Question of the Week: What’s your favorite artillery unit?
Keeping with our artillery theme this month, what Civil War artillery unit do you find most interesting or compelling?
Keeping with our artillery theme this month, what Civil War artillery unit do you find most interesting or compelling?
The Richmond Howitzers. Or, the Fort Courage artillery section—the one that kicked the right wheel off the gun carriage, leading to the watch tower being shot down.
Tucker’s 1st Alabama Artillery Battalion was mustered in at Ft. Morgan in Mobile Bay, in March 1861 was transferred into the Confederate Army as regulars. Stationed at Ft. Morgan throughout the war, the battalion was knocked out of commission in the August 1864 Battle of Mobile Boy. During this fight 150 out of its 500 man complement were killed or wounded, and numerous survivors were captured and transferred to the Union prison in Almira, New York, where fully one half died of smallpox.
The 1st Rockbridge Artillery. ……… “Matthew”, “Mark”, “Luke”, and “John”.
The 1st Rockbridge Artillery………”Matthew”, “Mark”, “Luke”, and “John”.
Eli Lilly’s Battery, especially when it was attached to Colonel John T. Wilder’s Lightning Brigade at Hoover’s Gap, Chattanooga, and Chickamauga.
The Washington Artillery of New Orleans
My great great grandfather’s unit, Nottoway (VA) Light Artillery.
The 9th Massachusetts Battery at Gettysburg.
The 9th Massachusetts Battery at Gettysburg.
Morton’s Artillery … named for Captain John Morton, Nathan Beford Forrest’s Chief of Artillery.
In September at the Savas Beatie meetup in Gettysburg I was reminded of this artillery unit attached to Buford’s cavalry.
Its official designation is Battery A Second U.S. Artillery. Lieut. John H. Calef commanded six 3 inch rifled guns. Calef was honored for outstanding performance
There are two monuments to Battery A on the Gettysburg battlefield. One is near the Reynolds casualty site. The other is in the East Cavalry portion of the battlefield. Casualties at Gettysburg were wounded 12 men and 13 horses killed.
4th Indiana: Overrun in 3 battles with Starkweather’s and Sill’s brigades, the unit still managed to come together under a surviving lieutenant to provide a strong salient in Thomas’ line Sept. 20 at Chickamauga.
Hubert Dilger’s, 1st Ohio Battery I, outstanding performance at Gettysburg, and credited with the Death of Leonidas Polk in the Atlanta Campaoign
Dilger also did good service at Chancellorsville. The American Battlefield Trust and many others credit the 5th Ind. Battery with killing Polk. Not sure how the Dilger version got started.
Durell’s Battery on the Fox’s Gap Battlefield, September 14, 1862. They fired 250 shells, primarily against Hood’s troops west of Wood Road, now the Appalachian Trail. I have what I believe to be a piece of one of those shells.
Herkimers Battery. Because we are both from the same town.
The Rockbridge Artillery battery – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – spreading the “gospel” when they were fired!
Hickenlooper’s Fifth Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery. As the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh commenced, Hickenlooper’s six-pounders were ordered forward to meet the enemy advance, then withdrawn north to a more defensible position that would become known as the Hornet’s Nest. After ten hours of fighting in support of Prentiss, the 5th Ohio Independent Battery was ordered north, just before its position was overrun; and Hickenlooper’s Battery finished the day in support of William Tecumseh Sherman…
Battery B 4th US Artillery…supported the Iron Brigade… John Gibbon commanded the Iron Brigade after commanding the battery
Battery B 4th US Artillery…supported the Iron Brigade after…John Gibbon commanded the Iron Brigade after commanding the battery
Bigelow’s Ninth Massachusetts Battery and its heroic stand on Day 2 at Gettysburg. 10 killed, 20 wounded and 80 horses lost.
Bigelow’s Ninth Massachusetts Battery and its heroic stand on Day 2 at Gettysburg. 10 killed, 20 wounded and 80 horses lost.
The Chicago Board of Trade Battery, if only because of its name.!
Dilger’s 1st Ohio Battery which performed @ the highest level @ Chancellorsville and Gettysburg
1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (Rock of Chickamauga) under the command of E. L. Dawson for their stand against huge odds during the Battle of Chickamauga. Just stupendous!
I know that it was not an artillery battery nor assigned to a specific artillery battery, but it was attached to the regular infantry brigade that guarded an artillery battery. So that is good enough for me.
I have several but I’ll go with the 1st Minnesota Light at Shiloh on April 6. They had never fired a shot in anger and their sole “campaign experience” was when their section of two field howitzers accompanied Sherman on April 4 in a downriver “expedition” that resulted in nothing. When the Confederate attack hit c. 7 AM they were thrown into the front; promptly had their CO (Munch) removed by wounding; had two of their four 3.67″ rifles disabled; and were nearly surrounded but managed to extract themselves and their guns. The remaining two sections next unlimbered twice, ending up at the Hornet’s Nest line where they faced close attacks; again extracted themselves in the nick of time; unlimbered at another location; and ultimately got to the final Pittsburg Landing line. Meanwhile, the crews who had taken the two disabled rifles to the chaos at the Landing had removed the jammed tube from its good carriage and replaced it with the good tube that they had removed from its damaged carriage. They rejoined their mates at the final line, bringing the repaired fifth gun. All this was accomplished by inexperienced rookies placed in the direst circumstances.
My great grandfather, Andrew Tow, served in “Henshaw’s Independent Battery Illinois Light Artillery”, according to a plaque next to his grave.
He was from Norway Iowa. But I know nothing about this unit. Anybody out there heard about it?
Douglas Miller, use the below link to access State of Illinois Civil War records. Click on “Henshaw’s Independent Battery Light Artillery” and in the new window, click on “Roster.” [It is my speculation that “Andrew Tow” is recorded as “Andrew Ton” …likely due to someone’s bad handwriting… transcribed inaccurately. Happens all the time in 19th Century hand-written records https://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/civilwar/reg_html/index.html