Hart's Company, South Carolina Horse Artillery Volunteers (Washington Artillery)

Brief History
Washington Light Artillery was originally organized to be attached to the Hampton South Carolina Legion. However, it never served with that command. After being stationed in South Carolina, the unit moved to Virginia and was assigned to Stuart's and R.P. Chew's Horse Artillery. . Later it joined B.C. Manly's Battalion of Artillery in the Army of Tennessee and was active in North Carolina. Surrendered on April 26, 1865 .



Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 204 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘South Carolina in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * South Carolina in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for South Carolina, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Footnote.com (A subscription website, but is available for use at the FamilySearch Library and some FamilySearch Centers). It has digital Civil War soldier service records and brief regiment histories (located at the bottom of some of the muster rolls).


 * Washington Artillery Battery, (accessed 2 Apr 2011). Historical Sketch - List of battles this battery was engaged in.


 * Harby, Lee Cohen Hart's Battery    (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990) Includes a description of activities of Hart's Battery in the South Carolina Artillery (Confederate) in the following battles or localities: Brandy's Station, Va.; Burgess' Mill, Va.; Bentonville, N.C. Microform at  and Other Libraries


 * McGowan, Samuel Right Shall Make Might : an account of the celebration of the thirty-fourth anniversary of the Washington Artillery with the oration of Gen. Samuel McGowan, of Abbeville, S.C., and the transfer and reception of the war guidon of Hart's Battery, at Charleston, S.C., Washington's Day, February 22d, 1878. ( Charleston, S.C. : News and Courier Book Presses, c1878), 48 pages. Available at the FamilySearch Library,  also Libraries where book is found.