The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

Colonel Joseph J. Morrison received authority, June 19, 1863, to recruit this regiment. It was organized at New York city. The men enlisted for the Forster's Artillery formed part of it, and those enlisted for the 35th Battery were transferred to it as Company A, September 25, 1863. The surplus men recruited were ordered transferred to the 6th N. Y. Volunteer Artillery in April, 1864, and in May, 1864, a large number of men were transferred to the 81st and 148th N. Y. Volunteer Infantry and 270 to the 1st Mounted Rifles. The companies were mustered in the service of the United States for three years; at Albany, A and B September 28; C and D October 21 and December 7, 1863, respectively; at Biker's island, E and G December 16, 1863, and January 9, 1864, respectively; at Elmira, F, H, I and K January 19, February 8, January 28 and February 2, 1864, respectively; at Auburn L and M January 26, 1864. In July, 1864, a number of unassigned men were formed into a company designated N, but were gradually absorbed by Companies A, B, C, F, G and K, the battalion serving in the field with the 10th Corps under Majs. Thomas J. Strong and Fred'k W. Prince.

They were recruited principally: A at Utica, New York city, Albany, Watertown, Ogdensburg, Albion and Rouse's Point; B at Albany,. Little Falls, Poughkeepsie and New York city; C at Utica, Albany, Auburn, Rome, Watertown, Little Falls, Syracuse and Schenectady; D at Auburn, Utica, Canandaigua, Little Falls, Oswego, Schenectady, New York city, Elmira, Herkimer, Bath, Rome, Oswego and Buffalo; E at New York city, Brooklyn, Albany, Malone, Stuyvesant and Rome; F at Watertown, Canajoharie, Little Falls, Schenectady, Herkimer, Richfield, Norway, St. Johnsville, Troy, Albany and Buffalo; G at New York city; H at Fort Edward, Syracuse, Canandaigua, Oppenheim, Schenectady, Canajoharie, Troy, St. Johnsville, Minden, Scott, Troy, Argyle and Kingsbury; I at Kingsbury, Granville, White Creek, Fort Ann, Fort Edward, Greenwich, Johnsburg, Hampton, Hebron, Easton and Utica; K at Poughkeepsie, Salem, Petersburg, White Creek, Cambridge, Hoosick, Easton, Stuyvesant, Greenwich, Troy, Pittstown, Chester and Weston; L at Fayette, Ira, Cato, Marcellus, Victory, Mentz, Elbridge, Skaneateles, Montezuma, Sterling, Covert, Auburn, Junius, Brutus, Romulus, Aurelius and Varick; and M at Auburn, Brutus, Victory, Sterling, Conquest, Fayette, Niles, Lodi, Cato, Sennett, Skaneateles, Montezuma and Elbridge.

The regiment left the State by detachments: Companies A and B, October 14; Company C, October 22; Companies D and E, December 8 and 16, 1863, respectively; Company G, January 13, and the remaining companies later in January, 1864; it served as heavy artillery and infantry at Fort Monroe, Yorktown and Gloucester Point, Va.; Companies E and H in 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 10th Corps in July, 1864; Companies A, B, C, F, G, K and N in 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Corps, from July 27, 1864; Company L, also from October, 1864; Companies A, B, C, F, G and K, in 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Corps, and a detachment in the Artillery Brigade, 24th Corps, from December, 1864; Companies E and H in the Separate Brigade, Army of the James, at Fort Pocahontas, Va., from December, 1864; Companies A, B, C, F, G and K again in 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Corps, from April. 2, 1865. When General Butler called for volunteers to commence the Dutch Gap canal, Companies A, B, C, F, G and K volunteered, and 600 men were selected from them for the work, and commenced it on the 9th of August, 1864; they were withdrawn August 19, 1864, but Major Strong continued in charge of the work, and Major Prince in command of the battalion.

In July, 1865, the regiment was united; and, commanded by Colonel Morrison, it was honorably discharged and mustered out August 21, 1865, at Washington, D. C.; having lost by death, killed in action, 19 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 24 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 2 officers, 284 enlisted men; total, 2 officers, 327 enlisted men; aggregate, 329; of whom 4 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.

The following is taken from The Union army: a history of military affairs in the loyal states, 1861-65 -- records of the regiments in the Union army -- cyclopedia of battles -- memoirs of commanders and soldiers, Volume II: New York, Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908.

Sixteenth Artillery (Heavy).—Col., Joseph J. Morrison; Lieut. Cols., John H. Ammon, Thomas J. Strong, Frederick W. Prince; Majs., Alexander H. Davis, Charles E. Pearce, Thomas J. Strong, Julius C. Hicks, Frederick W. Prince, James C. Caryl. The i6th was raised by Col. Joseph J. Morrison, who had previously' distinguished himself as captain of a light battery in the 3d N. Y. artillery. The regiment was organized at New York City, the men being recruited from the state at large, and the companies were mustered into the U. S. service for three years as follows: A and B Sept. 28, C Oct. 21, and D Dec. 7, at Albany; E and G Dec. 16, 1863, and Jan. 9, 1864, respectively, at Riker's island; F, H, I and K Jan. 19 to Feb. 2, 1864, at Elmira; L and M Jan. 26, 1864, at Auburn. It had a large number of surplus men, part of whom were transferred to the 6th N. Y. artillery in Feb., 1864, and others to the 8ist and 148th N. Y. infantry and the 1st mounted rifles in May, 1864. The regiment left the state by detachments, between Oct. 14, 1863, and Feb., 1864, and for several months performed garrison duty at Fortress Monroe, Yorktown and Gloucester Point, serving as heavy artillery and infantry. In July, 1864, seven companies were assigned to the 2nd brigade, Terry's (1st) division, 10th corps, and two companies to the 1st brigade, 3d division, same corps. On Aug. 9, 1864, when Gen. B. F. Butler called for volunteers to cut the Dutch gap canal through the peninsula in the James river near Farrar's island, with a view to outflanking the enemy's batteries and the obstructions in the river, Cos. A, B, C, F, G and K responded, and 600 men were selected from them to perform the perilous task. During the progress of the work, they were exposed to the enemy's fire, and only protected themselves by throwing up the dirt from the canal as fast as possible, living in "gopher holes" along the river bank. They were withdrawn after several of the men had been killed and wounded, though Maj. Strong still continued in charge of the work and Maj. Prince in command of the battalion. In Oct., 1864, seven companies were heavily engaged with Terry's division at Darbytown road, sustaining a loss of II killed and 54 wounded, and in the action at the same place a few days later lost 13 killed and wounded. From July 27 to Dec, 1864, when the regiment was before Petersburg and Richmond, it sustained constant small losses, aggregating 30 killed, wounded and missing. From Dec, 1864, Cos. A, B, C, F, G and K served in the 1st division, 24th corps, and another detachment in the artillery brigade, same corps, engaging with some loss at Fort Fisher, the Cape Fear intrenchments. Fort Anderson, and near Wilmington, N. C. In July, 1865, the various detachments of the regiment were united and on Aug. 21, 1865, commanded by Col. Morrison, it was mustered out at Washington, D. C. The 16th lost by death during service 42 men killed in action; 2 officers and 284 men died of disease and other causes, a total of 328.