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Regtl. Staff Shiloh 2020
Asst. Regtl. QM Stones River / Franklin 2022
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- Dec 9, 2017
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- North Mississippi
Bankhead’s Tennessee Battery was an integral part of the Army of Mississippi's artillery force at the Battle of Shiloh and its commander,
Captain Smith P. Bankhead was an extremely busy man during the battle. Bankhead in addition to commanding his battery was also placed in charge of all the artillery of the 1st Corps. Unfortunately, Bankhead lamentable death was not in the line of duty or natural. Here below is the Shiloh National Military Park's facebook entry for Bankhead's Tennessee Batery*.
Regards
David
Confederate Artillery at Shiloh: Bankhead’s Tennessee Battery
In April of 1861, although Tennessee had not seceded from the Union, Governor Isham Harris was calling for an Army to defend the state. In response, Smith P. Bankhead, a 37-year-old Memphis lawyer, began forming an artillery company on May 13, 1861. The unit intended to become battery B of the 1st Tennessee Artillery Corps, became known as Bankhead’s Battery. It could well have been called the lawyers battery, since Bankhead was joined by fellow lawyers, W.Y.C. Humes, who was made 1st Lieutenant and J. C. McDavitt , 2nd Lieutenant.
Two days later on May 15, 1861, a young 20-year-old lawyer William B. Greenlaw joined Bankhead as 2nd Lieutenant. Fifty-two additional men were recruited throughout the month of May. On June 4, 1861, Tennessee seceded from the Union and William L. Scott, another lawyer from Memphis, joined Bankhead’s Battery as a 2nd Lieutenant. These officers and the 54 men made up the nucleus of the Battery and moved to Fort Pillow for artillery training although they had no cannon of their own.
Smith Pyne Bankhead was born on August 20, 1823, at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina. His father, General James Bankhead was a career army officer from Virginia. During the Mexican War, Smith P. Bankhead was a Captain of the Virginia Volunteers and served under his father who was commanded American troops stationed at Vera Cruz, Mexico. After the Mexican war, Bankhead was presented a sword by his country for “Gallant Service.” He went to California during the gold rush, and then settled at Memphis in 1851.
In Memphis, Bankhead became involved in politics and was known as a Mexican War hero. He founded and edited the Memphis Whig, a party newspaper. He was elected the City Attorney of Memphis in 1852 and started a private law practice in the 1850’s. One of his brothers, Henry Clay Bankhead, graduated from West Point in 1850 and remained in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. Another brother, John P. Bankhead entered the U.S. Navy at age 17 and remained with the Union. He commanded the U.S.S. Monitor when it sank on December 31, 1862. He survived the sinking and was the last man to abandon the ship. His cousin was Confederate Gen. John Bankhead Magruder.
In July 1861, Bankhead’s Battery received six artillery pieces (6 pounders and 12 pound howitzers) made at the Quinby and Robinson foundry in Memphis. The battery was moved from Fort Pillow to New Madrid, Missouri where they recruited enough men to fill up the battery. In October 1861 they moved to Columbus, Kentucky where they became part of Gen. Leonidas Polk’s Corp. In March 1862, they joined the Confederate forces gathering at Corinth, Mississippi, and Bankhead was promoted to Chief of Artillery for Polk’s Corp. During the Battle of Shiloh, Bankhead would remain with his battery during the battle, despite this promotion.
As the battle of Shiloh started on April 6, 1862, Bankhead’s Battery joined batteries from other Corps on a ridge south of Sherman’s camps at 10:00 AM. Gen. Patrick Cleburne had ordered the Confederate artillery to wake up the Union camps from that positon earlier in the morning. After Sherman was outflanked and retreated with Gen. John McClernand’s Division to Jones Field, the battery moved north to a location near McClerands former headquarters. That afternoon their six guns contributed to the mass of Confederate artillery known as Ruggle’s Battery, after Gen. Daniel Ruggles, which bombarded the Union center contributing to Confederate victory on April 6th. On April 7, 1862, the battle would turn against the Confederates as Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s army arrived to reinforce Grant. Among those arrivals was Smith Bankhead’s brother, Captain Henry Bankhead, on Buell’s staff as inspector of infantry. On the afternoon of April 7, Bankhead’s Battery would form near Shiloh Church as part of the last Confederate defense line, before retreating to Corinth. The battery suffered two killed and 18 wounded. Although they lost 37 of their 82 horses they were able to retreat with all six of their guns and caissons.
After Shiloh, Bankhead was promoted to Major and transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Department and later became Colonel of Artillery, serving under his cousin Gen. Magruder. Capt. William Scott took command of the battery which served with the Army of Tennessee until over run and captured on November 25, 1863, at the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
Smith Bankhead returned to Memphis in March 1865 after deciding there was no point in continuing the war. He was appointed Deputy City Attorney and Trustee of the Navy Yard in the Reconstruction Government, and was considered a turncoat by former Confederates. In what may be the city of Memphis oldest cold case, Smith Bankhead was assassinated. He was struck down from behind and beaten to death by persons never identified on a main street in the downtown section of the city. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.
