Overview
The 25th New York Independent Battery was an artillery unit organized in Lockport, New York, and mustered into United States service on December 12, 1862. Drawn primarily from Niagara, Orleans, and Genesee counties, the battery served in the Union Army, operating chiefly in the Department of the Gulf and the Western Theater. It was notable for its service in the defenses of New Orleans and participation in the Red River Campaign.
Organization & Service
The 25th New York Independent Battery was organized at Lockport, New York, and mustered in on December 12, 1862, under the command of Captain John A. Graw. The battery departed New York on December 18, 1862, aboard the transport “Sparkling Sea.” During transit, the vessel was wrecked on January 9, 1863, but the battery eventually arrived in New Orleans on February 4, 1863.
Upon arrival, the battery was stationed in the defenses of New Orleans for several months. It was subsequently attached to the 3rd Division and later to the Artillery Reserve of the 19th Army Corps. The battery saw action at La Fourche Crossing and Vermillionville. In January 1864, it received 117 men transferred from the 18th New York Battery. The unit was then attached to the 1st Division, 19th Corps, and participated in the Red River Campaign, engaging at Sabine Cross Roads, Pleasant Hill (where it suffered casualties), Cane River Crossing, and Mansura. After the campaign, the battery returned to the defenses of New Orleans, serving in the District of La Fourche and the Southern Division of Louisiana until mustered out at Rochester, New York, on August 1, 1865, under Captain Irving S. Southworth.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Defenses of New Orleans (1863–1864)
- La Fourche Crossing
- Vermillionville
- Red River Campaign (1864)
- Sabine Cross Roads
- Pleasant Hill
- Cane River Crossing
- Mansura
- District of La Fourche and Southern Division of Louisiana (1864–1865)
Casualties
- Killed and mortally wounded: 4 enlisted men
- Died of disease and other causes: 28 enlisted men
- Total losses: 32 enlisted men
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain John A. Graw
- Captain Irving S. Southworth
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 25th New York Independent Battery, including officers and enlisted men who served during its term, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides details on enlistment, service, and discharge where recorded.
To view the complete roster, visit the 25th New York Independent Battery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. XXVI, XXXIV, XLI
- New York State Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War