Helena Artillery
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The Helena Artillery (1861–1865) was a
Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. The unit was known by several other designations during the war including; Clarkson's Battery, Company A, Shoup's Artillery Battalion, Calvert's Battery and Key's Battery. The unit was occasionally assigned to artillery battalions from other states, so the Arkansas unit was at various times designated as Company C, 20th Alabama Light Artillery Battalion and later as Company H, 28th Georgia Artillery Battalion.National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
, Confederate Arkansas Troops, Key's Battery, Arkansas Light Artillery, Accessed 27 January 2011
Sikakis, Stewart, Compendium of the Confederate Armies, Florida and Arkansas, Facts on File, Inc., 1992, , page 118.Gerdes, Edward G., "Helena Artillery (Key's Battery).", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 1 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/keysbatt.html


Organization

The unit was organized at On 27 April 1862 at Helena, in Phillips County Arkansas, and enrolled in State service two days later. Governor Henry Rector had called parts of the Arkansas State Militia into state service following the Confederate firing on Fort Sumter, but before the state had formally succeeded from the Union. Governor Rector dispatched a battalion of militia from Little Rock to seize the Federal installation at Fort Smith, and ordered units on the eastern side of the state to rendezvous at Mound City (near present-day West Memphis, Arkansas).David Walker
Journal of Both Sessions of the Convention of the State of Arkansas
Arkansas Convention (1861), Accessed 1 March 2019.
There are no records of the unit being organized in the Arkansas State Militia before it was inducted into state service. Many of the enlistments in the battery appear to have been from the Irish immigrants who worked in the dockyard at Helena. Approximately 50 of the names of the battery appear to be of Irish nationality. As the war progressed, the battery was replenished with transfers from other Arkansas units with in Cleburne's command and by conscripts from states east of the Mississippi river, including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. The original battery officers were: *Capt A. W. Clarkson, *Senior 1st Lieut John H. Calvert, *Junior 1st Lieut James Hamilton, and *2nd Lieut Robert Fitzpatrick, Many Confederate artillery units seem to have begun the war named for the city or county that sponsored their organization. In the
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies The ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion'', commonly known as the ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'' or Official Records (OR or ORs), is the most extensive collection of Americ ...
, artillery units are most often referred to by the name of their battery commander. After Capt Clarkson, the Helena Light Artillery was commanded by Capt John H. Calvert and Capt Thomas J. Key. The battery would retain a close association with Patrick Cleburne throughout the war. 1st Lieut Calvert, who would assume command of the battery after the battle of Shiloh, had been a Sergeant in the United States Army prior to the war and had been a drill instructor for Cleburne's militia company before secession.Irving Ashby Buck, Thomas Robson Hay, "Cleburne and his command", McCowat-Mercer Press, 1959, page 81


