author
Caroline Elizabeth Whitcomb
b. 1862
A New Hampshire writer and teacher, she is remembered for preserving the story of a Civil War artillery unit in a detailed regimental history first published in 1912. Her work stands out for its careful use of veterans’ memories, letters, and records to keep that history alive.
1 Audiobook
History of the Second Massachusetts Battery (Nims' Battery) of Light Artillery, 1861-1865
by Caroline Elizabeth Whitcomb
About the author
Born in 1862, Caroline Elizabeth Whitcomb was associated with Keene, New Hampshire, where later records describe her as a high school teacher. She is best known today for writing History of the Second Massachusetts Battery (Nims' Battery) of Light Artillery, 1861-1865, a book published in 1912.
That history was an ambitious effort to gather and organize the story of a Union artillery unit from the Civil War. In the book’s prefatory material, she notes help from people connected to the battery and from surviving documents, which suggests a method grounded in firsthand recollections and historical records.
Although not much biographical detail is easy to confirm, her book has lasted as a useful record for readers interested in Civil War memory, veterans’ history, and New England historical writing. It gives her a small but lasting place among early twentieth-century writers who worked to preserve the experiences of an earlier generation.