- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Location
- Collierville, TN
Buckner Battery, Commanded by Lt. Henry C. Holt
My primary source for histories of Mississippi units is Dunbar Rowland's book. He lists Buckner Battery as one of the artillery regiments but his description is only 4 or 5 sentences. It took me some research and help from CWT Forum before I could piece together the history of this artillery battery and the men and cannon that were part of it.
Here is the full unit history of Buckner Battery found in Rowland's history.
(Note: I think there are errors in reference to LaGrange and also probably Byhalia)
The Buckner Battery of four steel breech-loading 2-pounders, Lieutenant Holt commanding, was part of the command of Col. R. V. Richardson, which joined General Chalmers in his unsuccessful attack on LaGrange and Collierville, Tenn., October 9-11, 1863, and participated in the battles of Byhalia, October 12, and Wyatt, October 13, during the retreat of Chalmers. Colonel McGuirk, commanding the brigade at Wyatt, said: "Lieutenant Holt, with his little battery, did well. If his guns were as large as his courage, he could do much more in defense of his country." During the battle the battery was withdrawn, "after doing good service and withstanding a terrific fire from the enemy." Lieutenant Holt had but two guns in this battle, the other section being under command of Lieutenant Armstrong, who also commanded one section at Collierville. Holt complimented the service of Armstrong, and also mentioned Private McDougal and Corporals Williams, White and Hofmeister. October, 1863, assigned to McCulloch's Brigade, Chalmers' Cavalry, one rifle gun added to the battery. November 28, twenty-eight men, four Willlams 10-ounce, only guns of the kind in the army, and one 2.9-inch rifle. Lieutenant Armstrong and enlisted men of Ferguson's Brigade were on duty with the battery during December.
Dunbar Rowland's "Military History of Mississippi"
Buckner Battery was part of General Chalmers' cavalry division and was a small battery consisting of about 28 – 36 men. This explains why it was commanded by a lieutenant. The reason it was so small was they were armed with a small artillery piece.
The commander was Henry C. Holt, who was from Bedford County, Tennessee. He enrolled in the US Naval Academy in 1859 but was released after this 3rd year when the war began. Holt joined the CS Navy as a Midshipman and served on the CSS Jackson. He then joined the Confederate River Defense Fleet and was assigned to the flagship CSS Little Rebel. After the river battle of Memphis, Henry Holt joined the CS Army as a Post Adjutant at Camp Moore at Tangipahoa, LA (due south of of McComb, MS).
The battery seemed to have formed in the summer of 1863 after the fall of Vicksburg when General Chalmers was trying to raise cavalry troops to protect Mississippi homelands. Lt. Henry C. Holt was still acting as Post Adjutant at Camp Moore when he submitted a requisition form in August 31, 1863, in which he listed himself as the commander of "Buckner Battery" --- and he used quotation around the unit as if it wasn't an official unit. After General Chalmers' plea for more artillery, higher command transferred Buckner Battery to Chalmers' division. Buckner Battery with Lt. Henry Holt, commanding, was placed in the brigade of Colonel. Robert "Black Bob" McCulloch's, which included: 2nd Missouri Cavalry, 12th Mississippi Cavalry, 1st Mississippi Partisans, 18th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry.
Buckner battery was armed with one 2.9-inch rifled cannon and four rapid fire, breech-loading Williams Guns of 1.56-inch caliber. The Williams Gun was light enough to be pulled by one horse and could be manned by a crew of only 3. This reduced the size of the battery and allowed greater mobility when mounted or dismounted.
The battery did not have a roster because all the men were volunteers from other units. The service records of the men mentioned in Rowland's unit history states they were on loan from the 56th Partisan Rangers Alabama Cavalry. This is also found in the OR's dated 7 December 1863, when departmental commander General Stephen D. Lee ordered the men be returned to General Ferguson's brigade and replacements be selected from General Chalmers' own men.
The first test of Buckner Battery was during General Chalmers' Tennessee Raid of October 1863. The raid was an attack on the Memphis & Charleston RR and the Union fort at Collierville, TN, but it included small skirmishes/battles at New Albany, Salem, Wyatt. Buckner Battery was under Colonel R. V. Richardson's brigade when they engaged the Union at New Albany on October 5th. Richardson's report stated two pieces of the Buckner Battery supported Colonel Inge's 12 Mississippi Cavalry in the center.
