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Originally organized as 3rd Battalion German Heavy Artillery at New York City October to December, 1861.
Left State for Washington, D.C., December 19, 1861. Attached to Defenses of Washington to March, 1862.
Artillery Brigade, Military District of Washington, to May, 1862. Whipple's Command, Military District of
Washington, to July, 1862. Fort Lyon, Defenses of Washington, to February, 1863. Tyler's Command,
De Russy's Division, 22nd Army Corps, Dept. of Washington, to June, 1863. 2nd Brigade, DeRussy's Division,
22nd Army Corps, to October, 1863. Designation of Regiment changed to 15th New York Heavy Artillery
September 30, 1863, and 3rd Battalion assigned as Companies "A," "B," "C," "D" and "E." 4th Brigade,
De Russy's Division, 22nd Army Corps. to February, 1864. Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to
March, 1864. 1st Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to May, 1864. Kitching's Independent
Brigade, 5th Army Corps, May, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, May 30-June 2, 1864.
3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, to August, 1865. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps,
to May, 1865. 4th Brigade, DeRussy's Division, 22nd Army Corps, to June, 1865. 1st Brigade, DeRussy's
Division, 22nd Army Corps, to August, 1865. (Co. "F" attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac,
June to December, 1864. Company "M" to Artillery Brigade, 5th Army Corps, January to June, 1865.)
SERVICE.--Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until April, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to
the James May-June. Battle of the Wilderness May 5-7. Spottsylvania May 8-12. Spottsylvania Court House
May 12-21. Harris Farm (or Fredericksburg Road) May 19. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Mills May 23.
On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church
June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Weldon
Railroad June 22-23, 1864. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30 (Reserve). Six-Mile House, Weldon
Railroad, August 18-21. Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm, September 29-October 2. Boydton
Plank Road, Hatcher's Run October 27-28. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865.
Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Gravelly Run March 29. Boydton Road and White Oak Road
March 31. Five Forks April 1. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House
April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D.C., May. Grand Review May 23. Duty at
Washington until August. Mustered out August 22, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 142 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 5 Officers
and 225 Enlisted men by disease. Total 380.
FIFTEENTH REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY (HEAVY).
Colonel Louis Schirmer was authorized, May 29, 1863, to recruit this regiment. It was organized in
New York City. September 30, 1863, the 3d Battalion of Artillery was transferred to it, forming
Companies A, B, C, D, and E; June 22, 1863, a company and other men enlisted for the 12th
Artillery were assigned to the regiment as Company F; and on October 14, 1863 the 2d Battery,
reorganizing, and the 34th Battery, Capt. H.Jahn organizing, were also transferred to it. The
companies mustered in the service of the United States for three years, A, B, C, D and E at New
York City, between October 14 and December 19, 1861; at Staten Island F June 19, 1863; at Fort
Lyon, Va., G, H and I August 27; K September 18; and L December 11, 1863; at Goshen, Company
M, of which the Raines Artillery formed part, January 30, 1864. At the expiration of the term of
service of Companies A to E, the men enlisted thereto were discharged and the companies
continued in service. The companies were recruited principally: A, C, D, E, F, H and I at New York
City; B at New York City and Philadelphia, Pa.; G at New York City and Buffalo; K and L at New York
City, Catskill, Troy and Buffalo; M at Monroe, New Windsor, Liberty, Mamakating, Crawford,
Warwick, Montgomery, Wallkill, Newburgh, Goshen, Fremont, Cohecton, Callicoon, Bethel, Deer
Park and Cornwall. Companies A to E, when assigned to the regiment, were on duty at Fort Lyons,
and the other companies were forwarded to that point as soon as organized. The regiment served
as infantry and heavy artillery at Fort Lyons, Va.; in the 2d, and later 4th Brigade, DeRussy's
Division, 22d Corps, from November, 1863; in the Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, from
March, 1864; in the 1st Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, from April, 1864; the 2d
Battalion with the Artillery Park, Army of the Potomac and the 1st and 3d Battalions in the Heavy
Artillery Brigade, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from May 13, 1864; in the 3d Division, 5th Corps,
from May 30, 1864; in the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, 5th Corps, from June 2, 1864; Company F in the
Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, from June to December; and the regiment in the 1st
Brigade, 2d Division, 5th Corps, from August, 1864; Company M in the Artillery Brigade, 5th Corps,
from January, 1865; and the regiment in the 4th Brigade, DeRussy's Division, 22d Corps, from
June, 18, 1865. The regiment, commanded by Maj. Julius Dieckmann was honorably discharged
and mustered out August 22, 1865, at Washington, D.C., having, during its service, lost by death,
killed in action, 2 officers, 81 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 6 officers, 67 enlisted
men: of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 225 enlisted men; total, 11 officers, 373 enlisted men;
aggregate, 384, of whom 63 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy. The large number of men
reported "accidentally killed" is principally caused by the explosion of a magazine at Fort Lyons,
Va., June 9, 1863. The regiment took part in the following engagements, etc.:
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THE UNION ARMY: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65, Records of the
Regiments in the Union Army, Volume II; Federal Publishing Company, Madison, WI, 1908.