Service

By 7 May 1862, the battery, along with the companies that would eventually comprise Col Patrick Cleburne's 1st Regiment, Arkansas State Troops (Later re-designated as the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was encamped at "Camp Rector" near Memphis.) The battery spent three months in states service before being inducted into Confederate Service. During this time the battery moved east of the Mississippi River with the rest of Col Cleburne's forces and cooperated in an effort to defend the Mississippi river in an operation that would lead to the construction of Fort Pillow north of Memphis. During this expedition, the battery was inducted into Confederate service on 6 July 1861 at Memphis Tennessee. The battery would re-cross the river and accompany Cleburne's command on its move to Pitman's Ferry, near Pocahontas in Randolph County and was assigned to a brigade commanded by Confederate General
William J. Hardee William Joseph Hardee (October 12, 1815November 6, 1873) was a career United States Army, U.S. Army and Confederate States Army officer. For the U.S. Army, he served in the Second Seminole War and in the Mexican–American War, where he was capt ...
. On July 14, 1861, Brigadier General Hardee arrived in Little Rock to assume unified Confederate command in the state. The following day the state Military Board signed an "Article of Transfer", which provided that all state forces would be transferred on a voluntary basis to the command of the Confederate States of America. The Articles of Transfer included Major Francis A. Shoup's battalion of artillery;. :Company A, Captain Clarkson's Helena Light Artillery,The National Archives Publication Number: M317, Publication Title: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas, Content Source: NARA, National Archives Catalog ID: 586957, National Archives Catalog Title: Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Confederate Organizations, compiled 1903 - 1927, documenting the period 1861 - 1865, Record Group: 109, Roll: 0039, Military Unit: Hart's Battery, Light Artillery AND Key's Battery, Light Artillery, Accessed 21 February 2013, http://www.fold3.com/image/#20, 219834366 :Company B, Captain John T.
Trigg's Arkansas Battery Trigg's Arkansas Battery (1861–1862) was a Confederate Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. the unit is also known as the Austin Artillery, Auston's Artillery, Austin's Artillery, and Company B, of Shoup's Artillery Battalion ...
; and :Company C, Captain George T. Hubbard's
Jackson Light Artillery The 3rd Arkansas Light Artillery, also known as the Jackson Light Artillery (1861–1865), was a Confederate Army artillery Artillery battery, battery during the American Civil War. The battery spent the majority of the war serving in Confederate ...
. During the war, efforts were made to organize artillery units into battalions and regiments, but the battalions seldom functioned as a consolidated organization, in fact batteries were often broken out and fought as one or two gun sections. Shoup's battalion would be an exception to this rule.


Shiloh

During the
Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...
, a.k.a. Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, Sunday, April 6, 1862 – Monday, April 7, 1862, the battery, armed with two 6-pounder smoothbores and two 12-pounder howitzers was assigned with the rest of Shoup's battalion to General
Patrick Cleburne Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne ( ; March 16, 1828November 30, 1864) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Born in Ireland, Cleburne served in the ...
's 2nd Brigade of Major General
William J. Hardee William Joseph Hardee (October 12, 1815November 6, 1873) was a career United States Army, U.S. Army and Confederate States Army officer. For the U.S. Army, he served in the Second Seminole War and in the Mexican–American War, where he was capt ...
Corps. Major Shoup was serving as Major General Hardee's Chief of Artillery. By the afternoon of Sunday, April 6, 1862, men of Brig. Gens. Benjamin M. Prentiss's and
W. H. L. Wallace William Hervey Lamme Wallace (July 8, 1821 – April 10, 1862), more commonly known as W.H.L. Wallace, was a lawyer and a Union general in the American Civil War, considered by Ulysses S. Grant to be one of the Union's greatest generals. Early ...
's Union divisions had established and held a position nicknamed the ''Hornet's Nest''. The Confederates assaulted the position for several hours rather than simply bypassing it, and they suffered heavy casualties during these assaults. The Confederates, led by Brig. Gen.
Daniel Ruggles Daniel Ruggles (January 31, 1810 – June 1, 1897) was a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was a division commander at the Battle of Shiloh. Early life and military service Ruggles was born in Bar ...
, assembled a 'grand battery' of over 50 cannons, including Trigg's Arkansas Battery into a position known as "Ruggles' Battery". Some controversy exists as to who exactly gave the order to concentrate artillery at this point. It has gone down in history as "Ruggle's Battery" but Major Shoup also claimed the credit. Other sources indicate that Brig. Genl. James Trudeau began the concentration after orders from Beauregard. National Park Service tablets at the
Shiloh National Military Park Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The main section of the park is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh, about nine miles (14 km) south of Savannah, Tennessee, with an addit ...
use the "Ruggle's Battery" designation. This concentration originated about 3:00 pm when General Beauregard was informed of the death of General
Albert S. Johnston Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) served as a General officer, general in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army. He saw extensive combat during his 34-year mili ...
thereby making Beauregard the army commander. He immediately moved to push the stalled rebel attack by assigning General Braxton Bragg to command in the eastern sector of the battlefield and General Ruggles to command in the center of the battlefield, the Duncan field sector. Ruggles issued orders to gather the artillery into a group which historians now believe totaled 55 guns. Major Francis Shoup also claims a portion of the credit for this grouping. There were actually two groups of guns in Ruggle's Grand Battery, a northern group and a southern group. The northern group contained the batteries located by aides of General Ruggles and brought to the field and this group was the group formed by Ruggles. The northern group, commanded by Captain Bankhead included a section of Ketchum's Alabama battery 2 guns, Hodgson's Louisiana battery 6 guns, Bankhead's Tennessee battery 6 guns, Stanford's Mississippi battery 6 guns, Robertson's Alabama battery, 4 guns for a total of 30 guns. The southern group was commanded by Major Shoup and contained a group of batteries which had been under Shoup"s supervision and had been resting following the morning fight near the main Corinth Road. The southern group of guns, commanded by Major Shoup included Roberts Arkansas battery 4 guns, Triggs Arkansas battery 4 guns, Sweet's Mississippi battery 6 guns, a section of Hubbard's Arkansas battery (Lt Thrall commanding) 2 guns, Brynes Kentucky battery, 7 guns and a section of Cobb's Kentucky Battery, 2 guns, for a total of 25 guns. The guns of these two groups came from different areas of the battlefield. It appears that Shoup was not initially aware of the presence of the northern group of guns or Ruggles' orders to gather the guns. The resulting artillery concentration of 55 guns was, up to that time, the largest concentration of artillery ever on the North American continent and was itself a historical event. This status did not last long as it was quickly surpassed by even larger artillery concentrations in the Eastern Theater of the war. The grand battery enabled Confederates to surround the position, and the Hornet's Nest fell after holding out for seven hours. In early May 1862, Confederate forces underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862. All twelve-month units had to re-muster and enlist for two additional years or the duration of the war; a new election of officers was ordered; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home. Officers who did not choose to stand for re-election were also offered a discharge. The reorganization was accomplished among all the Arkansas units in and around Corinth, Mississippi, following the Battle of Shiloh.


