8 1/4 x 6, imprinted form, filled out in ink.
Received, Washington Arsenal, this 13 day of Febry. 1863, of R. Bruce Ricketts, 1st Lt. Comdg. Bat. F, 1st Pa. Arty. the following Ordnance Stores, viz: 1 Forge, 1 Drivers Saddle, 1 Ammunition chest. Signed by E.N. Stebbins with his title below. Very fine.
Edward N. Stebbins, enlisted on June 10, 1861, as 1st lieutenant, and was commissioned into the U.S. Ordnance Department. He resigned on October 10, 1865.
The hard fought 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery saw action at 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Petersburg, to name but a few places.
Footnote: Batteries F & G, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, were commanded by Captain R. Bruce Ricketts during the battle of Gettysburg. They were very heavily engaged on July 2, 1863, being posted on Cemetery Hill. After fighting in the afternoon on the 2nd, a heavy column of Confederates charged their batteries at about 8 p.m. and succeeded in capturing and spiking their left piece. In his Gettysburg report in the Official Records, Rickett's writes, "the cannoneers fought them hand to hand with handspikes, rammers, and pistols, and succeeded in checking them for a moment, when a part of the 2nd Corps charged in and drove them back. During the charge I expended every round of canister in the battery, and then fired case shot without the fuses. The enemy suffered severely." His report goes on to state that he lost 6 killed, 14 wounded, 3 missing, 20 horses killed and 1,200 rounds of ammunition spent.
This is a nice document related to Ricketts, and his Battery F, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, just a few months before they were in action at Gettysburg.
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