After this battle, Colonel Richardson joined up with General Chalmers at Salem. By this time, Reneau Battery has lost one of their guns due to a broken carriage. So the remaining gun and its crew were placed under the command of Lt. Henry Holt and Buckner Battery. On 11 October, 1863, the combined forces of 3,000 cavalry attacked the Union fort at Collierville. They initial assault was interrupted by the arrival of General William Sherman's train carrying his staff and the 13 US Regulars. Buckner Battery was placed in the center of the line. As the fighting progressed, Lt. Holt moved his artillery up with the dismounted cavalry to engage the Union infantrymen defending from the RR Depot and the earthworks. The battle continued for several hours until Union reserves arrived from Germantown. However, General Sherman had to telegraph back to Memphis to send a new train as his engine was put out of service by the artillery fire from Buckner Battery.
Two pieces of the Buckner Battery came up just here to my support and opened on the enemy retreating to his fortifications. I then sent for a portion of Captain Palmer's battery. When the piece sent reached the position, owing to some unfortunate misunderstanding, the Buckner Battery had fallen back, under the impression that the whole line had retreated. Finding myself entirely unsupported, I withdrew to the woods again. Having learned that Captain Palmer was coming up with his piece, I advanced again and resumed my most advanced position. Quote from Confederate OR report.
The enemy at once opened with artillery from a ridge overlooking our entire position, throwing canister, 6-pounder round shot, and rifled solid projectiles. They also threw a few shells at us, but their artillery fire was principally aimed at our train, disabling the locomotive and damaging some of the cars, killing and wounding 8 of our horses. Quote from OR report by Captain Charles C. Smith, 13 US Regulars.
(Note-- the Union defenders accurately reported the name of the artillery and the size of the round but referred to it as rifled. This mistake was likely due to the sound of the gun's report.)
General Chalmers' forces returned back into Mississippi with the Union cavalry in pursuit. The Union cavalry caught up with them while they were crossing the Tallahatchie River at Wyatt, where they had built a graveled road across they low flooded area. Being low on ammunition, two cannon were engaged to defend the crossing until all the Confederate forces could get return south of the river.
Buckner Battery continued to operate with General Chalmers but there is very little mentioned about this unit. They were probably only engaged in a few small skirmishes.
Eventually, Buckner Battery was transferred to General Polk's command early in 1864. There is no further mention of Lt. Henry C. Holt serving in any command so he most likely returned to staff duty. After General Chalmers was placed under the command of General Forrest, there is no record of Buckner Battery in this new organization. Later, a report of artillery in the state, listed two Williams Gun on garrison duty in Columbus, MS.
Links in CWT
Williams Gun: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/williams-10-ounce-artillery-gun.13171/
Buckner Battery deserves 15 minutes of fame because this is the only time that I know where a Confederate Battery positioned itself within 300 yards----maybe 200 yards---range of General Sherman. I don't think any Confederate artillery got that close to him even at Shiloh.
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXX/2 [S# 51]
OCTOBER 4-17, 1863.--Chalmers' Raid in West Tennessee and North Mississippi.
No. 16.--Report of Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers, C. S. Army, commanding expedition.
Colonel Richardson joined me on the night of the 8th with his brigade, consisting of the Twelfth Mississippi Cavalry, Colonel Inge; Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Green; Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Neely; Fourteenth Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Stewart; the Reneau Battery of two 6-pounders, Captain Palmer, and the Buckner Battery of four steel breech-loading 2-pounders, Lieutenant Holt, the whole amounting to about 950 men.
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXX/2 [S# 51]
OCTOBER 4-17, 1863.--Chalmers' Raid in West Tennessee and North Mississippi.
No. 28.--Report of Lieut. H. C. Holt, Buckner (Mississippi) Battery.
HEADQUARTERS BUCKNER BATTERY,
Water Valley, Miss., October 17, 1863.
At Wyatt, on the 13th instant, after reporting to Colonel Inge, as directed, I placed my pieces in battery on the hill near the houses on the right, and but a short distance from where Lieutenant Adams had placed his 6-pounder. After firing 11 rounds from the two pieces, I moved them back into the road, as my men were entirely exposed and I had no advantage of position. Shortly after the enemy opened with his howitzers I moved my pieces back on the hill near the river until I could receive instructions from the colonel commanding. I was then directed by him to move them across the river with the piece of Lieutenant Adams. I remained with them near the crossing until ordered to move them to the rear.