Siege of Corinth

The Siege of Corinth (also known as the First Battle of Corinth) was fought from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. The town was a strategic point at the junction of two vital railroad lines, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Following the Union Army victory at the Battle of Shiloh, Maj. Gen. Henry Halleck amassed three Union armies—the Army of the Tennessee, the Army of the Ohio, and the Army of the Mississippi—for an advance on the vital rail center of Corinth, Mississippi. Made cautious by the staggering losses at Shiloh, Halleck embarked on a tedious campaign of offensive entrenchment, fortifying after each advance. By May 25, 1862, after moving five miles in three weeks, Halleck was in position to lay siege to the town. Confederate morale was low and Beauregard, heavily outnumbered, and with a Typhoid epidemic raging in his ranks, held a council of war. After conferring with his officers, Beauregard concluded that he could not hold the railroad crossover. The siege ended as the Confederates withdrew. When Lieutenant General Braxton Bragg issued his organization of the Confederate Army of the Mississippi, on June 30, 1862, Calvert's Battery was assigned to Brigadier General Patrick R. Cleburne 2nd Brigade of Major General William E. Hardee's 3rd Army Corps.


Kentucky Campaign

During the
Kentucky Campaign The Confederate Heartland Offensive (August 14 – October 10, 1862), also known as the Kentucky Campaign, was an American Civil War campaign conducted by the Confederate States Army in Tennessee and Kentucky where Generals Braxton Bragg and ...
in the summer of 1862, Calvert's Arkansas Battery was assigned to Major General William E. Hardee's Left Wing (Corps) of the Army of Mississippi. During the October 8, 1862,
Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the A ...
, the battery was split, with one section of two 2 6-pound Smooth Boore cannon under Second Lieutenant Thomas J. Key assigned to support Brigadier General BG Patrick Ronayne Cleburne's 2nd Brigade of Major General Simon Bolivar Buckner's Third Division and one section of two 12-pounder Howitzers under Second Lieutenant Sylvanus G. Hanley assigned to support Colonel
Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was an American military commander and politician. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and then a general in ...
's Cavalry Brigade. Following Bragg's decision to retreat from Kentucky, the Confederate Army of the Mississippi was renamed on November 20, 1862, as the Army of Tennessee and was divided into two corps commanded by Generals Polk and William J. Hardee. A third corps was formed from troops from the Department of East Tennessee and commanded by Edmund Kirby Smith.


