The Rhode Island Artillery at the First Battle of Bull Run

From the moment President Lincoln issued his first call for volunteers, the men of Providence answered with a mix of civic pride and raw determination. Led by Captain Charles H. Tompkins, they gathered in the Marine Armory, where merchants, bankers and everyday citizens signed up in droves, quickly filling the ranks of a new artillery battery. Under the steady hand of J. Albert Monroe, the volunteers learned to load, aim, and maneuver the twelve‑pound James guns, turning the cramped armory and nearby vacant lots into a bustling training ground.

By early June the unit was mustered into federal service and set out on a long, weary trek from the docks of Fox Point to Washington, their carriage horses and brass cannons humming with nervous energy. As they approached the Virginia countryside, the soldiers could feel the weight of the nation’s expectations, aware that the conflict ahead would be their first real test. The narrative captures their camaraderie, the clang of drill, and the palpable anticipation that built right up to the opening moments of the Battle of Bull Run.