6th Arkansas Field Battery: Difference between revisions

6th Arkansas Field Battery (Confederate)
Arkansas state flag
Active	June 14, 1862 – June 4, 1865
Country	Confederate States of America
Allegiance	CSA
Branch	Artillery
Engagements	American Civil War

Military unit

Template:Infobox Arkansas Confederate Artillery Batteries

The 6th Arkansas Field Battery (1862-1865) was a Confederate Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. Also known as: the Washington Artillery and Etter's Battery.

The Washington Artillery was organized at Washington, Hempstead county, Arkansas, on June 14, 1862, by Captain Chambers Brady Etter. The battery was later designated as the 6th Arkansas Field Battery.^[1] The records of the Washington Artillery are highly fragmentary. One muster roll survives, dated January 7, 1863, "in Camp at Little Rock," when the battery was stationed on the grounds of St. John’s College. This roll probably only lists a third of the men who actually served with the Washington Artillery during the war. From other sources, such as prisoner-of-war records, pension applications, and postwar reminiscences, an expanded, but certainly a non-authoritative roster of most of the men has been developed.

Etter, Chambers Brady—Captain. “Present.” [Previously served in the Hempstead Rifles and 8th Arkansas Militia

Date of commission-June 14, 1862

The Washington Artillery spent its entire existence in the Trans-Mississippi Army, serving in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Initially equipped with six Parrott guns.

Head Quarters Army of the South West.

Little Rock Arks July 1st 1862.

Captain [Chambers B. Etter]:

Maj Gen [Thomas C.] Hindman directs that you move immediately here with your company - present contingencies demand it, and your Earliest possible arrival expected. ^[2]

7/6 Hindman to Col Grinstead cdg at Camden- Capt Etter has been ordered to move here at once. If the order should not have reached him, please see that it is transmitted to him without delay. We need his artillery company here very much.

7/8 Hindman to Capt. L. P. Dodge-On special Duty & etc--directs that upon you way to this place you turn over to Capt. Etter, cdg company of arty at Washington, six of the guns placed in your charge by your instructions of yesterday, with all equipment complete. Capt Etter has been directed to procure necessary number of horses & etc., for his battery. [Capt Dodge has been sent to Fort McCulloch, to bring here ten Parrot Guns which Gen Pike has there. He started from here last night and it will be several weeks before he returns.]

7/25 Hindman to Etter-directs that you assign a Lt of your Co to duty as acting AQM and Act’g ACS who will purchase supplies at fair prices, giving duplicate certificates in proper form for all articles purchased, and keeping a memorandum of the contents of such. He deems it now too late to take the conscripts of Hempstead County back from Col Grinstead, if they have gone to him, but directs that the enrolling officer of any adjacent county may, and is hereby instructed, to turn over to you a sufficient number of conscripts to raise your company to 150 men. He desires you to report immediately the number of men you have and to inform him whether or not you are collecting horses and harnesses.

9/22 Hindman to operator Arkadelphia -Has Etter’s btry from Washington passed you yet–has Speight’s regt passed, has Waterhouse’s Tex regt reached there yet?

9/28 SPECIAL ORDERS #39-HDQRS. TRANS-MS DEPT, 3rd. Etter's Ark battery will move at once to Elkhorn, and report to Brigadier Gen J. S. Rains.

9/30 Hindman to operator at Rockport -If Col Speight has arrived tell him to hasten forward with his reg’t to this place asap When Etter’s btry arrives give him same instructions

An examination of the CSR’s for the men of Etter’s Battery shows a company return for December 1862. Cards for various members of the battery indicate that they were at Little Rock from October to December 1862 (and probably into January 1863). Of the approximately 70 men listed in the battery, the December return shows 12 were either sick or had died and another 5 had deserted. 4 were assigned to wagon driving duties. 2 enlisted in the company that month. In addition a card for Lt. John C. Arnett states that he had left the company on the 4th December 1862 on recruiting duty. Putting this all together, this may indicate that the unit was struggling to have enough men to man the guns and that this was the reason the battery was left behind for the Prairie Grove campaign. This is supposition, but could be a likely scenario.