Stones River Campaign

The
Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Ame ...
or the Battle of Murfreesboro as it was known in the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the s ...
, as the culmination of the
Stones River Campaign The Stones River Campaign of the American Civil War lasted from November 1862 to January 1863. The campaign was tactically a draw but was a strategic Union victory due to the Confederate retreat after the Battle of Stones River. 1862 in Tenn ...
. During the battle of Stones River, the Helena Arkansas Artillery, now under the command of Lieutenant Thomas J. Key, was assigned to Brigadier General Lucius E. Polk's 1st Brigade of Major General Patrick R. Cleburne's Division of Lieutenant General William J. Hardee's Corps of the Confederate
Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating i ...
. Lieutenant Key, commanding Calvert's battery, filed his report of the report of the roll of his battery in the battle from the Artillery Camp at Tullahoma, Tenn., January 23, 1863: Capt Calvert was accused of drunkenness during the battle. This was no doubt a difficult situation for General Cleburne, now commanding the division, since Calvert had served as the drill instructor for Cleburne's old militia company prior to the war. This relationship had apparently given Cleburne reason to save Calvert's career following a previous bout of drunkenness in Nashville earlier in the war. That time Calvert had vowed to remain sober and retained command. This time Calvert was forced to resign on 6 February 1863. Lieutenant Thomas J. Key, a former newspaper editor from Helena Arkansas became the battery commander following Calvert's resignation. The battery would continued to be known as Calvert's Arkansas Artillery in official reports, until the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. After the defeat at the
Battle of Murfreesboro The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Ame ...
, General Braxton Bragg had his army occupy strong defensive positions around Tullahoma, Tennessee. Union General Rosecrans spent five and a half months reinforcing Murfreesboro and building earthworks. The next major operation, the Tullahoma Campaign, did not come until June 1863, when Rosecrans finally moved his army against Bragg.


Tullahoma Campaign

The Tullahoma Campaign was fought between June 24 and July 3, 1863, during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. The
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...
, commanded by
Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
William Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was t ...
, outmaneuvered the
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating i ...
, commanded by
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, serving in the Weste ...
, from a strong defensive position, driving the Confederates from
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the s ...
and threatening
Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
. The battery was not directly engaged in either of the major engagements at Liberty Gap or Hoover's Gap.


Chickamauga Campaign

In General Braxton Bragg's report on the Organization of troops in Department No 2, on July 31, 1863, Calvert's Arkansas Battery, under the command of Lieutenant Key, was listed as assigned to Brigadier General L.E. Polk's Brigade of Major General Patrick R. Cleburne's Division or Lieutenant General D.H. Hill's Army Corps. The battery was still assigned to Polk's brigade in the August 10, 1863 report on the organization of troops in the Department of Tennessee. During the
Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...
, Calvert's Arkansas Battery, under the Command of Lieutenant Key was assigned to an artillery battalion consisting of Douglas Texas Battery and Semple's Alabama Battery, under the command of Major T.R. Hotchkiss. The battalion supported Major General Cleburne's Division of Lieutenant General D.H. Hill's Corps of the Army of Tennessee. On October 6, 1863, Lieutenant Key provided a report on the battery's roll in the battle:


