Stryker65
Captain
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2023
- Location
- William & Mary
This company was organized in early 1861 at Augusta, with men from Richmond County. Known as the "Washington Artillery," it contained six guns and was commanded by Captain Isadore P. Girardey on April 8 of that year. It was assigned as Company F of the 36th Georgia Infantry / 1st Confederate Infantry, but never served with that unit. Called the "best-armed and most thoroughly drilled artillery corps in the State" by state officials, the unit was dispatched to Pensacola April 11.
The battery's first action was on April 6, 1862 in the Battle of Shiloh, while serving in the Second (Bragg's) Army Corps. Serving in support of J. K. Jackson's brigade, the battery lost 2 killed and 7 wounded, including an officer in each category. Girardey was transferred from the battery soon after the battle, and Captain John R. B. Burtwell was transferred to it on April 28. The battery remained with Jackson's brigade after Shiloh (recorded specifically on June 30 and August 28), and -- while not engaged at Perryville -- joined the army in the field for Stones River. However, the battery was at this time "insufficiently manned" (recorded only having two cannons) and remained in the town of Murfreesboro while the rest of the brigade fought in the battle. Captain Burtwell was temporarily detached from the battery as General Jones M. Withers's chief of artillery -- he would not return to the battle, and Lieutenant Edward E. Pritchard took command. He was later promoted to captain, backdated to August 28, 1862.
When Jackson's brigade was detached to Chattanooga in the summer of 1863, Pritchard's battery went with it, and is recorded as part of Jackson's detached brigade on July 31 and August 10, 1863. It appears that the "insufficiency" of Pritchard's battery continued after Stones River, for when Jackson's brigade was ordered to rejoin the main army for the Siege of Chattanooga, Pritchard's battery moved instead to Atlanta to join its fixed-artillery defenses. According to garrison commander Colonel Moses H. Wright of the Ordnance Department, the battery had been there for "some time" by the time that the remnants of five batteries shattered at Missionary Ridge arrived at the city on December 15, 1863.
The End.
- Wait, what? That can't be the end! There's two years left of the war!
That's all there is of the battery in the Official Records.
- Okay...but what about using sources other than the Official Records?
Well, the book "Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City" places it at that city during Sherman's March. When the city comes under attack by Kilpatrick's Union cavalry, the crew of the battery (misspelled as "Prichard's) is merged into Rivers's Arkansas Battery to serve a temporary battery of four guns. The unit is never mentioned again.
- But surely there must be parole records, or something?
You'd think so, but the battery was presumably at Macon when the city fell (while Johnston's armistice was going on) to Wilson's Raiders. The paroling of those troops took place unofficially, since most were militia, and I don't believe there are complete or even partial records of those men.
- Well, what do you think happened to the battery?
The other "five batteries shattered at Missionary Ridge" have similarly few records. Most likely, Pritchard's battery joined them as yet another understrength battery, and remained with this "dismounted camp" when it moved from Atlanta to Macon. After Atlanta, Macon was the HQ of the Army of Tennessee's artillery corps, and most of its batteries were in the city at some point. It's safe to say that Pritchard's battery never fought in the field again, and most likely remained, as I said before, in Macon until the surrender.
- But that's just conjecture! You could be wrong!
Yes, I could very well be wrong. In fact, I hope I am. Maybe there's some more interesting history of the battery that I'm missing. I urge you and anyone else reading this to look for more information on the battery, and fill in this giant sixteen-month gap we have here. Good luck!
Sources:
Series 1 OR Volumes 10, 16, 17, 20, 23, 31, and 52
Series 4 OR Volume 1
"Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City" by Richard W. Iobst
The battery's first action was on April 6, 1862 in the Battle of Shiloh, while serving in the Second (Bragg's) Army Corps. Serving in support of J. K. Jackson's brigade, the battery lost 2 killed and 7 wounded, including an officer in each category. Girardey was transferred from the battery soon after the battle, and Captain John R. B. Burtwell was transferred to it on April 28. The battery remained with Jackson's brigade after Shiloh (recorded specifically on June 30 and August 28), and -- while not engaged at Perryville -- joined the army in the field for Stones River. However, the battery was at this time "insufficiently manned" (recorded only having two cannons) and remained in the town of Murfreesboro while the rest of the brigade fought in the battle. Captain Burtwell was temporarily detached from the battery as General Jones M. Withers's chief of artillery -- he would not return to the battle, and Lieutenant Edward E. Pritchard took command. He was later promoted to captain, backdated to August 28, 1862.
When Jackson's brigade was detached to Chattanooga in the summer of 1863, Pritchard's battery went with it, and is recorded as part of Jackson's detached brigade on July 31 and August 10, 1863. It appears that the "insufficiency" of Pritchard's battery continued after Stones River, for when Jackson's brigade was ordered to rejoin the main army for the Siege of Chattanooga, Pritchard's battery moved instead to Atlanta to join its fixed-artillery defenses. According to garrison commander Colonel Moses H. Wright of the Ordnance Department, the battery had been there for "some time" by the time that the remnants of five batteries shattered at Missionary Ridge arrived at the city on December 15, 1863.
The End.
- Wait, what? That can't be the end! There's two years left of the war!
That's all there is of the battery in the Official Records.
- Okay...but what about using sources other than the Official Records?
Well, the book "Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City" places it at that city during Sherman's March. When the city comes under attack by Kilpatrick's Union cavalry, the crew of the battery (misspelled as "Prichard's) is merged into Rivers's Arkansas Battery to serve a temporary battery of four guns. The unit is never mentioned again.
- But surely there must be parole records, or something?
You'd think so, but the battery was presumably at Macon when the city fell (while Johnston's armistice was going on) to Wilson's Raiders. The paroling of those troops took place unofficially, since most were militia, and I don't believe there are complete or even partial records of those men.
- Well, what do you think happened to the battery?
The other "five batteries shattered at Missionary Ridge" have similarly few records. Most likely, Pritchard's battery joined them as yet another understrength battery, and remained with this "dismounted camp" when it moved from Atlanta to Macon. After Atlanta, Macon was the HQ of the Army of Tennessee's artillery corps, and most of its batteries were in the city at some point. It's safe to say that Pritchard's battery never fought in the field again, and most likely remained, as I said before, in Macon until the surrender.
- But that's just conjecture! You could be wrong!
Yes, I could very well be wrong. In fact, I hope I am. Maybe there's some more interesting history of the battery that I'm missing. I urge you and anyone else reading this to look for more information on the battery, and fill in this giant sixteen-month gap we have here. Good luck!
Sources:
Series 1 OR Volumes 10, 16, 17, 20, 23, 31, and 52
Series 4 OR Volume 1
"Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City" by Richard W. Iobst
Bringing the