Looking for Unit Information

[29thIndBty]

I am a member of a reenactment group in Germany (I am a Brit and not German, ex soldier living in Germany) and portray an Artillery Unit. They are the 29th Independent Battery (New York Light Artillery). I have done some extensive searching but there is not much too be found, have even been in contact with the Curator of the New York Military Museum, who was a very helpfull and friendly person, but to no avail. The problem that we have is the access to archives and libraries. I have compiled a small folder of some History of the Battery by doing the normal Googling and that is where i hit a brick wall. I think the main problem could be that we were mainly in the Artillery Reserve of the Army of the Potomac. What i was wondering is, would anyone be able to give me some help, tips or pointers on where to look. Anything would be appreciated in my search for information.

[bob 125th nysvi]

a couple of questions.

What type of information are you looking for?

If the unit was assigned to the AoP artillery reserve under Hunt then it could show up anywhere on the battlefield and even in multiple spots during the same battle.

Hunt had a habit of running a battery in, letting it expend what it had in the limbers and then pulling it out and replacing it with another battery. Once it was restocked he sent it where he needed it next.

Your other issue is in Hunt's official reports he many times to refers to units by the commander's name not the unit designation. Even if you get a hold of his reports for various battles you're going to have to know who was in charge of the battery and when. Since the Battery Commanders reports would have gone up to Hunt you are going to have to research his individual reports.

But maybe you have already followed this course.

The other option is do you know the names of the soldiers in the units (particularly the commanders)? A lot of books were written after the war about people's experiences that are no longer in print but still in local historical societies or collectors hands. Also letters and diaries were often donated by the family to local institutions (I saw a pretty nice collection of original artifacts sitting in a cabinet of a Town Hall in upstate NY donated by the family of a man who was an officer and grew up locally). Once you track down a book (or two if you're lucky) and you know where the battery was recruited you might be able to develop local information sources.

[29thIndBty]

Forgot to mention that we were also known as 1st Independent Battalion Light Artillery (New York) up until 1863 and then the Companies were disbanded into Batteries (29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd), finally mustered out in August 1864. I possess "New York in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1865" by Frederick Phisterer and all 70 Volumes of "Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies 1880-1901", which has been very helpfull. I also have details of a funeral procession held in New York City for one of our Officers killed in action, Major Albert Arndt, which was published in the New York Times. It details where he is to be laid to rest, but that is where i have my next problem. It states he is to be transported to "Dallytown, near North Hoboken", but doing a Google shows that Dallytown doesn,t exist today. There is a Hoboken in New Jersey, but i wouldn,t know where to start to try and find out if the Grave is still in existence today or where there might be any record of his burial.

a couple of questions.

What type of information are you looking for?

Everything and anything, a difficult Unit to find information about.

If the unit was assigned to the AoP artillery reserve under Hunt then it could show up anywhere on the battlefield and even in multiple spots during the same battle.

Found some information about our use at Antietam and Friedricksburg. And i knew that we were used to fill gaps and strengthen certain areas of the battlefield where necessary.

Hunt had a habit of running a battery in, letting it expend what it had in the limbers and then pulling it out and replacing it with another battery. Once it was restocked he sent it where he needed it next.

Friedricksburg a good example, have found some reports from this conflict.

Your other issue is in Hunt's official reports he many times to refers to units by the commander's name not the unit designation. Even if you get a hold of his reports for various battles you're going to have to know who was in charge of the battery and when. Since the Battery Commanders reports would have gone up to Hunt you are going to have to research his individual reports.

Have found some reports, need to purchase the book. Also have the names of all commanders, etc.

But maybe you have already followed this course.

The other option is do you know the names of the soldiers in the units (particularly the commanders)? A lot of books were written after the war about people's experiences that are no longer in print but still in local historical societies or collectors hands. Also letters and diaries were often donated by the family to local institutions (I saw a pretty nice collection of original artifacts sitting in a cabinet of a Town Hall in upstate NY donated by the family of a man who was an officer and grew up locally). Once you track down a book (or two if you're lucky) and you know where the battery was recruited you might be able to develop local information sources.

[bob 125th nysvi]

I also have details of a funeral procession held in New York City for one of our Officers killed in action, Major Albert Arndt, which was published in the New York Times. It details where he is to be laid to rest, but that is where i have my next problem. It states he is to be transported to "Dallytown, near North Hoboken", but doing a Google shows that Dallytown doesn,t exist today. There is a Hoboken in New Jersey, but i wouldn,t know where to start to try and find out if the Grave is still in existence today or where there might be any record of his burial.

in that time period he may been laid in a family plot on a farm as well as a small town cemetery or a church yard. Does the obit say where the services were held? Might give a clue if it was church yard.

If it was a private burial the bodies would have been moved as urban blight swamped the area. If so your best bets are that the body was moved Fairview, Maple Grove or Mt Moriah Cemeteries as those are the three large public cemeteries in the approximate area of where Dallytown was. Start with the 'Soldiers and Sailors' plot at those cemeteries as veterans with no family (at the time the body was moved) were often put there. Each cemetery maintains its own records as to whom is buried where. Municipal records are often so badly maintained they they would be able to help you.

We've been involved in identifying and restoring a lot of CW graves in our area and to be quite honest very VERY few people care at all so you may be engaged in a fruitless quest for info on Arndt. You should see the lousy shape General George Thomas' plot is in.

[29thIndBty]

This is the extract from the New York Times:

The funeral of Major ARNDT, of the First New-York Artillery, who was killed at the battle of Antietam, took place yesterday afternoon, from Second-avenue, between Second, and Third streets. Four companies of the Fifth Regiment, N.Y.S.M., with arms reversed, preceded the hearse, which was followed by several militia and volunteer officers at present on duty in this City, and a company of the Eleventh Regiment, Col. BURGER, who commanded the military, which made quite an imposing appearance. The procession moved slowly along Fourth-street, down Broadway to Cortlaudt-street Ferry, from where the remains were taken to Dallytown, near North Hoboken, where they will be interred. Deceased left a widow and daughter residing in this City; he was formerly an officer in the Prussian army, and served with gallantry during the present war, until the fatal ball at the late battle put an end to his heroic life.

P.S. Found Him from this site: http://www.suvcwdb.org/home/index.php

He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings, NY. Lot No. 13536, Section: 115, Grave No. 30.

Wouldn,t have found Him without you help, thanks.