Chattanooga Campaign

The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. Following the defeat of
Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
William S. Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was t ...
'
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...
at the
Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...
in September, the
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating i ...
under
Gen. The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; Hebrew language, Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its i ...
Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, serving in the Weste ...
besieged Rosecrans and his men by occupying key high terrain around
Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
. Maj. Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
was given command of Union forces in the
West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
and significant reinforcements began to arrive with him in Chattanooga from Mississippi and the Eastern Theater. The Union
Army of the Tennessee An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
under Maj. Gen.
William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
maneuvered to launch a surprise attack against Bragg's right flank on
Missionary Ridge Missionary Ridge is a geographic feature in Chattanooga, Tennessee, site of the Battle of Missionary Ridge, a battle in the American Civil War, fought on November 25, 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gens. Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, a ...
. On November 25, Sherman's attack on Bragg's right flank at Tunnel Hill on the east end of Missionary Ridge, which was defended by Cleburne's Division, with Calvert's Arkansas Battery. Lieutenant Key and the battery were praised in Cleburne's report of the battle. Hoping to distract Bragg's attention, Grant authorized Thomas's army to advance in the center of his line to the base of Missionary Ridge. A combination of misunderstood orders and the pressure of the tactical situation caused Thomas's men to surge to the top of Missionary Ridge, routing the Army of Tennessee, which retreated to
Dalton, Georgia Dalton is a city and the county seat of Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is also the principal city of the Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the ci ...
, fighting off the Union pursuit successfully at the
Battle of Ringgold Gap The Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, outside the town of Ringgold, Georgia, by the Confederate and Union armies during the American Civil War. Part of the Chattanooga Campaign, it followed a heavy Confederate loss at the Battl ...
. Bragg's defeat eliminated the last Confederate control of
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
and opened the door to an invasion of the
Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the war ...
, leading to Sherman's Atlanta Campaign of 1864.


Atlanta Campaign

During the Atlanta Campaign, Key's Battery was assigned to Hochkiss's Battalion, usually part of Major General Patrick Cleburne's Division. The battalion also included Goldthwaite's Alabama Battery and Sweet's Mississippi Battery. On December 14, 1863, the battery was reported 93 assigned, with 71 present for duty, 60 of which were listed as effective. The remaining 22 were listed as absent. The battery's armament at the time was listed as two 12 pound howitzers and two 6-pounder guns. According to the report of Major T.R. Hotchkiss, Key's battery was the first battery to fire on a Union Brigade involved in the demonstration against Dalton Georgia on February 25, 1864. The battery engaged at a range of approximately 700 yards and fired approximately nine rounds per gun. A report on the light artillery assigned to the Army of Tennessee on April 1, 1864, lists Keys battery as composed of four 12-pounder howitzers, with a strength of 61 present of 81 assigned. Key had command of the battalion through much of the campaign. During the
Battle of Pickett's Mill The Battle of Pickett's Mill (May 27, 1864) was fought in Paulding County, Georgia, between Union forces under Major General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign in th ...
on May 27, 1864, Key's Arkansas Battery occupied a position with Major General Cleburne's Division. As Brigadier General William B. Hazen's brigade attacked Cleburne's line, Key and some of his men rolled two of his guns from their original position on a ridgeline, to the far right of the line. Hazen's men suffered appalling casualties at the hands of Key's gunners. Another Brigade under Colonel William H. Gibson took its place and receive equally rough treatment. Finally, Colonel Frederick Knefler attempted to help extract Gibson's brigade and were also driven away by Key's guns. Key's two guns fired a total of 187 rounds of canister and spherical case shot during the Union assault.McKay, John. Brave Men in Desperate Times: The Lives of Civil War Soldiers. Guilford, Conn: TwoDot, 2007, page 37-61. The battle of
Battle of Peachtree Creek The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. ...
on July 20, 1864, was the first major engagement after
John Bell Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...
replaced Joe Johnston as commander of the Army of Tennessee. Key's Arkansas Battery supported the attack of Brigadier General Daniel C. Govan's brigade of Cleuburne's Division. By July 23, 1864, Captain Key was in command of Hotshkiss's Battalion of Artillery and Lieutenant James G. Marshall was leading the Helena Artillery. On September 1, 1864, at the
Battle of Jonesboro The Battle of Jonesborough (August 31–September 1, 1864) was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. On the first ...
, Georgia, the battery, along with the rest of Govan's Brigade of Cleburne's Division was overrun and captured. The Battery's flag was captured by Company E, 3rd Ohio Volunteers,. Only 12 men excepted capture with the battery. Due to a special cartel between Union General
Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name) ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a tank Sherman may also refer to: Places United St ...
and Confederate General
John B. Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...
, the unit was quickly paroled and exchanged for Union prisoners held at Andersonville Prison. The battery re-entered service approximately a month later. The battery and Govan's Brigade were released and exchanged just in time to participate in General
John B. Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...
's disastrous Franklin-Nashville Campaign.


