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History of the Second Massachusetts Battery (Nims' Battery) of Light Artillery
[Illustration: Capt. Ormand F. Nims in War Time.]
HISTORY OF THE SECOND MASSACHUSETTS BATTERY (NIMS' BATTERY) OF LIGHT ARTILLERY
COMPILED FROM RECORDS OF THE REBELLION, OFFICIAL REPORTS, DIARIES AND ROSTERS
THE RUMFORD PRESS CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE 1912
ROSTER OF SECOND MASSACHUSETTS BATTERY 85
Capt. Ormand F. Nims in War time _Frontispiece_
Battery Encampment at Stewart's Place, 12 Baltimore, 1861
Landing of Federal Troops from 38 Transport, Laurel Hill
Second, Fourth, and Sixth Massachusetts 47 Batteries at Baton Rouge
Old Nims Homestead at Deerfield, Mass. 79
During the years which have followed the close of the Civil War, there have appeared many histories of various companies, regiments and different divisions of the volunteer troops, all of value both to the historian and to the participants in the great struggle. So far as can be learned, almost nothing has been published of the military history of the 2d Massachusetts Light Artillery, better known as Nims' Battery, save a few short sketches necessarily incomplete and sometimes inaccurate.
In 1870, at the Anniversary Dinner of the Nims' Battery Association, the matter of "publishing a history of the battery during its service throughout the war of the Rebellion, 1861-1865," was brought forward and a committee was appointed to take the necessary steps toward this work. The committee, which consisted of Col. O. F. Nims, J. S. Knowlton, John R. Smith, A. M. Norcross, D. M. Hammond and A. B. Burwell, issued a call to the members of the battery asking each one to forward to the committee any information in his possession such as diaries, letters, newspaper clippings or matter of any kind that might aid in the work, and urging the hearty coöperation of all "to the end that the glorious record made by Nims' Battery--second to no other--may not be suffered to perish in oblivion in our day and generation, but be handed down to our children and children's children for all time."