Preparations were made to break camp August 7, but owing to an accident which befell the machinery of the steamer which was to convey the battery to New York it was necessary to wait until the following day. A quotation from a Boston paper dated August 8, 1861, is as follows:
"The Light Artillery Company commanded by Capt. O. F. Nims, after some delay as to their departure, left this city this morning, shortly after one o’clock, on the Providence Railroad, for New York and Washington, via Stonington. They were paid off yesterday afternoon for their time of service up to departure. For two days the scene at the camp at Quincy was lively indeed, the men being actively engaged in packing and preparing for departure. They left the old quarters at shortly after 7 o’clock last evening and marched over the turnpike to this city, arriving at the Providence Railroad Station at a few minutes past 10 o’clock. At the depot were a considerable number of people who had been waiting for several hours for the arrival of the company.
"As soon as the battery arrived at the station, the work of loading the gun carriages, wagons, horses, etc., was actively begun, each of the company lending a hand, and the work was accomplished in about two hours. This done, a few moments were given to saying a parting word to friends, after which the men were ordered to ‘fall in,’ and marched to the cars. On their departure, friends and lookers-on joined in giving three hearty cheers, which were enthusiastically responded to by the members of the company.
"On the train were 156 men, 140 horses, and 21 carriages, including the four baggage wagons, well loaded with the camp equipage and baggage of the men. They were supplied with about 1200 rounds of cartridges, including a considerable amount of grape and canister. The men have three days rations with them."
At the time of organization, the uniform adopted was of a semi-zouave type, dark blue with red trimmings, the trousers loose to the knee, with russet leather leggins—grey shirt, a cut away jacket buttoned at the top with a loop, and a regular military cap trimmed with red. This made a very attractive uniform. Unfortunately during the stay in Quincy, the salt air took out the color, and before going into service the men were provided with regulation United States uniforms.
The guns were fine United States bronze ordnance guns from the Watervliet Arsenal, N. Y., rifled at Alger’s Foundry in South Boston and throwing a shell made by Schenkel, a very ingenious German. One kind of shell was in the shape of a sugar loaf with hollowed bore filled with papier-maché and weighing ten and one-half pounds, a pound of powder being used to fire it. When discharged, the papier-maché would swell out, fill the grooves and give the shell a twist. The noise the projectile made on leaving the gun was very similar to that of a locomotive going through a tunnel. When the shell exploded, it flew all to bits—not two or three fragments but forty or fifty pieces.
Another shell prepared by Schenkel was exceedingly deadly. It was filled with bullets and between the bullets sulphur was poured in to keep them in place. The horses were strong Vermont horses worth $150.00 to $200.00 each.
Boston Journal, February 22, 1903.
So the journey began, by rail to Stonington, then by boat to New York, then to Jersey City and over the old Camden and Amboy road to Philadelphia, arriving there Monday morning, August 11, 1861.
