Charles E. Winegar facts for kids

Charles E. Winegar was a brave leader who commanded an artillery battery for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played an important role in many major battles, showing courage and skill with his cannons.

Starting His Military Journey

Charles E. Winegar helped create Battery M, First New York Artillery, in September 1861. This group of soldiers and cannons was formed in Lockport, New York. They officially joined the army in Rochester, New York on October 14, 1861. Winegar, who was 29 years old, became a senior first lieutenant. The battery signed up to serve for three years.

The battery soon moved to Albany and then to Washington, D.C.. While training near Washington, the battery became part of the First New York Artillery.

In January 1862, Winegar's battery received six powerful ten-pound Parrott rifles and teams of horses to pull them. They were assigned to Major General Nathaniel Banks's command. The battery was stationed in Frederick, Maryland and Point of Rocks.

First Battles and Challenges

The battery saw its first real action in March 1862 when General Banks moved his forces into Virginia. They fought in the First Battle of Winchester on May 25, 1862. Even though Winegar was sick, he still led a part of the battery. He was praised for his good behavior during the army's retreat after the battle. Battery M also fought bravely at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, holding the far right side of the Union line.

When the XII Corps was formed, Winegar's battery joined Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams's division. Winegar often led the battery during this time. Major General Henry W. Slocum, the new commander of XII Corps, moved Winegar's battery to Loudoun Heights, Virginia near Harper's Ferry.

Fighting at Antietam

The battery's original captain returned in time for the Battle of Antietam. They supported the XII Corps at the north end of the battlefield, near the East Woods. The captain reported that they helped push back several Confederate attacks.

Later, during the Battle of Fredericksburg, the corps, including Battery M, moved to Fairfax Station. They then advanced to Stafford Court House during the difficult Mud March. Winegar was in command of the battery from late 1862 until late 1863.

Chancellorsville: A Tough Fight

At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Winegar was again in charge of the battery. They crossed the Rappahannock River on April 30, moving forward with Williams's division. On May 1, Winegar's battery advanced along the Plank Road toward Fredericksburg.

The battery had not yet fired when the corps was called back to a defensive spot. From there, they fired on Confederate gunners until they ran low on ammunition on May 2. The battery was still in its position on May 3 when it was ordered to fall back. During the retreat, some of their ammunition wagons had to be left behind. Lieutenant Winegar and another soldier went back to find them but were captured by the enemy.

After the battle, the battery was in reserve. Winegar was still missing. He was later exchanged, meaning he was traded for a Confederate prisoner.

Gettysburg: A Turning Point

Winegar returned in time to join the artillery brigade of XII Corps for the Gettysburg Campaign. His battery crossed the Potomac River on June 26, 1863. On the night of June 30, near Gettysburg, Winegar's battery was set up with infantry support to guard the camp.

During the actual Battle of Gettysburg, the battery had four ten-pound Parrott rifles. On the evening of July 1, General Slocum used Winegar's guns to cover a gap in the Union line south of the town cemetery. Battery M was later moved to a position just east of Powers Hill.

Cannons Roar on Powers Hill

On July 3, 1863, one part of Winegar's battery was on Powers Hill. Another part was on McAllister's Hill, near Rock Creek. The monument to Winegar's battery stands on Powers Hill today.

The battery took part in a huge cannon attack. This attack happened before a successful effort to win back ground lost the day before.

Moving West: The Chattanooga Campaign

In the fall of 1863, XII Corps was sent west to help with the siege of Chattanooga during the Chattanooga Campaign. Winegar's battery was among the units that went. After the Battles for Chattanooga, most of the units from XII Corps and XI Corps were combined into the new XX Corps.

On February 6, 1864, many of the original members of Battery M re-enlisted for another period of service. They went home for a break and returned to camp near Chattanooga in mid-April.

Leading a New Battery

Charles Winegar was promoted to captain on May 3, 1864. He then took command of Battery I, First New York Artillery, which had six three-inch rifled guns. This unit also belonged to XX Corps, which later became part of the Army of Georgia under Major General Slocum.

Winegar's new battery served in the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign.

The Atlanta Campaign: A Busy Time

The Atlanta Campaign, led by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman, was very busy for Winegar and his men. His battery was heavily involved in supporting Williams's division at the Battle of Resaca on May 13, 1864. They helped push back an attack by Lieutenant General John B. Hood.

As Sherman's army moved from Resaca toward Atlanta, Battery I's guns were used in smaller fights. Winegar even reported winning a fight against a Confederate battery. Battery I played a big role in the Battle of Kolb's Farm on June 22. They were praised for damaging a Confederate attack on XX Corps.

Battery I crossed the Chattahoochee River on July 2, 1864. At the Battle of Peachtree Creek on July 20, Winegar's guns were used effectively in two places on the Union line. They helped stop a Confederate attack. Winegar's own report described the battery's movements from Lookout Valley, Tennessee, all the way to Atlanta. He specifically mentioned how his battery helped stop John B. Hood's corps at Kolb's Farm.

Siege of Atlanta and Beyond

Winegar's report on the Siege of Atlanta mainly describes exchanges of fire with the Confederate defenders. The battery sometimes suffered losses, including a lieutenant who was shot. When Sherman decided to outflank Hood's army in late August, XX Corps fell back to defend the Union supply line.

After the Battle of Jonesborough forced Hood to leave Atlanta, XX Corps took control of the city. A part of Battery I entered the Confederate defenses on September 2, 1864, with the rest of the battery following later. Winegar reported that his battery lost one officer and three men killed, and ten men wounded during the campaign. They also lost horses.

Sherman's army stayed near Atlanta for a while, needing to gather food and supplies. In October, Winegar commanded two batteries during a foraging raid east of Decatur, Georgia. This raid collected 400 wagon loads of supplies.

When Sherman left Atlanta on November 15, XX Corps was part of the column led by Major General Slocum. This was the famous March to the Sea. Winegar's guns were not used much until Sherman reached Savannah, Georgia. On December 12, 1864, while Sherman's army was surrounding Savannah, Winegar's battery was set up in ambush on the banks of the Savannah River. They fired on two Confederate gunboats and their tender, which had come downriver from Augusta, Georgia. All three ships were hit. Two of the ships crashed into each other, and one damaged ship was captured by the Union soldiers. The gunboats escaped.

Four days later, Battery I moved to Argyle Island to deal with Confederate guns bothering a Union brigade. When Savannah fell, Winegar reported capturing many animals and supplies.

The Carolinas Campaign and War's End

Battery I took part in the Carolinas Campaign, still under General Slocum. They left Savannah on January 17, 1865. The battery fought in the Battle of Averasborough (March 16) and the Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21). In the Bentonville fight, Battery I played a key role in pushing back an attack from its position near the Goldsboro Pike. The battery was part of a group of XX Corps guns that helped fill a gap in the Union line.

Late in the war, on April 1, 1865, Captain Winegar took command of the entire artillery brigade of XX Corps. The battery lost 4 men missing and 3 horses wounded in the Carolinas Campaign. After the war ended, Winegar and his battery were officially discharged from service in Buffalo, New York on June 23, 1865.