Campaign of Battery D, First Rhode Island Light Artillery

A former lieutenant of the First Rhode Island Light Artillery recounts his unit’s long trek from Virginia to Kentucky in the early spring of 1863. After a brief stop in Lexington, the men endure a grueling march across the Cumberland River and the rugged mountains, navigating railheads, steamboats, and camp life on fairgrounds and open fields. The narrative captures the tension of constant movement, the camaraderie of shared hardships, and the early encounters with Confederate forces as they press toward the volatile borderlands.

The story then shifts to the battery’s arrival on the bluffs of the Tennessee River opposite Loudon, where they find abandoned livestock, seized grain stores, and a still‑working flour mill. While setting up a makeshift pontoon bridge and securing supplies, the soldiers watch the enemy’s retreat and brace for the looming threat of cavalry raids. Through vivid detail and personal reflection, the account offers a window into the day‑to‑day reality of a Civil‑War artillery unit navigating unfamiliar terrain and the uncertainty of a campaign just beginning.