Unit

Federal Battery

5th United States Artillery, Battery C

Commanding Officers:
Capt. Dunbar R. Ransom
Lt. Henry S Gansevoort

Statistics for Maryland Campaign
  Initial Strength: not known
  Killed in Action (KIA): 2
  Wounded (WIA): 13

Arms:
  4   Napoleon

Maps Showing this Unit:
   Detail Map #2: Hood's Division Retakes the Cornfield
   Detail Map #3: Mansfield's XII Corps Attacks Into the Cornfield

Battlefield Tablets for this Unit:
   Tablet #1: First Army Corps - 16 Sep, 2 PM to 16 Sep, 6 PM
   Tablet #15: Meade's Division, First Army Corps - 16 Sep, 2 PM to 16 Sep, 8 PM
   Tablet #105: Battery C, 5th U.S. Artillery - 16 Sep, 6 PM to 17 Sep, 12 PM
   Tablet #120: Army of the Potomac - 17 Sep, 5 AM to 17 Sep, 12 PM
   Tablet #11: Meade's Division, First Army Corps - 17 Sep, 6 AM to 17 Sep, 9 AM

This Battery's Chain of Command:
  Army - Army of the Potomac
  Corps - First (I) Army Corps
  Division - 3rd Division, I Corps
  Brigade - 3rd Division, I Corps Artillery

In the Antietam Campaign:
" 'At about 10 o'clock,' wrote Lieut. Gansevoort, who actually commanded Battery C during the day, 'General Hooker ordered our battery to the extreme front, and took it there himself. We passed through a wood, then over a ploughed field into a pasture.' "

" 'The infantry on our right fled, and also on our left. As we came in, a battery on our left retired, and we were left alone without support. The rebels were coming down upon us, and we would have retired to save our pieces; but many of the horses were killed and it was impossible. We therefore continued firing; and, after a short time, the horses of the caissons came up with the caisson limbers, containing fresh ammunition. The enemy after a while retired, and with the last horses we also retired, having accomplished our mission, but with great loss.' "

"General Meade in his report says: 'I cannot close this report without calling your attention to the skill and good judgment, combined with coolness, with which Captain Ransom, his officers (Lieutenants Weir and Gansevoort) and men, served his battery. I consider this one of the most critical periods of the morning, and that to Captain Ransom's battery is due the credit of repulsing the enemy.' "1

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

Co.	Rank	Name	Casualty?	Details*
z	Lt	Gansevoort, Henry Sanford	WIA 09/17
--	Capt	Ransom, Dunbar Richard

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Notes

1 Bush, James C. (1st Lt., 5th Arty.), and and Theo F Rodenbough and William L. Haskin, eds., Fifth Regiment of Artillery, Historical Sketches Of Staff And Line, New York City: Maynard, Merrill, & Co., 1896, pp. 380-381 [AotW citation 586]

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