2nd Arkansas Field Battery: Difference between revisions
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== Battles == |
== Battles == |
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, in northwest Arkansas and the Indian Territory the of the of . It was still assigned to the Second Brigade when it fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) in Benton County, Arkansas, March 7–8, 1862. |
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During the [[Battle of Pea Ridge]], Union forces captured two of the battery’s guns, along with its colors. According to William Shea and Earl Hess in "Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West," on the second day of the battle General [[Earl Van Dorn]] ordered Hart's Battery and Clark's Missouri Battery from reserve into the front line. Hart's Battery arrived first and unlimbered but came under converging fire from twenty-one Federal guns. His men, who were green and untried, became unnerved by the enemy fire and within minutes limbered to the rear. On reaching Elkhorn Tavern, Hart complained to Van Dorn that the fire had been too hot for them. In anger Van Dorn placed him under arrest for cowardice, redistributed his ammunition to Clark's Battery and ordered Hart's guns to the rear. |
During the [[Battle of Pea Ridge]], Union forces captured two of the battery’s guns, along with its colors. According to William Shea and Earl Hess in "Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West," on the second day of the battle General [[Earl Van Dorn]] ordered Hart's Battery and Clark's Missouri Battery from reserve into the front line. Hart's Battery arrived first and unlimbered but came under converging fire from twenty-one Federal guns. His men, who were green and untried, became unnerved by the enemy fire and within minutes limbered to the rear. On reaching Elkhorn Tavern, Hart complained to Van Dorn that the fire had been too hot for them. In anger Van Dorn placed him under arrest for cowardice, redistributed his ammunition to Clark's Battery and ordered Hart's guns to the rear. |
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The general commanding the Trans-Mississippi District issued General Orders No. 10, dated March 22, 1862, which censured several members of Hart’s Battery, and disbanded the battery “for shameful conduct in the presence of the enemy.” According to General Orders No. 15, July 17, 1862<ref>Official Records Vol.8, p.330</ref> Hart's Battery was disbanded after the Battle of Pea Ridge for "shameful conduct in the presence of the enemy." Its four 6-pounder guns were reassigned to MacDonald's St. Louis Battery. Over the next few months, a court of inquiry was convened, which resulted in the following action: |
The general commanding the Trans-Mississippi District issued General Orders No. 10, dated March 22, 1862, which censured several members of Hart’s Battery, and disbanded the battery “for shameful conduct in the presence of the enemy.” According to General Orders No. 15, July 17, 1862<ref>Official Records Vol.8, p.330</ref> Hart's Battery was disbanded after the Battle of Pea Ridge for "shameful conduct in the presence of the enemy." Its four 6-pounder guns were reassigned to MacDonald's St. Louis Battery. Over the next few months, a court of inquiry was convened, which resulted in the following action: |
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Revision as of 20:41, 3 February 2013
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The 2nd Arkansas Field Battery (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. Also known as: Second Arkansas Artillery; Dallas Artillery, Hart's Battery. Note that the records of Hart’s Dallas (Arkansas) Artillery are sometimes confused with those of Good’s Dallas (Texas) Light Artillery.
Organization
The Dallas Artillery was organized at Dallas, Polk County, Arkansas, in the late Spring of 1861, and enlisted in Confederate service at Fayetteville on August 1, 1861, with 75 officers and men on the rolls. The original officers included Captain William Hart, First Lieutenant J. W. Thomas, and Second Lieutenant Charles Ringer. The battery was equipped with four 6-pounder guns. No muster rolls for this first organization have been discovered. Officers: Captain William Hart; Lieutenant D. O’Connell; Lieutenant G. W. McIntosh; Second Lieutenant E. A. Dubose; Second Lieutenant James Nolan.
Battles
In January 1962, Hart’s Battery was assigned to Colonel Louis Herbert's 2nd Brigade of a division commanded by Colonel James Mcintosh in northwest Arkansas and the Indian Territory.[1] It was still assigned to the Second Brigade when it fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) in Benton County, Arkansas, March 7–8, 1862.
During the Battle of Pea Ridge, Union forces captured two of the battery’s guns, along with its colors. According to William Shea and Earl Hess in "Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West," on the second day of the battle General Earl Van Dorn ordered Hart's Battery and Clark's Missouri Battery from reserve into the front line. Hart's Battery arrived first and unlimbered but came under converging fire from twenty-one Federal guns. His men, who were green and untried, became unnerved by the enemy fire and within minutes limbered to the rear. On reaching Elkhorn Tavern, Hart complained to Van Dorn that the fire had been too hot for them. In anger Van Dorn placed him under arrest for cowardice, redistributed his ammunition to Clark's Battery and ordered Hart's guns to the rear.[2]
The general commanding the Trans-Mississippi District issued General Orders No. 10, dated March 22, 1862, which censured several members of Hart’s Battery, and disbanded the battery “for shameful conduct in the presence of the enemy.” According to General Orders No. 15, July 17, 1862[3] Hart's Battery was disbanded after the Battle of Pea Ridge for "shameful conduct in the presence of the enemy." Its four 6-pounder guns were reassigned to MacDonald's St. Louis Battery. Over the next few months, a court of inquiry was convened, which resulted in the following action:
- HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE WEST,
- Priceville, July 17, 1862.
- General Orders No. 15.
