Sep, 6 PM
   Tablet #122: Army of the Potomac - 17 Sep, 10 AM to 17 Sep, 6 PM
   Tablet #99: Willcox's Division, Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 2 PM to 18 Sep, 9 AM
   Tablet #70, cont: Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 3 PM to 17 Sep, 5 PM
   Tablet #70: Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 7 AM to 17 Sep, 3 PM
   Tablet #57: Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 7 AM to 17 Sep, 5 PM

This Battery's Chain of Command:
  Army - Army of the Potomac
  Corps - Ninth (IX) Army Corps
  Division - 1st Division, IX Corps
  Brigade - 1st Division, IX Corps Artillery

History of the Unit:
"The 8th Battery was recruited [for 6 month service] by Asa M. Cook in response to the call of the President of the United States for troops, May 26, 1862, and on June 25 it left Boston for Washington. A serious railroad accident, in which 2 men and 13 horses belonging to the battery were killed, caused a delay of two days at Trenton, N. J. Reaching the Capitol, it encamped several weeks at Fairfax Seminary. On August 11 it joined the 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, at Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, Va., and on August 17 was stationed seven miles south of Culpeper, Va. Part of the battery was stationed at Barnett's Ford, Va., from August 20 to 23, one section being engaged in a skirmish near Sulphur Springs, Va. It was engaged at the battle of Manassas Aug. 30, 1862, and at Chantilly, Va., September 1."

In the Antietam Campaign:
"On September 14 it was engaged at South Mountain, Md., losing 1 man killed and 4 wounded. At the battle of Antietam, Md., it was actively engaged during the day and evening of September 17 and until late in the afternoon of the 18th."

The remainder of the War:
"It was encamped near the mouth of Antietam Creek until October 5, ordered then to Washington, D. C., it remained there until October 21 when it advanced and joined its division at Pleasant Valley, Va. On this march a detachment of the battery passing through Hyattstown, Md., surprised and captured a party of Confederate cavalry with recruits and horses. It engaged on the march through Virginia from October 26 to November 11, encamping during the time at Lovettsville, Waterford, Philomont, Rectortown, Orleans and Waterloo, [Virginia] remaining at the latter camp until it was ordered to Washington where it was mustered out, its term of service having expired, and left for Massachusetts Nov. 29, 1862."

References, Sources, and other Notes:
Quotes above from Higginson.1

We have 2 individuals in the AotW database for this unit:

Co.	Rank	Name	Casualty?	Details*
--	Lt	Coffin, John N
--	Capt	Cook, Asa M

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Notes

1 Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, Massachusetts in the Army and Navy during the war of 1861-1865, 2 vols., Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., State Printers, 1895-6, Vol.1, pg. 187 [AotW citation 559]

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