My primary source for histories of Mississippi units is Dunbar Rowland's book. He lists Buckner Battery as one of the artillery regiments but his description is only 4 or 5 sentences. It took me some research and help from CWT Forum before I could piece together the history of this artillery battery and the men and cannon that were part of it.
Here is the full unit history of Buckner Battery found in Rowland's history.
(Note: I think there are errors in reference to LaGrange and also probably Byhalia)
The Buckner Battery of four steel breech-loading 2-pounders, Lieutenant Holt commanding, was part of the command of Col. R. V. Richardson, which joined General Chalmers in his unsuccessful attack on LaGrange and Collierville, Tenn., October 9-11, 1863, and participated in the battles of Byhalia, October 12, and Wyatt, October 13, during the retreat of Chalmers. Colonel McGuirk, commanding the brigade at Wyatt, said: "Lieutenant Holt, with his little battery, did well. If his guns were as large as his courage, he could do much more in defense of his country." During the battle the battery was withdrawn, "after doing good service and withstanding a terrific fire from the enemy." Lieutenant Holt had but two guns in this battle, the other section being under command of Lieutenant Armstrong, who also commanded one section at Collierville. Holt complimented the service of Armstrong, and also mentioned Private McDougal and Corporals Williams, White and Hofmeister. October, 1863, assigned to McCulloch's Brigade, Chalmers' Cavalry, one rifle gun added to the battery. November 28, twenty-eight men, four Willlams 10-ounce, only guns of the kind in the army, and one 2.9-inch rifle. Lieutenant Armstrong and enlisted men of Ferguson's Brigade were on duty with the battery during December.
Dunbar Rowland's "Military History of Mississippi"
Buckner Battery was part of General Chalmers' cavalry division and was a small battery consisting of about 28 – 36 men. This explains why it was commanded by a lieutenant. The reason it was so small was they were armed with a small artillery piece.
The commander was Henry C. Holt, who was from Bedford County, Tennessee. He enrolled in the US Naval Academy in 1859 but was released after this 3rd year when the war began. Holt joined the CS Navy as a Midshipman and served on the CSS Jackson. He then joined the Confederate River Defense Fleet and was assigned to the flagship CSS Little Rebel. After the river battle of Memphis, Henry Holt joined the CS Army as a Post Adjutant at Camp Moore at Tangipahoa, LA (due south of of McComb, MS).
The battery seemed to have formed in the summer of 1863 after the fall of Vicksburg when General Chalmers was trying to raise cavalry troops to protect Mississippi homelands. Lt. Henry C. Holt was still acting as Post Adjutant at Camp Moore when he submitted a requisition form in August 31, 1863, in which he listed himself as the commander of "Buckner Battery" --- and he used quotation around the unit as if it wasn't an official unit. After General Chalmers' plea for more artillery, higher command transferred Buckner Battery to Chalmers' division. Buckner Battery with Lt. Henry Holt, commanding, was placed in the brigade of Colonel. Robert "Black Bob" McCulloch's, which included: 2nd Missouri Cavalry, 12th Mississippi Cavalry, 1st Mississippi Partisans, 18th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry.
Buckner battery was armed with one 2.9-inch rifled cannon and four rapid fire, breech-loading Williams Guns of 1.56-inch caliber. The Williams Gun was light enough to be pulled by one horse and could be manned by a crew of only 3. This reduced the size of the battery and allowed greater mobility when mounted or dismounted.
The battery did not have a roster because all the men were volunteers from other units. The service records of the men mentioned in Rowland's unit history states they were on loan from the 56th Partisan Rangers Alabama Cavalry. This is also found in the OR's dated 7 December 1863, when departmental commander General Stephen D. Lee ordered the men be returned to General Ferguson's brigade and replacements be selected from General Chalmers' own men.
The first test of Buckner Battery was during General Chalmers' Tennessee Raid of October 1863. The raid was an attack on the Memphis & Charleston RR and the Union fort at Collierville, TN, but it included small skirmishes/battles at New Albany, Salem, Wyatt. Buckner Battery was under Colonel R. V. Richardson's brigade when they engaged the Union at New Albany on October 5th. Richardson's report stated two pieces of the Buckner Battery supported Colonel Inge's 12 Mississippi Cavalry in the center.
