3rd Regiment, Rhode Island Heavy Artillery

Brief History
The 3rd Regiment, Rhode Island Heavy Artillery was organized at Providence as 3rd Infantry August, 1861, but reorganized at Hilton Head, S. C., as Heavy Artillery December 19, 1861.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "A", (accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Shot and Shell: The Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Cornell University Library EBook (accessed 22 March 2013

The Regiment was lost during service; 2 Officers and 39 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 90 Enlisted men by disease, for a total of 135. For more information see, .Civil War Archives (accessed 22 March 2013)

Companies in this Regiment with the 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 2,740 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Battery "A". Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out August 27, 1865. See Wikipedia

See Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "A", (accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "B".

Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April 1862. Mustered out August 27, 1865.

SeeThe Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "B", (accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "C".Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out June 9, 1865.
 * Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out June 9, 1865. See Civil War Archive section,3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "C",(accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "D".

Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps, to April, 1862. Mustered out August 27, 1865. See Wikipedia See Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "D", (accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "E".

Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out October 4, 1864. See Wikipedia See Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "E",(accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "F".

Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out October 4, 1864. See Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "F",(accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "G".

Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out October 4, 1864. See Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "G",(accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "I".

Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out October 4, 1864. See Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "I",(accessed 16 November 2012).


 * Battery "K". Attached to Sherman's Expeditionary Corps to April, 1862. Mustered out October 4, 1864 See Civil War Archive section, 3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "K",(accessed 16 November 2012)
 * Battery "L".

Organized at Providence March 17, 1862 Transferred to other Companies March 10, 1865.


 * See Civil War Archive section,3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "L",(accessed 16 November 2012)",
 * (Battery "M"

Organized at Providence March, 1862, and joined Regiment at Hilton Head, S.C. Consolidated with other Companies of Battalion then organized March 10, 1865.

See Civil War Archive section,3rd Regiment Heavy Artillery, Battery "M",(accessed 16 November 2012)

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 ‘Mississippi 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.


 * Rhode Island in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Mississippi, 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.


 * Denison, Frederic. Shot and Shell: the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery regiment in the Rebellion, 1861-1865. (Providence [Rhode Island] : Third R.I. Art. Vet. Assn., 1879), View online at archive.org


 * Denison, Frederic. Army Hymns; written for the Third Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery .Googal Books


 * Egan, Patrick. The Florida campaign with Light Battery C, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),


 * Extract from the history of the Third Regiment R.I. Heavy Artillery, published in the Adjutant General's Report of the state of Rhode Island,(reprint of 1865) 1893. Read online at Open Library


 * James, Martin S. War reminiscences. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),


 * Third Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Veteran Association. Third Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Veteran Association : organized August 18, 1872. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),


 * United States. Army. Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment, 3rd (1861-1865). Roster of commissioned officers, Third Regiment, Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, from date of organization to August 31, 1864. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991), and Extract from the history of the Third Regiment R. I. Heavy Artillery : published in the Adjutant General's Report of the state of Rhode Island, (reprint of 1865) 1893.


 * Williams, Alonzo. The investment of Fort Pulaski. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),


 * Williams, Charles H. The last tour of duty at the siege of Charleston. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),


 * Keith Garrett's Photos - pictures from the 2010 re-enactment of the battle of the swamp.