The Fourth Alabama Painting by Don Troiani

Third Brigade, First Division

Captain R B Ayres

Captain R B Ayres, commanding 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E

Third United States Artillery, Light Company E

Arrived at Washington D. C. at 2 AM on 10 May, 1861

CAPTAIN R B AYRES, Fifth United States Artillery

First Section: FIRST LT. D R RANSOM
Two 10 pounder Parrott rifles, M1861
Second Section: FIRST LT. G W DRESSER
First Lieutenant G W Dresser was assigned from the 4th United States Artillery.
Two 12 pounder field howitzers, M1841
Third Section: Brevet SECOND LT. H E NOYES
Brevet Second Lieutenant H E Noyes was temporarily assigned from the 2nd United States Dragoons (See the 2nd United States Dragoons).
Two 6 pounder field howitzers, M1841

Sources

The American almanac and repository of useful knowledge for the year 1861, by Crosby, Nicholas, Lee and company

Biographical register of officers and graduates of the United States Military Academy, at West Point, N. Y., from its establishment, 16 March, 1802 to the army reorganisation of 1866–67, by Bvt. Major General George W Cullum, Colonel, Corps of Enginers, U. S. Army

Notes

The 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E, was stationed at Fort Ridgley, Minnesota, under the command of Brevet Major T W Sherman, and was ordered to Elkton, Maryland, on 14 April, 1861. The company arrived at Elkton, Maryland, on 24 April, 1861, and Brevet Major T W Sherman was assigned to command the post consisting of his own company and two companies of the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry (See the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry). Major T W Sherman was assigned to duty guarding the Philadelphia & Baltimore Railroad and the Delaware Canal . The 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E, was ordered to Perryville, Maryland, on the 9 May, 1861, and Colonel F E Patterson, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery, was commanding the post consisting of the 3rd United States Battalion Infantry, and the 1st Pennsylvania Artillery. Colonel F E Patterson was ordered to proceed on board steamers to Baltimore City, Maryland, to reopen the lines of communication with Washington D. C., and 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E, arrived at Washington D. C. at 2 AM on 10 May, 1861. Brevet Major T W Sherman was promoted to lieutenant colonel, 5th United States Artillery, on 14 May, 1861, and was assigned as chief of light artillery, defenses of Washington D. C. between 21 May and 28 June, 1861 (See the Defenses of Washington D. C.). The 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E, was ordered across the Potomac River on 24 May, 1861 (See the Occupation of Arlington Heights and Alexandria). The Third Brigade, First Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia, under the command of Colonel W T Sherman, was ordered to proceed to Vienna, Virginia, via the Georgetown Turnpike and the Leesburg Stone Roads, at 2 PM on 16 July, 1861. Colonel W T Sherman was ordered to proceed between Fairfax Courthouse and Centreville, Virginia, to Germantown, Virginia, on 17 July, 1861, and was ordered to proceed along the Warrenton Pike to Centreville, Virginia, at 7 AM on 18 July, 1861. The Third Brigade, First Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia, arrived at Centreville, Virginia, at 9 AM on 18 July, 1861. Brigadier General D Tyler ordered Colonel I B Richardson to continue a reconnaissance to Blackburn's and Mitchell's Fords, Virginia, at 10 AM on 18 July, 1861, and the 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E, was engaged in the battle at Blackburn's Ford, Virginia, between 12 PM and 4 PM the same day. After the first battle of Bull Run the 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E, the 41st New York Infantry, and the 2nd United States Artillery, Light Company E, and were assigned to garisson duty at Fort Corcoran, Arlington Heights, Virginia, on 29 July, 1861.

Company A was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, under the command of Major W S Ketchum, proceeded to Fort Point, San Francisco Harbour on 28 February, 1861, and arrived on 5 March, 1861; Company B was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, under the command of Major W S Ketchum, proceeded to San Francisco Harbour and remained for the duration of the war; Company C was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, under the command of Major W S Ketchum, proceeded to San Francisco Harbour on 7 May, 1861, under the command of Captain E O C Ord, Company C, and remained until October 1861; Company D was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, under the command of Major W S Ketchum, proceeded to San Francisco Harbour on 7 May, 1861, under the command of Captain E O C Ord, Company C; Light Company E was stationed at Fort Ridgley, Minnesota, under the command of Major W W Morris, 4th United states Artillery, proceeded to Washington D. C. on 14 April, 1861, and arrived on 10 May, 1861; Company F was stationed at Fort Monroe, Virginia, under the command of Brevet Colonel J Dimock, 2nd United States Artillery, proceeded to Washington D. C. and was on duty until March 1862; Company G was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, under the command of Major W S Ketchum, proceeded to San Francisco Harbour and was ordered to Washington D. C. in October 1861; Company H was stationed at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Harbour, under the command of Captain J Stewart, and was ordered to Washington D. C. in October 1861; Company I was stationed at Presidio, San Francisco Harbour, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel C S Merchant, until July 1864; Company K was stationed at Fort Monroe, Virginia, under the command of Brevet Colonel J Dimock, 2nd United States Artillery, proceeded to Washington D. C. and was on duty until March 1862; Company L was stationed at Fort Umpqua, Oregon, under the command of First Lieutenant L Lorain; Company M was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, under the command of Major W S Ketchum, proceeded to San Francisco Harbour and was ordered to Washington D. C. in October 1861.

Major W W Morris, 4th United States Artillery, commanded the post at Fort Ridgely, Minnesota, consisting of the 2nd United States Artillery, Company I; the 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E; and the 4th United States Artillery, Light Company F and Company K.

Brevet Colonel J Dimock, 2nd United States Artillery, commanded the post at Fort Monroe, Old Point Comfort, Virginia, consisting of the 1st United States Artillery, Company A; the 2nd United States Artillery, Companies B and L; the 3rd United States Artillery, Companies F and K; and the 4th United States Artillery, Companies D and L. A detachment of forty men from the six companies was assigned to the 1st United States Artillery, Company A, and was ordered to proceeed to New York Harbour as part of the relef expedition to Fort Pickens, Florida, on 24 January, 1861 (See the Fort Pickens relief expedtion).

On 27 March, 1861, W T Sherman proceeded to St Louis, Missouri, and was appointed colonel of the 13th United States Infantry on 14 May, 1861 (See the United States Battalion Infantry). Colonel W T Sherman resigned as president of the Fifth Street Railroad and was ordered to Washington D. C. Lieutenant General W Scott, United States Army, assigned Colonel W T Sherman to inspection duty between 20 and 30 June, 1861, and assumed command of the Third Brigade, Firts Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia, formerly under the command of Colonel A Porter, on 30 June, 1861. Colonel W T Sherman's brother, J Sherman, was assigned as a volunteer aide de camp on the staff of Major General R Patterson, commanding the Army of the Upper Potomac (See the Army of the Upper Potomac).

The Military District of the Potomac was established on 25 July, 1861 by consolidating the Military District of Washington and the Department of Northeastern Virginia and redesignated the Department of the Potomac on 15 August, 1861. The 3rd United States Artillery, Light Company E, under the command of Captain J Hamilton, was assigned to Brigadier General W T Sherman's brigade, Army of the Potomac, on 4 August, 1861.

Report

OFFICIAL REPORT NO.27: Series I, Volume 2 (S# 2), Chapter IX, pp. 373–374
Captain R B Ayres, Fifth United States Artillery