Civil War Will Be Part of Rhode Island Museum
By Deborah Fitts October '01 issue

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Battery B of the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery has been invited to create the first military display for a new Rhode Island history museum planned for the Providence waterfront.

Battery commander Phil DiMaria said his 45-member unit, founded in 1986, appreciated the trust placed in them by the Rhode Island National Guard, which extended the invitation.

"We're very proud the National Guard considers us bona fide Rhode Island Civil War historians," said DiMaria. "They see the work that we do and they respect us as part of their history."

Although tempted to create an exhibit focusing solely on Battery B, DiMaria said the unit concluded that that was "selfish," and instead is planning to sketch the larger picture of Rhode Island in the Civil War.

"I'm hoping to bring about more Civil War awareness," DiMaria said. "We're such a small state, a lot of people are surprised we did so much for the war effort. We were one of the first states to answer Lincoln's call with a fully equipped battery and infantry regiment."

If the state government agrees, a key part of the battery's plans is to bring to the museum two of the Rhode Island's most famous military relics - cannon known as the Gettysburg Gun and the Bull Run Gun. The Civil War pieces are currently on display in the state capitol building.

The battery's exhibit will be among the displays at Providence's Heritage Harbor Museum, a $60 million facility due to open on the Providence River waterfront in late 2003 or early 2004. The nonprofit consortium of 19 organizations has been given the former Narragansett Electric power plant, a sprawling, early-20th century brick structure boasting upwards of 250,000 square feet.

The museum is the only one in New England that is directly affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, according to Albert Klyberg, director of museum and programs for Heritage Harbor. That means, he said, that Battery B will be able to take advantage of Smithsonian programs as well as objects in the Smithsonian collection.

But DiMaria was even more excited about the chance to "flush out" photos, diaries and other Civil War memorabilia from Rhode Island attics, as word of the museum, and the battery's search for materials to put on display, is publicized.

"A lot of people don't realize what they have," DiMaria said. "We hope to spark some interest in local history," including the civilian experience during the war.

The battery will also employ its own extensive collection of Battery B materials, including more than 100 photos of the 358 officers and men who had served with the battery by the end of the war. And they plan to borrow exhibit material from private collections and the Rhode Island Historical Society. The unit also hopes to create a database of Rhode Island Civil War soldiers.

The battery has a long history of educating the public to Rhode Island's Civil War heritage. In 1989 and '90 the unit created exhibits for the two cannon on display in the portico of the statehouse.

The Gettysburg Gun is a M1857 12-pdr. Napoleon, registry no. 2, cast by Henry N. Hooper & Co. in 1862 that belonged to Battery B during the war. It was badly damaged just prior to Pickett's Charge and was hauled off the field with a round shot stuck in the muzzle, where it remains today.

The Bull Run Gun, is a bronze 1861 James rifle, Type 1, cast by Ames Manufacturing Co., that belonged to Battery A. It was the only piece in the six-gun battery to be rescued from capture at Bull Run when the battery ran out of ammunition.

"They are on their original carriages, which is very rare," said DiMaria. He added that the guns will be better cared for at the new museum. In the statehouse, visitors can touch the pieces and even "climb all over them."

The modern counterpart of the 1860s Battery B was formed in 1986 and has nonprofit status. It is headquartered at the Armory of Mounted Commands in Providence, home of the 103rd Field Artillery of the Rhode Island National Guard, and enjoys a close relationship with the Guard.

Battery members attend 25 to 30 events a year and are in demand for demonstrations and educational presentations at National Park Service sites and schools. They field an original James conversion.

According to Klyberg, museum organizers have raised half of the $60 million they are seeking. The money has come from local corporations, gifts from private individuals and foundations, and grants from the city, state and federal governments. Planning began in 1984.

Anyone with Civil War-related items or information that may be suitable for the planned exhibit of Rhode Island in the war is urged to contact DiMaria at 91A Mt. Hygeia Rd., Foster, RI 02825. DiMaria may also be reached at captbatb@webtv.net.