Robertson's Battery of Horse Artillery (B&L 2nd Artillery) |
During the Maryland Campaign twenty-two of the Union Army’s
artillery batteries came from the Regular Army. Five of these were actually consolidations of two
batteries. Battery consolidations
occurred because of the difficulty in recruiting up to authorized strength.
Even when consolidated, the batteries submitted separate battery muster rolls
each month. That means that there are actually twenty-seven artillery
batteries muster reports to look at when studying the regular batteries at
Antietam.
These batteries were the core of the Army of the Potomac’s
artillery power and were found in every infantry corps, the cavalry division,
and the artillery reserve. As
originally envisioned by William Barry and Henry Hunt, the army’s first two artillery chiefs, the regulars formed the core of an infantry division’s
artillery complement. Their job
was to train the volunteer batteries in the performance of their duties. The plan was for the regular artillery battery
commander was also the division’s chief of artillery. The ratio was one regular to three volunteer batteries. This did not always work out in practice.
A Federal artillery battery was authorized one captain and four
first lieutenants.
Each of the regular army’s five artillery regiments were
represented during the Maryland Campaign.
Four of these had been in existence since 1821. The Fifth Artillery was a new regiment
established in May of 1861.
In reviewing the list of battery commanding officers at Antietam,
one question becomes apparent.
Where were all the captains?
The table below shows all of the batteries. It identifies the captain who commanded the battery according to the muster rolls for August 1862. The actual commander at the time follows in the next column.
Battery
|
Captain (on muster rolls)
|
Actual Commander
|
Gun Type
|
Division/Corps assignment at Antietam
|
E&G First Artillery
|
1LT Alanson Randol (USMA 1860)
|
4-12 lb Napoleons
|
Sykes Division Fifth Corps
|
|
I First Artillery
|
James Ricketts (USMA 1839)[3]
|
1LT George Woodruff (USMA June 1861)
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Sedgwick’s Division, Second Corps
|
K First Artillery
|
William Graham[4]
|
CPT William Graham
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Artillery Reserve
|
A Second Artillery
|
John C. Tidball (USMA 1848)
|
CPT John C. Tidball
|
6-3" Ordnance Rifles
|
Horse Artillery Cavalry Division
|
B&L Second Artillery
|
James W. Robertson (Company B) William Hays (USMA 1840- Company L)[5]
|
CPT James W. Robertson
|
4-3" Ordnance Rifles
|
Horse Artillery Cavalry Division
|
D Second Artillery
|
Edward R. Platt (USMA 1849)[6]
|
1LT Edward Williston
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Slocum’s Division, Sixth Corps
|
E
Second Artillery
|
Josiah H. Carlisle (USMA 1845)[7]
|
1LT Samuel Benjamin (USMA May 1861)
|
4-20 lb Parrot Rifles
|
Willcox’s Division Ninth Corps
|
G Second Artillery
|
James Thompson (USMA 1851)[8]
|
1LT John H. Butler
|
4-12 lb Napoleons
|
Couch’s Division Fourth Corps
|
M Second Artillery
|
Henry Benson[9]
|
1LT Peter Hains (USMA June 1861)
|
6-3" Ordnance Rifles
|
Horse Artillery Cavalry Division
|
C&G Third Artillery
|
Horatio Gibson (USMA 1847 Company C)
Alexander Piper
(USMA 1851 Company G)[10]
|
CPT Horatio Gibson
|
6-3" Ordnance Rifles
|
Horse Artillery Cavalry Division
|
L&M Third Artillery
|
Dunbar Ransom (Company L)[11]
John Edwards (USMA 1851-Company M)
|
CPT John Edwards
|
4-10 lb Parrot Rifles
|
Cox’s Division, Ninth Corps
|
A&C Fourth Artillery
|
Francis N. Clarke (USMA 1840 Company A)[12]
George Hazzard (USMA 1847)[13]
|
1LT Evan Thomas
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Richardson’s Division, Second Corps
|
B Fourth Artillery
|
John Gibbon (USMA 1847)[14]
|
1LT Joseph Campbell (USMA June 1861)[15]
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Doubleday’s Division, First Corps
|
E
Fourth Artillery
|
Joseph C. Clark (USMA 1848)
|
CPT Joseph C. Clark
|
4-10 lb Parrot Rifles
|
Sturgis Division, Ninth Corps
|
F Fourth Artillery
|
Clermont Best (USMA 1846)[16]
|
1LT Edward D. Muhlenberg
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Twelfth Corps
|
G Fourth Artillery
|
Albion Howe (USMA 1841)[17]
|
1LT Marcus P. Miller (USMA 1858)[18]
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Artillery Reserve
|
A
Fifth Artillery
|
George Getty (USMA 1840)[19]
|
1LT Charles P. Muhlenberg
|
6-12 lb Napoleons
|
Rodman’s Division, Ninth Corps
|
C
Fifth Artillery
|
Dunbar Ransom
|
CPT Dunbar Ransom
|
4-12 lb Napoleons
|
Meade’s Division, First Corps
|
D
Fifth Artillery
|
Charles Griffin (USMA 1847)[20]
|
1LT Charles Hazlett (USMA May 1861)
