Wade's Battery (later Walsh's Battery, also known as the 1st Light Battery) was an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...

in the

Confederate States 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 ...

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 battery was mustered into Confederate service on December 28, 1861; many of the members of the battery had previously served in the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at various ...

. Assigned to the

First Missouri Brigade The First Missouri Brigade was an infantry brigade that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was mostly recruited from members of the Missouri State Guard – a secessionist force formed from the Missouri Volunt ...

, the battery saw action at the

Battle of Pea Ridge The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place in the American Civil War near Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Federal forces, led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, moved south ...

and the

Second Battle of Corinth The second Battle of Corinth (which, in the context of the American Civil War, is usually referred to as the Battle of Corinth, to differentiate it from the siege of Corinth earlier the same year) was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, M ...

in 1862. In 1863, the battery fought at the

Battle of Grand Gulf The Battle of Grand Gulf was fought on April 29, 1863, during the American Civil War. As part of Major General Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg campaign, seven Union Navy ironclad warships commanded by Admiral David Dixon Porter bombarded Confederat ...

, where

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

William Wade, first commander of the battery, was killed. The battery later saw action at the

Battle of Champion Hill The Battle of Champion Hill of May 16, 1863, was the pivotal battle in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Union Army commander Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee pursued the retreating Confe ...

Battle of Big Black River Bridge The Battle of Big Black River Bridge was fought on May 17, 1863, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. After a Union army commanded by Major General Ulysses S. Grant defeated Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton's Confed ...

, and the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...

. When the Confederates surrendered at the end of the Siege of Vicksburg, the men of the battery became

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

. After a

prisoner exchange A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners: prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc. Sometimes, dead bodies are involved in an exchange. Geneva Conventions Under the Geneva Convent ...

, the men of the battery were combined with Landis's Battery and Guibor's Battery on October 3, 1863, and Wade's Battery ceased to exist as a separate unit.

Service history

Organization

William Wade organized the battery in December 1861. Many of the batterymen had served in the

before joining the battle; recruiting activities occurred at

Osceola, Missouri Osceola is a city in St. Clair County, Missouri, United States. The population was 909 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of St. Clair County. During the American Civil War, Osceola was the site of the Sacking of Osceola. History Located ...

and

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

. On December 28, the battery officially joined the

while at Springfield. After joining the army, the battery was assigned to the

and equipped with two 6-pounder guns and four 12-pounder howitzers.

1862

Pea Ridge

In early 1862, the battery was assigned to the forces of

Major General 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 ...

Sterling Price Major-General Sterling "Old Pap" Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. Prior to ...

; while under Price, the battery took part in a

skirmish Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an ir ...

near

Flat Creek, Missouri Flat Creek Township is one of twenty-five townships in Barry County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 5,462. Flat Creek was organized in 1844, taking its name from Flat Creek. Geography Flat Creek Township co ...

on February 15. On March 7 and 8, the battery was engaged at the

. At Pea Ridge, the battery was in

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Lewis Henry Little Lewis Henry Little (March 19, 1817 – September 19, 1862) was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War. He served mainly in the Western Theater and was killed in action during the ...

's brigade (the First Missouri Brigade) of Price's division of Major General

Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) started his military career as a United States Army officer but joined Confederate forces in 1861 after the Civil War broke out. He was a major general when he was killed in a private conflict. A g ...

's Army of the West; also in Little's brigade were the 2nd Missouri Infantry, 3rd Missouri Infantry, 1st Missouri Cavalry, and Clark's Battery. Early on March 7, Wade's Battery, along with Clark's Battery and Guibor's Battery, engaged in an artillery duel with the 1st Iowa Battery. The Confederate

cannons A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during ...

were able to silence the 1st Iowa Battery, which had several of its ammunition chests exploded. Early on March 8, Wade's Battery and Good's Texas Battery began firing at ranks of

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 ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

which were preparing for a

counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...

; however, this fire was not effective. In contrast, Union artillery began firing at the two Confederate batteries, inflicting casualties. Wade's Battery retreated in what historians William Shea and Earl J. Hess described as a "wild disorder." When the Confederate position on the end of the battlefield where Wade's Battery was engaged collapsed, Wade's Battery was one of the last units to leave the field. Wade's Battery suffered nine casualties at Pea Ridge.

Corinth

In April, Wade's Battery was ordered across the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. The battery was then moved to

Corinth, Mississippi Corinth is a city in and the county seat of Alcorn County, Mississippi, Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,573 at the 2010 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with Tennessee. Histor ...