FIFTEENTH ARTILLERY (HEAVY).---Cols., Louis Schirmer, Michael Wiedrich; Lieut-Cols., Michael
Wiedrich, Louis Eiche; Majs., Emil Duysing, William D. Dickey, Leander Schamberger, Louis Eiche,
Calvin Shaffer, Julius Dieckman. This fine German regiment was organized at New York city, the
members being principally recruited in the counties of New York, Orange and Sullivan. The 3d battalion
of artillery, recruited in New York city in 1861, and which had been performing garrison duty in
the defenses of Washington, was transferred to the 15th as Cos. A, B, C, D and E on Sept. 30, 1863;
on June 23, 1863, a company enlisted for the 12th N.Y. artillery was assigned to the regiment as Co.F;
and Oct. 14, 1863, the 2d and 34th batteries were likewise transferred to it. The companies were mustered
into the U. S. service for three years as follows: A, B, C, D and E at New York city, between
Oct. 14 and Dec. 19, 1861; and the remaining companies from Aug. 27, 1863, to Jan. 30, 1864. The
original members of Co. A to E were mustered out on the expiration of their term of enlistment and
the remainder of the regiment continued in service. When assigned to the regiment, Cos. A to E were
on duty at Fort Lyon, Va., and the other companies joined them there as soon as organized. The regiment
performed garrison duty until March, 1864, when it joined the Army of the Potomac at the front,
where it was assigned to the 5th corps, to which it was attached throughout the remainder of the war,
most of the time assigned to Ayres' (2nd) division. The regiment took part in the engagements of the
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, the North Anna, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor, White Oak Swamp, the first
assault on Petersburg, Weldon railroad, Poplar Grove Church, Hicksford raid, Hatcher's run, and the
Appomattox campaign, including actions at Five Forks, the fall of Petersburg and Appomattox Court
House. Throughout this series of battles it was conspicuous for its steadiness and bravery, and sustained
severe losses. At Spottsylvania its casualties were 160 killed, wounded and missing, among the
mortally wounded was the gallant Maj. Schamberger. In the assault on the works of Petersburg in June,
1864, it lost 85 killed and wounded; at the Weldon railroad, 14 killed, 75 wounded, and 5 missing; at
White Oak road, 18 killed, 81 wounded and 11 missing, among the mortally wounded being Maj.
Duysing. The regiment also lost heavily in the trenches before Petersburg from the constant and deadly
firing which prevailed there, having 83 men killed, wounded and missing from this source. It lost by
death during service 8 officers and 148 men, killed and mortally wounded; 5 officers and 225 men died
of disease and other causes, a total of 13 officers and 373 men, of whom 63 men died in the hands of
the enemy. A number of men were accidentally killed by the explosion of a magazine at Fort Lyon, Va.,
June 9, 1863. Under the command of Maj. Dieckman, the regiment was mustered out at Washington,
DC, Aug. 22, 1865.
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