- It having been satisfactorily proven to a court of inquiry, convened for the purpose of investigating the conduct of certain men, formerly members of the artillery company known as Hart’s Battery, at the battle of Elkhorn, that those men were guilty of no misconduct on the battle-field, it is hereby ordered that they, viz, Charles E. Steele, M. M. Tice, W. D. Moore, John Kennedy, B. L. Allen, William Masterson, N. B. Milton, and James Pitkins, be, and they are hereby, relieved from the censure contained in General Orders No. 10, dated Headquarters Trans-Mississippi District, Van Buren, Ark., March 22, 1862, disbanding Hart’s Battery Light Artillery ‘for shameful conduct in the presence of the enemy’.
- By order of Major-General Price:
- THOMAS L. SNEAD,
- Assistant Adjutant-General.”
With the censure lifted, at least officially, Hart’s Battery was reconstituted on August 1, 1862, at Camp White Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. Few of the members of the original Dallas Artillery rejoined the second organization. The battery was augmented with a large number of unassigned recruits from depots at Monticello and Little Rock, and transfers from several Arkansas regiments, especially the 24th Arkansas Infantry.
- 30th. June:
- Nelson to Newton
- Your communications by the cars are just in, owing to a fire on the train which caused considerable loss, which I have not time to explain and will be telegraphed you from Brownsville. ..... My report shows you my effective force which may be summed up in round numbers at two thousand. My position is a good one and if the men are steady and firm I can hold it against five thousand, but this is to test. You know the material as well as I do. I have sent Capt. Daniel with one of his pieces to Pyburns Bluff five miles by land below this supported by two companies cavalry to fire on the enemy's transports and harass him so as to detain him. I have the three heavy guns in battery half mile below depot on a Bluff from which a ridge makes out to the Prairie some two miles on the crest of the hill. I have an entrenchment running around the crest for a distance of four hundred yards. Hart's three small pieces on the left at angles to strengthen my left so as to leave me more men to use on my right in case they attempt to flank me....Capt. Daniels company is so prostrated by sickness he can only serve four of his pieces. Of course I shall use them at the points most needed...
- July 5, 1862
- Hindman to Col Nelson cmdg. Fort Hindman
- Consolidate Hart's and Brown's artillery companies ordered to Devalls Bluff by Rust
- July 21, 1862
- Special Orders Army of the South West #40
- Major Rundell will assume command of the battalion of artillery composed of Woodruff's battery, Pratt's battery Daniels' battery and Hart's battery..... and set up camp of instruction
- August 5, 1862
- HQ TRANS-MISS DIST, Little Rock, Ark.
- General S. COOPER from Gen Hindman,
- The arms brought out by Captain Hart, together with those brought by General Parsons, have relieved me of embarrassment and enabled me to make effective the greater part of my command. If Major Bankhead arrives safely, as I think he will, I can then arm the balance of my men. I am waiting anxiously to hear of that officer's arrival on this side of the river. I have six batteries containing forty brass pieces and one battery of iron guns. I have a company of artillery encamped near this place, to which I will give the 8-gun battery coming in charge of Major Bankhead. By some blundering mistake a box of friction primes intended for me was left at Grenada. I have sent a courier to meet Major Bankhead, and if he has not a full supply of them the courier is to go on to Grenada to request Major Chambliss to send forward those left by Captain Hart
- August 4, 1862
- Special Orders Army of the South West #56
Capt Hart cmdg. Battery will go to Pine Bluff and report to Gen. Roan. Gen. Roan will detail the necessary number of men to fill Hart's battery
Hart’s star-crossed battery reorganized just in time to be part of another disaster. The unit was assigned to Colonel Robert R. Garland’s Texas Brigade at Fort Hindman (Arkansas Post).[5] The Confederate forces at Arkansas Post consisted of the Second Division, Second Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department, commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Churchill. He styled his command the "Army of Lower Arkansas and White Rivers". Hart's battery with 83 officers and men and four guns was captured with the rest of the garrison when Confederate forces surrendered on January 11, 1863. The surrender is still a subject of controversy today, and the Arkansas Post troops were forced to live under a cloud of suspicion; however, from all accounts, Hart’s Battery served their guns professionally and courageously during the siege. The battery suffered three killed, thirteen wounded and twenty two wounded during the Battle of Arkansas Post.[6]
After being exchanged in April 1863, Hart’s Battery was again reconstituted, and spent the remainder of the war in the Trans-Mississippi Army. There are few references to Hart’s Battery during the last year of the war. A report of the organization of the army on September 30, 1864, shows Hart’s Battery in the army siege train, manning large siege guns, presumably around Alexandria, Louisiana. On November 19, 1864, Hart’s Battery was redesignated as the Second Arkansas Field Battery. At this time, it was assigned to the reserve artillery battalion, equipped with four mounted guns. No later reference has been found, nor has any record of the paroles of the men of Hart’s Battery been located.
Surrender
At the end of the war it was with the Reserve Battalion at Marshall, Texas. Captain William Hart was in command. Surrendered with General Kirby Smith on May 26, 1865.
References
- ^ United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 8., Book, 1883; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154611/m1/735/?q=Hart Battery : accessed February 03, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
- ^ United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 8., Book, 1883; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154611/m1/316/?q=Hart Battery : accessed February 03, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
- ^ Official Records Vol.8, p.330
- ^ OR Vol 13
- ^ United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 17, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1886; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154626/m1/794/?q=hart Arkansas Battery : accessed February 03, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
- ^ United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 17, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1886; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154626/m1/796/?q=hart Arkansas Battery : accessed February 03, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