; a May 5 muster of the battery counted 107 men. Wade's Battery did not see action at either the May 9 Battle of Farmington or the

Battle of Iuka A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

on September 19. At the

on October 3 and 4, Wade's Battery was assigned to Colonel

Elijah Gates Elijah Gates (December 17, 1827 in Garrard County, Kentucky – March 4, 1915 in St. Joseph, Missouri) was an American politician, and colonel in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Early and personal life Gates moved ...

' brigade of

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Louis Hébert Louis Hébert (c. 1575 – 25 January 1627) is widely considered the first European apothecary in the region that would later become Canada, as well as the first European to farm in said region. He was born around 1575 at 129 de la rue Saint ...

's division of Price's corps of Van Dorn's

Army of West 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 ...

; Gates' brigade also included the 16th Arkansas Infantry, 2nd Missouri Infantry, 3rd Missouri Infantry, 5th Missouri Infantry, and the 1st Missouri Cavalry. On the first day at Corinth (October 3), Wade's Battery was positioned in front of the Confederate main line to shell Union infantry defending the outer defenses around Corinth. Heavy counterbattery fire from Battery H, 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment killed

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

Samuel Farrington and many horses, forcing the battery to withdraw. The battery also participated in an artillery duel that also included Landis's Battery, Guibor's Battery, and Hiram Bledsoe's Missouri Battery. The combined Confederate cannons drove off Union artillery, allowing a Confederate infantry charge to occur. Later that day, a Union infantry force threatened Landis's Battery and Guibor's Battery; Wade's Battery helped repulse the threat. At Corinth, Wade's Battery suffered 20 casualties. In December, Captain Wade was promoted to the command of the artillery in Major General

John S. Bowen John Stevens Bowen (October 30, 1830 – July 13, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who later became a general in the Confederate Army and a commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. He fought at the battles ...

's division; First Lieutenant Richard Walsh replaced Wade as commander of the battery.

1863

In early 1863, the battery was transferred to the

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

area, where it occupied a fortification known as Fort Wade. While at Fort Wade, the battery shelled passing ships of the

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

. The earlier guns of the battery had been replaced by 10-pounder Parrott rifles; one of these weapons burst on March 31, inflicting 10 casualties in the battery. Guibor's Battery was also stationed in Fort Wade. At the

on April 29, seven

ironclad warships An ironclad is a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. Th ...

of the Union Navy bombarded Fort Wade and the nearby Fort Coburn. The guns of Fort Wade were silenced, but Fort Coburn continued firing. Towards the end of the fighting, Wade was killed. The battery suffered seven casualties in the battle. After Grand Gulf, the battery was temporarily placed on detached service, and missed the

Battle of Port Gibson The Battle of Port Gibson was fought near Port Gibson, Mississippi, on May 1, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces during the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union Army was led by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, and was victo ...

on May 1. Wade's Battery was attached to

Francis Cockrell Francis Marion Cockrell (October 1, 1834December 13, 1915) was a Confederate military commander and American politician from the state of Missouri. He served as a United States senator from Missouri for five terms. He was a prominent member o ...

's brigade in John S. Bowen's division. On the morning of May 16, as part of the

, the battery fought an artillery duel, destroying a Union artillery caisson. Later that day, Wade's Battery provided supporting fire for an attack by the First Missouri Brigade; when the attackers were forced to retreat, the battery helped provide covering fire. Wade's Battery lost five men at Champion Hill. On May 17, Wade's Battery formed part of a Confederate line guarding the crossing of the Big Black River. The horses assigned to the battery had been positioned on the other side of the river; when the Confederate line broke, the men of Wade's Battery were unable to withdraw their guns. They were forced to

spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

their cannons before joining the retreat. After reaching the defenses of Vicksburg, the men of the battery were assigned a new weapona 32-pounder

rifled cannon Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications dur ...

. During the

, many of the men of Wade's Battery engaged in

sharpshooting A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" i ...

. Beginning in late June, they began digging a tunnel for the purpose of detonating a charge of gunpowder under the Union line, but the Confederate garrison surrendered before this could be completed. The battery lost seven men during the siege; by the time of the surrender on July 4, only 52 men were left. They were

paroled Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

and reported to

Demopolis, Alabama Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the time of the 2020 United States census, down from 7,483 at the 2010 census. The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and T ...

. After being exchanged, the battery was combined with Landis's Battery and Guibor's Battery on October 3; Wade's Battery ceased to exist as a separate unit.

References

Sources

* * * * * {{Missouri Confederate units navbox Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Missouri 1861 establishments in Missouri Artillery units and formations of the American Civil War 1863 disestablishments in Alabama Military units and formations disestablished in 1863