After this battle, Colonel Richardson joined up with General Chalmers at Salem. By this time, Reneau Battery has lost one of their guns due to a broken carriage. So the remaining gun and its crew were placed under the command of Lt. Henry Holt and Buckner Battery. On 11 October, 1863, the combined forces of 3,000 cavalry attacked the Union fort at Collierville. They initial assault was interrupted by the arrival of General William Sherman's train carrying his staff and the 13 US Regulars. Buckner Battery was placed in the center of the line. As the fighting progressed, Lt. Holt moved his artillery up with the dismounted cavalry to engage the Union infantrymen defending from the RR Depot and the earthworks. The battle continued for several hours until Union reserves arrived from Germantown. However, General Sherman had to telegraph back to Memphis to send a new train as his engine was put out of service by the artillery fire from Buckner Battery.
Two pieces of the Buckner Battery came up just here to my support and opened on the enemy retreating to his fortifications. I then sent for a portion of Captain Palmer's battery. When the piece sent reached the position, owing to some unfortunate misunderstanding, the Buckner Battery had fallen back, under the impression that the whole line had retreated. Finding myself entirely unsupported, I withdrew to the woods again. Having learned that Captain Palmer was coming up with his piece, I advanced again and resumed my most advanced position. Quote from Confederate OR report.
The enemy at once opened with artillery from a ridge overlooking our entire position, throwing canister, 6-pounder round shot, and rifled solid projectiles. They also threw a few shells at us, but their artillery fire was principally aimed at our train, disabling the locomotive and damaging some of the cars, killing and wounding 8 of our horses. Quote from OR report by Captain Charles C. Smith, 13 US Regulars.
(Note-- the Union defenders accurately reported the name of the artillery and the size of the round but referred to it as rifled. This mistake was likely due to the sound of the gun's report.)
General Chalmers' forces returned back into Mississippi with the Union cavalry in pursuit. The Union cavalry caught up with them while they were crossing the Tallahatchie River at Wyatt, where they had built a graveled road across they low flooded area. Being low on ammunition, two cannon were engaged to defend the crossing until all the Confederate forces could get return south of the river.
Buckner Battery continued to operate with General Chalmers but there is very little mentioned about this unit. They were probably only engaged in a few small skirmishes.
Eventually, Buckner Battery was transferred to General Polk's command early in 1864. There is no further mention of Lt. Henry C. Holt serving in any command so he most likely returned to staff duty. After General Chalmers was placed under the command of General Forrest, there is no record of Buckner Battery in this new organization. Later, a report of artillery in the state, listed two Williams Gun on garrison duty in Columbus, MS.
Links in CWT
Williams Gun: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/williams-10-ounce-artillery-gun.13171/
Buckner Battery deserves 15 minutes of fame because this is the only time that I know where a Confederate Battery positioned itself within 300 yards----maybe 200 yards---range of General Sherman. I don't think any Confederate artillery got that close to him even at Shiloh.
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXX/2 [S# 51]
OCTOBER 4-17, 1863.--Chalmers' Raid in West Tennessee and North Mississippi.
No. 16.--Report of Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers, C. S. Army, commanding expedition.
Colonel Richardson joined me on the night of the 8th with his brigade, consisting of the Twelfth Mississippi Cavalry, Colonel Inge; Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Green; Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Neely; Fourteenth Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Stewart; the Reneau Battery of two 6-pounders, Captain Palmer, and the Buckner Battery of four steel breech-loading 2-pounders, Lieutenant Holt, the whole amounting to about 950 men.
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXX/2 [S# 51]
OCTOBER 4-17, 1863.--Chalmers' Raid in West Tennessee and North Mississippi.
No. 28.--Report of Lieut. H. C. Holt, Buckner (Mississippi) Battery.
HEADQUARTERS BUCKNER BATTERY,
Water Valley, Miss., October 17, 1863.
At Wyatt, on the 13th instant, after reporting to Colonel Inge, as directed, I placed my pieces in battery on the hill near the houses on the right, and but a short distance from where Lieutenant Adams had placed his 6-pounder. After firing 11 rounds from the two pieces, I moved them back into the road, as my men were entirely exposed and I had no advantage of position. Shortly after the enemy opened with his howitzers I moved my pieces back on the hill near the river until I could receive instructions from the colonel commanding. I was then directed by him to move them across the river with the piece of Lieutenant Adams. I remained with them near the crossing until ordered to move them to the rear.
Bringing the