[
9]
Preface
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 cooperation 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.”
So far as can be ascertained, nothing further was done in the matter and the only records to be found are those incorporated in the general histories of the war or in war records, which are not always easy of access.
At the request and through the generosity of a member
