Richard W McCoy

Keystone Thunder: Pennsylvania Field Artillery in the Civil War Richard W McCoy

The story of Pennsylvania?s field batteries during the Civil War is, to a great extent, the story of the war itself. Pennsylvania field batteries served through the duration of the war and in every major theatre of the conflict. A Pennsylvania field battery was one of the first units to rush to the defense of Washington after the attack on Fort Sumter, and others fought with the Army of the Potomac in every one of its major engagements except the First Battle of Bull Run. Pennsylvania batteries were stationed in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and as far away as Texas. Some Pennsylvania batteries also served within their home state during the war, and during the 1863 invasion of Pennsylvania that culminated in the Battle of Gettysburg, some fought in the direct defense of their home state?s soil. This work tells the story of the entire Pennsylvania field artillery service collectively rather than as a series of individual unit sketches. It chronicles the entire service of the Pennsylvania field artillery, and shares each step along the way?not only what each Pennsylvania battery did, but also what other Pennsylvania batteries were doing at the same time, and how their stories are all interconnected. Numerous illustrations, appendices which include ?Officer Listings by Organization? and ?Battery Assignments,? a bibliography, and an index to full-names, places and subjects augment this exceptionally well-written narrative history.