A letter sent from S.H. Hill to R.C. Newton dated 19 October 1862 describes how Etter's Battery was to be kept at Little Rock until properly equipped and instructed for the field. The battery was to remain there for at least a month. Perhaps it took longer than one month?(http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/mack&CISOPTR=9422&CISOBOX=1&REC=3)

Organization of the Army of the Trans-Miss Dept 12/12 FIRST CORPS HINDMAN 1st DIV ROANE 2nd Bgde BRADFUTE Dismounted Cav Etter’s Ark btry

The organisation of the 1st Corps as given in Hindman’s Special Order No.51 dated 24th November 1862 shows Etter’s Battery assigned to Bradfute’s Brigade of four regiments of Texas Dismounted Cavalry. (Numbers 20. Report of Colonel W. H. Brooks, Thirty-fourth Arkansas Infantry. CAMP NEAR COTTON PLANT, July 10, 1863. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the following as the part taken by my command in the engagement of the 4th instant at Helena: At dusk on the 3rd, in compliance with instructions from Brigadier-General Fagan, I moved forward with my regiment and one section of [C. B.] Etter's light artillery, Lieutenant J. C. Arnett commanding, to the support of the cavalry, then within 3 miles of the enemy. The unit took an active part in the conflicts at Helena, Bayou Fourche, Sabine Cross Roads, and Pleasant Hill. It was assigned to W. R. Bradfute's, R. G. Shaver's, and Fagan's Brigade, and later W. D. Blocher's Battalion of Artillery, Trans-Mississippi Department.

Special Orders 113/Par XI

HQs Dist of Ark, Little Rock

July 27, 1863

Ordering Capt C B Etter with remaining section of his battery to report to Gen Fagan commanding division who will order that section of said battery already under his command to rejoin Capt Etter on his arrival

By command of Gen Price

This unit was attached to Brig. Gen. James F. Fagan’s 2d Brigade of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Division, Lt. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes’ District of Arkansas, in Lt. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith’s Trans-Mississippi Department, and commanded by Capt. C.B. Etter. ^[3]Toward the end of the war, the Washington Artillery was coverted to siege artillery, manning 8-inch Columbiads and siege guns at Grand Ecore and Alexandria, Louisiana.

http://civilwarhelena.com/history/battle-of-helena/ General John F. Fagan in Little Rock commanded an infantry brigade with a detachment of cavalry. The infantry consisted of 34th, 35th and 37th Arkansas and Hawthorn’s Arkansas Infantry. He also had Miller’s Company Arkansas Cavalry and Densons’ Company Louisiana Cavalry. Adding to Fagan’s firepower were two four-gun batteries—Etter’s Battery and Blocker’s Battery

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY BRIGADE, Camp near Washington, Ark., December 3, 1863. MAJOR: I have the honor, in obedience to orders, to submit the following report of the operations, camps, marches, &c., of my command from the day of the battle at Brownsville to the time of the arrival of General Marmaduke's division at Rockport: The engagement at Brownsville occurred on August 25. Colonel [A. S.] Dobbin's brigade (composed of Dobbin's and [Robert C.] Newton's regiments) was encamped at Legate's Bridge, on Bayou Meto. … A little before daylight (September 10), by direction of Colonel Dobbin, commanding division, moved section of [C. B.] Etter's battery into the bend opposite to where the bridge was being constructed. At day light could see workmen engaged in constructing the bridge, which was one-fourth of the way across the river. Sent Major Bull with a party of sharpshooters to support Etter. A little after daylight Etter opened upon the bridge. His second shot took effect, clearing the bridge of workmen. Immediately the enemy opened with three batteries, so posted as to pour a murderous cross-fire in upon Etter, which soon silenced him and drove him out. The sharpshooters kept up a desultory fire, but without much, if any, effect. About 10 a. m. the enemy, having completed his bridge, threw forward two regiments of infantry, and crossed them over onto the bar on this side, his batteries keeping up a continuous and well-directed fire upon the road leading up the river on the south side, and upon the woods in front of his bridge and above it. I withdrew Major Corley to a point above the bridge on the river, and sent Etter on up the river with instructions to halt at Fourche, whither I also sent Corley with his regiment in a few minutes. The enemy now commenced pouring their troops across the bridge in large numbers. By Colonel Dobbin's directions, I left Bull with his regiment to resist the enemy's advance and retard him as much as possible, and went in person to put the other troops in position at Fourche. Brigadier-General Marmaduke arrived with orders to assume command of all the cavalry. Colonel Dobbin being placed in arrest by General Marmaduke's directions, I assumed command of all of Dobbin's force, which included my own brigade, [W. B.] Denson's Louisiana cavalry company, [C. L.] Morgan's Texas squadron, and Pratt's and Etter's batteries

R. C. NEWTON, Colonel, Commanding. Major HENRY EWING, Assistant Adjutant-General, Marmaduke's Division, &c. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST LOUISIANA, Shreveport, April 18, 1864. COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report and request that the accompanying documents be made a part of it. Document A (March 5) shows my anticipation of the enemy's campaign