Franklin-Nashville Campaign

After the fall of Atlanta, Key's Battery moved north with General
John B. Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...
into Tennessee and participated in the
Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1 ...
. The battery was not present for the fatal Battle of Franklin, in which General Cleburne and so much of his division were killed. The battery had been detailed along with James A. Smith's Brigade of Cleburne's Division to guard the wagontrain. The battery joined the remainder of Hood's army in front of Nashville on December 6, 1864. When an ice storm struck during the siege of Nashville, Captain Key recorded in his diary, "The Soldier's stand around their fires warming one side while the other side grows cold, and shed tears from the strong smoke which puffs in their eyes. ... Our artillery carrages are frozen in the ground and an inch of ice coats my brass guns." After the defeat at the
Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1 ...
and the retreat from Tennessee, the battery was without serviceable horses to pull its guns and along with server other batteries in similar condition, was assigned to the defense of Macon, GA to refit and to recruit more soldiers.Iobst, Richard W
Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City
Macon, Ga: Mercer University Press, 1999, page 371. Accessed 9 February 2014,


Battles

The Helena Artillery was involved in the following battles: *
Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...
, Tennessee, April 6–7, 1862. *
Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...
, April to June 1862. *
Kentucky Campaign The Confederate Heartland Offensive (August 14 – October 10, 1862), also known as the Kentucky Campaign, was an American Civil War campaign conducted by the Confederate States Army in Tennessee and Kentucky where Generals Braxton Bragg and ...
**
Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the A ...
, Kentucky, October 8, 1862. *
Stones River Campaign The Stones River Campaign of the American Civil War lasted from November 1862 to January 1863. The campaign was tactically a draw but was a strategic Union victory due to the Confederate retreat after the Battle of Stones River. 1862 in Tenn ...
**
Battle of Murfreesboro The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Ame ...
, Tennessee, December 31, 1862, to January 3, 1863. * Tullahoma Campaign, June 24 - July 3, 1863. **
Battle of Liberty Gap The Battle of Liberty Gap was fought during the Tullahoma Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was an early instance of mounted infantry using Spencer repeating rifles during the war similar to the concurrent battle of Hoover's Gap. ...
, Tennessee, June 24–26, 1863. * Chickamauga Campaign **
Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...
, Georgia, September 19–20, 1863. * Siege of Chattanooga **
Battle of Missionary Ridge The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces in the Military Division of ...
, November 25, 1863. * Atlanta Campaign, May to September 1864. **
Battle of Pickett's Mill The Battle of Pickett's Mill (May 27, 1864) was fought in Paulding County, Georgia, between Union forces under Major General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign in th ...
, Georgia, May 27, 1864. **
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tennes ...
, Georgia, June 27, 1864. ** Siege of Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1864. **
Battle of Jonesboro The Battle of Jonesborough (August 31–September 1, 1864) was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. On the first ...
, Georgia, August 31 and September 1, 1864. * Franklin-Nashville Campaign **
Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1 ...
, Tennessee, December 15–16, 1864.


Battle flag

One battle flag from Key's Arkansas Battery has survived. Like the other units in Cleburne's Arkansas Division the unit was issued a Hardee pattern flag. The flag is cotton with dark green, black and red paint. It measures 30 × 36 inches and has the War Department Capture Number 231 painted on the flag. Key's Battery was captured with most of the rest of Daniel Govan's Arkansas brigade in the fighting at Jonesboro, Georgia, on 1 September 1864. The flag is consistent with the last two flags of the 1864 issue, and as a group they reinforce the observation that decorating was done at the brigade level at this point in the war. The crossed cannon are unusual on an artillery flag, as they generally honor capture of enemy guns by infantry. The honor may have been extended for silencing enemy guns in an exchange, but is unknown before 1864. The flag is currently in the collection of the Old State House Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas.