*https://www.facebook.com/ShilohNMP/...atteryin-april-of-1861-alth/1352433701513279/
Captain Smith P. Bankhead was an extremely busy man during the battle. Bankhead in addition to commanding his battery was also placed in charge of all the artillery of the 1st Corps. Unfortunately, Bankhead lamentable death was not in the line of duty or natural. Here below is the Shiloh National Military Park's facebook entry for Bankhead's Tennessee Batery*.
Regards
David
Confederate Artillery at Shiloh: Bankhead’s Tennessee Battery
In April of 1861, although Tennessee had not seceded from the Union, Governor Isham Harris was calling for an Army to defend the state. In response, Smith P. Bankhead, a 37-year-old Memphis lawyer, began forming an artillery company on May 13, 1861. The unit intended to become battery B of the 1st Tennessee Artillery Corps, became known as Bankhead’s Battery. It could well have been called the lawyers battery, since Bankhead was joined by fellow lawyers, W.Y.C. Humes, who was made 1st Lieutenant and J. C. McDavitt , 2nd Lieutenant.
Two days later on May 15, 1861, a young 20-year-old lawyer William B. Greenlaw joined Bankhead as 2nd Lieutenant. Fifty-two additional men were recruited throughout the month of May. On June 4, 1861, Tennessee seceded from the Union and William L. Scott, another lawyer from Memphis, joined Bankhead’s Battery as a 2nd Lieutenant. These officers and the 54 men made up the nucleus of the Battery and moved to Fort Pillow for artillery training although they had no cannon of their own.
Smith Pyne Bankhead was born on August 20, 1823, at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina. His father, General James Bankhead was a career army officer from Virginia. During the Mexican War, Smith P. Bankhead was a Captain of the Virginia Volunteers and served under his father who was commanded American troops stationed at Vera Cruz, Mexico. After the Mexican war, Bankhead was presented a sword by his country for “Gallant Service.” He went to California during the gold rush, and then settled at Memphis in 1851.
In Memphis, Bankhead became involved in politics and was known as a Mexican War hero. He founded and edited the Memphis Whig, a party newspaper. He was elected the City Attorney of Memphis in 1852 and started a private law practice in the 1850’s. One of his brothers, Henry Clay Bankhead, graduated from West Point in 1850 and remained in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. Another brother, John P. Bankhead entered the U.S. Navy at age 17 and remained with the Union. He commanded the U.S.S. Monitor when it sank on December 31, 1862. He survived the sinking and was the last man to abandon the ship. His cousin was Confederate Gen. John Bankhead Magruder.
In July 1861, Bankhead’s Battery received six artillery pieces (6 pounders and 12 pound howitzers) made at the Quinby and Robinson foundry in Memphis. The battery was moved from Fort Pillow to New Madrid, Missouri where they recruited enough men to fill up the battery. In October 1861 they moved to Columbus, Kentucky where they became part of Gen. Leonidas Polk’s Corp. In March 1862, they joined the Confederate forces gathering at Corinth, Mississippi, and Bankhead was promoted to Chief of Artillery for Polk’s Corp. During the Battle of Shiloh, Bankhead would remain with his battery during the battle, despite this promotion.
As the battle of Shiloh started on April 6, 1862, Bankhead’s Battery joined batteries from other Corps on a ridge south of Sherman’s camps at 10:00 AM. Gen. Patrick Cleburne had ordered the Confederate artillery to wake up the Union camps from that positon earlier in the morning. After Sherman was outflanked and retreated with Gen. John McClernand’s Division to Jones Field, the battery moved north to a location near McClerands former headquarters. That afternoon their six guns contributed to the mass of Confederate artillery known as Ruggle’s Battery, after Gen. Daniel Ruggles, which bombarded the Union center contributing to Confederate victory on April 6th. On April 7, 1862, the battle would turn against the Confederates as Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s army arrived to reinforce Grant. Among those arrivals was Smith Bankhead’s brother, Captain Henry Bankhead, on Buell’s staff as inspector of infantry. On the afternoon of April 7, Bankhead’s Battery would form near Shiloh Church as part of the last Confederate defense line, before retreating to Corinth. The battery suffered two killed and 18 wounded. Although they lost 37 of their 82 horses they were able to retreat with all six of their guns and caissons.
After Shiloh, Bankhead was promoted to Major and transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Department and later became Colonel of Artillery, serving under his cousin Gen. Magruder. Capt. William Scott took command of the battery which served with the Army of Tennessee until over run and captured on November 25, 1863, at the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
Smith Bankhead returned to Memphis in March 1865 after deciding there was no point in continuing the war. He was appointed Deputy City Attorney and Trustee of the Navy Yard in the Reconstruction Government, and was considered a turncoat by former Confederates. In what may be the city of Memphis oldest cold case, Smith Bankhead was assassinated. He was struck down from behind and beaten to death by persons never identified on a main street in the downtown section of the city. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.
*https://www.facebook.com/ShilohNMP/...atteryin-april-of-1861-alth/1352433701513279/