On the night of the 8th, shortly after the action closed, I ordered a force of cavalry to push on the road from Blair's Landing to Pleasant Hill, taking a cross-road from Mansfield which fell into that road near the ferry over the Bayou Pierre, mentioning in the order that a small force posted on the bluff overlooking Bayou Pierre could delay indefinitely the crossing of that stream from the east. Unfortunately this order was construed to mean that its execution was to follow on possession of Pleasant Hill, so that I could not decide what force we were confronted by on the 9th. It was late after midday before the infantry got up, and a glance at Churchill's troops showed they were too much exhausted to attack. The infantry was ordered to lie down and rest for two hours. Mean time cavalry was pushed right and left to gain information, and a party was sent on the Blair's Landing road by a detour to the left, to procure the intelligence of which I was deprived by the mistake above mentioned. This party did not return until after the attack. At 3 p. m., the infantry being somewhat restored by rest, the plan of attack was formed and the troops put in motion. The Arkansas and Missouri divisions, under Churchill and Parsons, with Etter's and Daniel's batteries, were sent to the right to outflank the enemy, reach the Jesup road, and attack from the south and west

R. TAYLOR, Major-General, Commanding. Colonel S. S. ANDERSON, Asst. Adjt. General, Trans-Mississippi Department.

http://mansfieldbattlefield.com/aboutthebattle.asp Detachment, District of Arkansas Brig. Gen. Thomas James Churchill First Division Brig. Gen. James C. Tappan Tappan’s Brigade—Col. H. L. Grinstead 19th (Dawson’s) and 24th Arkansas Infantry—Lt. Col. William R. Hardy 27th and 38th Arkansas Infantry—Col. R G. Shaver 33rd Arkansas Infantry—Col. Hiram L. Grinstead Etter’s Arkansas Battery—Capt. Chambers B. Etter

HEADQUARTERS CHURCHILL'S DIVISION. Princeton, September 1, 1864. Captain BUCK, Assistant Adjutant-General, District of Arkansas: CAPTAIN: In compliance with circular letter of instructions, Numbers 686, from district headquarters, date August 31, 1864, I have the honor to report the following as the number of regiments, battalions, batteries and independent companies under my command at this place; … Third. Blocher's artillery battalion, Major Blocher commanding- first, Captain Etter's Arkansas Light battery, Captain Etter commanding; second, Marshall's Arkansas light battery, Captain Marshall commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS CHURCHILL'S DIVISION, Numbers 72. Camp Yell, September 11, 1864. III. Major Blocher will move to-morrow morning with Captains Marshall's and Etter's batteries, leaving Captain Trigg's battery in its present encampment until further orders.

Organization of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi Department, General E. Kirby Smith, C. S. Army, commanding, September 30, 1864.

MISCELLANEOUS. Eighth Mounted Artillery Battalion. Edgar's (Texas) battery, Captain William Edgar. Etter's (Arkansas) battery, Captain Chambers B. Etter.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,

Numbers 290. Shreveport, La., November 19, 1864.

XIX. The following will in future be the organization of the artillery in the Trans-Mississippi Department: Battalion of Reserve: First Mississippi Field Battery, Captain W. Hart, 4 guns (mounted); Fourth Louisiana Field Battery, Captain A. J. Cameron, 4 guns (mounted); Fifth Arkansas Field Battery, Captain C. C. Scott, 4 guns (mounted); Sixth Arkansas Field Battery, Captain C. B. Etter, 4 guns (mounted); Ninth Arkansas Field Battery, Captain John T. Trigg, 4 guns (mounted); total, 24.

On December 31, 1864, General E. Kirby Smith listed the battery as belonging to Blocher's Artillery Battalion of Acting Major General Churchill's First Infantry Division of Major General John B. Magruder's Second Army Corps, Army of the Trans-Mississippi.^[4]

Toward the end of the war, the Washington Artillery was coverted to siege artillery, manning 8-inch Columbiads and siege guns at Grand Ecore and Alexandria, Louisiana. The remnants of the battery surrendered at Alexandria, Louisiana, June 4, 1865.

At the close of the war the battery was serving heavy guns at Grand Ecore and Alexandria, La. The remnants of the battery surrendered at Alexandria, Louisiana, June 4, 1865.^[5]

• Book:Arkansas Confederate Infantry Units
• Book:Arkansas Confederates, The Cavalry and Artillery Units
• List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
• Lists of American Civil War Regiments by State
• Confederate Units by State
• Arkansas in the American Civil War
• Arkansas Militia in the Civil War
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service