Surrender

Capt Key and the remnants of his battery spent the winter 1865 in Macon, Georgia. The unit had been left behind to recruit and look for horses when the defeated remnants of the Army of the Tennessee were making their way back from the disastrous Nashville Campaign, and then moved to its ultimate surrender in North Carolina. Capt Key and his men participated in efforts to defend Macon from a raid by Major General James Harrison Wilson in the closing days of the war and were still engaged in this effort when they learned of the armistice between Confederate General Joseph E. Johnson and Union General William T. Sherman. Capt Key and a portion of the battery surrendered to General Wilson's troops on April 20, 1865, at Macon, Georgia.Cate, Wirt Armistead, Robert J. Campbell, and Thomas Jefferson Key. Two Soldiers: the Campaign Diaries of Thomas J. Key, C. S. A., December 7, 1863-May 17, 1865, And Robert J. Campbell, U. S. A., January 1, 1864-July 21, 1864. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina press, 1938, page 206. Another set of paroles were signed by First Sergeant D. G. Johnson and a group of Key's men two weeks on 4 May 1865, at Selma, Alabama.


See also

*
List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units This is a list of Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, or military units from the state of Arkansas which fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The list of Union units is shown separately. Like most states, Arkansas possessed ...
*
Arkansas in the American Civil War During the American Civil War, Arkansas was a Confederate state, though it had initially voted to remain in the Union. Following the capture of Fort Sumter in April 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for troops from every Union state to put down t ...
*
Arkansas Militia in the Civil War The units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection include the Arkansas State Militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by the State of Arkansas. Like most of the United ...


References


Bibliography

* Arkansas. (1860). Militia law of the state of Arkansas. Little Rock: Johnson & Yerkes, State Printers. * Bearss, Edwin C. "Joseph Wheeler." In ''The Confederate General'', vol. 6, edited by William C. Davis and Julie Hoffman. Harrisburg, PA: National Historical Society, 1991. . * Catton, Bruce, ''
A Stillness at Appomattox ''A Stillness at Appomattox'' (1953) is a non-fiction history book written by Bruce Catton.
'', Doubleday 1953, Library of Congress # 53–9982, * Connelly, Thomas L. Autumn of Glory: The Army of Tennessee 1862–1865. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1971. . * Cunningham, E., Joiner, G. D., Smith, T. B., & ebrary, Inc. (2009). Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862. New York: Savas Beatie. * * Dedmondt, Glenn "The Flags Of Civil War Arkansas", (Pelican Publishing Co., 2009). * Dupuy, Trevor N., Curt Johnson, and David L. Bongard. ''The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography''. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. . * Eicher, John H., and
David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...
. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Evans, C. A. (1962). Confederate military history: A library of Confederate States history, in twelve volumes. New York: Thomas Yoseloff. * Hale, D. (1993). The Third Texas Cavalry in the Civil War. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. * Iobst, Richard W. Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City. Macon, Ga: Mercer University Press, 1999. * In Cate, W. A., Key, T. J., & Campbell, R. J. (1938). Two soldiers: The campaign diaries of Thomas J. Key, C.S.A., December 7, 1863 – May 17, 1865, and Robert J. Campbell, U.S.A., January 1, 1864 – July 21, 1864. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. * McKay, John. Brave Men in Desperate Times: The Lives of Civil War Soldiers. Guilford, Conn: TwoDot, 2007. * Nevin, D., & Time-Life Books. (1983). The road to Shiloh: Early battles in the West. Alexandria, Va: Time-Life Books. * * Upton, E., Sanger, J. P., Beach, W. D., & Rhodes, C. D. (1916). The military policy of the United States. Washington: Govt. Print. Off. * United States. (1961). Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers who served in organizations from the State of Arkansas. Washington D.C.: National Archives, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration. * U.S. War Department
''The War of the Rebellion''
''a Compilation of the
Official Records The ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion'', commonly known as the ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'' or Official Records (OR or ORs), is the most extensive collection of Americ ...
of the Union and Confederate Armies'', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.


External links


The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110718122909/http://arkansascivilwar.com/ The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas*
Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page
{{American Civil War , expanded=CTCBS Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Arkansas 1865 disestablishments in Arkansas Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Military units and formations in Arkansas Military in Arkansas 1861 establishments in Arkansas Military units and formations established in 1861 Artillery units and formations of the American Civil War