5th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment

The 5th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service
The 5th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment was organized at Providence, Rhode Island. The regiment rendezvoused at Camp Greene in October, 1861, was transferred to Camp Slocum at Providence and mustered into U. S. Army service for three years as a battalion of five companies on December 16, 1861.

The battalion left Providence for Annapolis, MD to join Burnside's expedition to North Carolina. At Annapolis it was assigned to the 3rd brigade under Gen. Parke, embarked for Roanoke Island, NC where it participated in the battle on Feb. 8, 1862, and was also in the Battle of New Berne on March 14. It was then posted at Newport City until the siege of and assault on Fort Macon, in which it was active, after which it went into camp at Bogue banks and later at Beaufort, SC.

An additional five companies had been raised in Providence and mustered in on December 27, 1862. These companies joined the battalion in Beaufort where a new regimental organization came into being.

In April, 1863, the Sth went to the relief of Little Washington until April 14, when the enemy gave up the siege as hopeless and withdrew. Returning to New Berne the regiment reoccupied Camp Anthony and garrisoned Forts Totten and Rowan. In July the regiment ceased was reorganized as the 5th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment.

Organizational affiliation
Attached to:
 * Parke's 3rd Brigade, Burnside's Expeditionary Corps, to April 1862.
 * 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Department of North Carolina, to July 1862.
 * 2nd Brigade. 1st Division, Department of North Carolina, to January 1863.
 * 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, XVIII Corps, Department of North Carolina, to May 1863.
 * Lee's Brigade, Defenses of New Berne, North Carolina, Department of North Carolina, to July 1863.

List of battles
The official list of battles in which the regiment bore a part:
 * Burnside's North Carolina Expedition
 * Battle of Roanoke Island
 * Battle of New Berne
 * Battle of South Mills

1861

 * Depart Rhode Island December 18
 * Arrive at Annapolis, MD December 27

1862

 * Burnside's Expedition to Hatteras Inlet and Roanoke Island, N.C., January 7-February 8, 1862.
 * Battle of Roanoke Island February 9.
 * At Roanoke Island until March 11.
 * Expedition up Currituck Sound February 19.
 * Advance to New Berne March 11–13.
 * Battle of New Berne March 14.
 * Operations against Fort Macon March 19-April 26.
 * Moved to Havelock Station, Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad, March 19–20.
 * Companies A, B, and C to Newport Barracks March 23, then the battalion moved to Carolina City April 4.
 * At Bogue Banks April 6–30. Camden, South Mills, April 19.
 * At Fort Macon April 30-June 30.
 * At Beaufort, N.C., until August 7, and at New Berne until December.
 * Expedition to Tarboro November 2–12.
 * Rawle's Mills November 2.
 * Demonstration on New Berne November 11.
 * Foster's Expedition to Goldsboro December 11–20.
 * Kinston December 14.
 * Whitehall December 16.
 * Goldsboro December 17.

1863

 * Duty at New Berne until May 1863.
 * Expedition to relief of Little Washington April 7–10.
 * Duty in the defenses of New Berne until July.
 * Reorganized as 5th Heavy Artillery. July

Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 119 men during service (this includes casualties after it was changed to heavy artillery); 1 officer and 8 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 106 enlisted men died of disease.

Armament
Soldiers in the 5th Rhode Island Battalion were armed with the P1856. The 1856 Enfield was a .577 calibre Minié-type muzzle-loading rifle that like all other nominal .577 caliber weapons could fire U.S. government issued .58 paper cartridges. It was used by both armies and was the second most widely used Enfield in the Union forces.

Notes/References/Sources
Notes

References

Sources