|
4-10 lb Parrots 2-12 lb Napoleons
|
Morell’s Division, Fifth Corps
|
F
Fifth Artillery
|
Romeyn Ayres (USMA 1847)[21]
|
1LT Leonard Martin (USMA May 1861)
|
4-10 lb Parrots 2-12 lb Napoleons
|
Smith’s Division, Sixth Corps
|
I Fifth Artillery
|
Stephen Weed (USMA 1854)
|
CPT Stephen Weed
|
4-3" Ordnance Rifles
|
Syke’s Division, Fifth Corps
|
K
Fifth Artillery
|
John R. Smead (USMA 1854)[22]
|
2LT William E. Van Reed
|
4-12 lb Napoleons
|
Syke’s Division, Fifth Corps
|
Of the twenty seven
battery captains, six (Davis,
Schofield, Ricketts, Gibbon, Howe and Griffin) were brigadier generals of
volunteers serving in infantry commands. Three (Best Clarke, and
Getty) were Corps Artillery Chiefs; two
Ayres and Ransom were division artillery chiefs (though the information is
confusing on Ransom); Hays commanded
the Artillery Reserve; Piper was
detailed to the defenses of Washington; Thompson
to Cincinnati; three (Benson,
Hazzard, and Smead), and had been recently killed or mortally wounded and the muster rolls did not yet reflect this; Carlisle
was on sick leave; Platt was an
inspector general on the Sixth Corps staff. This left eight
(Graham, Tidball, Robertson, Gibson, Edwards, Clark, Ransom [again], and Weed) actually in command of their batteries. Dunbar Ransom is listed twice
commanding both Battery L, Third Artillery, and Battery C, Fifth Artillery. The note on Battery L’s muster
indicates that Ransom was Chief of Artilery for Meade’s division.
The bottom line is that there were a lot of very young
lieutenants commanding many of the regular batteries during the Maryland Campaign. Stay tuned.
[1] Jefferson C.
Davis was a brigadier general of volunteers and commanded a division in the
Army of the Cumberland. A sergeant in the Third Indiana Volunteers in the
Mexican War, Davis was commissioned into the First Artillery on June 17, 1848.
Not to be confused with the Confederate President, this Davis is famously known
for shooting and killing his superior officer, Maj. Gen. William
"Bull" Nelson in Louisville, Kentucky and after being slapped in the
face by Nelson. A shortage of competent generals saved Davis from a court
martial conviction.
[2] John
Schofield a future commanding general of the U.S. Army was a brigadier general
of volunteers and commanded the District of Missouri at the time of the Battle
of Antietam.
[3] James
Ricketts was a brigadier general of volunteers and commanded the Second
Division, First Corps.
[4] William
Graham was directly commissioned into the First Artillery on June 7, 1855. He may have benefited from the fact
that his father and namesake Lieutenant William M. Graham who commanded the 11th
Infantry Regiment was killed at Molino del Rey during the Mexican War.
[5] William Hays
was a staff lieutenant colonel and commanded the Artillery Reserve of the Army
of the Potomac.
[6] Edward Platt
was a staff lieutenant colonel and assistant inspector general of the Sixth
Corps.
[7] Josiah
Carlisle was on sick leave of absence, Aug. 3, 1862, to Apr. 14,
1863;
[8] James
Thompson as Chief of Artillery, in defense of Cincinnati during rebel offensive
into Kentucky during September, 1862
[9] Henry Benson
was an enlisted artilleryman in the Second Artillery during the Mexican
War. He was commissioned into
the Second Artillery on January 26, 1849.
Benson died August 11, 1862 of wounds received August 5, 1862 at
Malvern Hill
[10] Alexander
Piper who was Pope’s Chief of Artillery was now assigned as Assistant Inspector
of Artillery at Washington DC.
[11] Dunbar
Ransom was the Chief of Artillery of Meade’s Division and commanded Battery C,
5th U.S. Artillery.
[12] Francis
Clarke on detached duty as Chief of Artillery, Second Corps. He was promoted to
Major, Fifth Artillery on August 5, 1862.
[13] George
Hazzard died August 14, 1862 of wounds received at the Battle of White Oak
Swamp on June 30, 1862.
[14] John Gibbon
was a brigadier general of volunteers and commanded the Black Hat Brigade of
Doubleday’s division, First Corps.
[15] Campbell
had the staff rank of Captain-Staff Additional Aide de Camp
[16] Clermont
Best was chief of artillery for the Twelfth Corps
[17]Albion Howe
was a brigadier general of volunteers and commanded a brigade in Couch’s
division, Fourth Corps
[18] Marcus
Miller was the regimental adjutant detached to the battery.
[19] George
Getty was staff lieutenant colonel and commander of the Ninth Corps artillery.
[20] Charles
Griffin was a brigadier general of volunteers and commanded a brigade in
Morell’s Division, Fifth Corps.
[21] Romeyn
Ayres commanded the division artillery of Smith’s Division, Sixth Corps
[22] John R.
Smead was killed on August 30, 1862 at the Second Battle of Bull Run.