Placement of a section or a piece

I would recommend The Artillery Service in the War of the Rebellion 18661-65 by John C. Tidball. 1905. Brevet Maj. General Tidball was an artillery commander throughout the Civil War. He reverted to his regular rank of Colonel after the war. He commanded the Artillery school at the end of the 19th Century. He makes 11 case studies of how the artillery was used in campaigns & battles through out the war. Tidball is concise & very to the point.
 
I would recommend The Artillery Service in the War of the Rebellion 18661-65 by John C. Tidball. 1905. Brevet Maj. General Tidball was an artillery commander throughout the Civil War. He reverted to his regular rank of Colonel after the war. He commanded the Artillery school at the end of the 19th Century. He makes 11 case studies of how the artillery was used in campaigns & battles through out the war. Tidball is concise & very to the point.

That sounds like the ticket. I'll get a copy.
 
I would recommend The Artillery Service in the War of the Rebellion 18661-65 by John C. Tidball. 1905. Brevet Maj. General Tidball was an artillery commander throughout the Civil War. He reverted to his regular rank of Colonel after the war. He commanded the Artillery school at the end of the 19th Century. He makes 11 case studies of how the artillery was used in campaigns & battles through out the war. Tidball is concise & very to the point.

It's on the way.
 
For specific answers to specific situations/battles, check to see what the OR's might say.....
Maybe batteries were not up to full strength to field all sections (due to illness, etc)...
Maybe there were logistical issues....
Maybe there were mechanical issues (broken wheels, for example)....
Maybe terrain or road conditions played a part.....
Maybe the fatigue of the horses played a role....
Maybe the availability of targets played a role.....
Maybe parts of a battery were held in reserve....

Again, for specific answers to specific battles, do the OR's mention the reasons for splitting batteries?

Sorry, I don't think I addressed your question properly....

There are lots of variables that are all specific to situation during a particular battle/engagement.....It was not always practical to commit an entire force, when only a part of a force were actually needed.....

Just my opinions.....
 
In the Army of Northern Virginia, batteries were often split up because they were composed of multiple types of cannon and so guns were doled out based on situational need. Here are the batteries' composition at Gettysburg (based on Busey and Martin's Regimental Strengths and Losses at Gettysburg since there are some questions about some of the batteries):

FIRST CORPS
Henry's Battalion
Branch's Battery: 3 Napoleons, 1 12-lb Howitzer, 1 6-lb field gun
Charleston Artillery: 4 Napoleons
Palmetto Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 10-lb Parrotts
Rowan Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles, 2 10-lb Parrotts

Cabell's Battalion
Manly's Battery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles
Troup Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 10-lb Parrotts
Pulaski Artillery: 2 3" Rifles, 2 10-lb Parrotts
1st Richmond Howitzers: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles

Dearing's Battalion
Fauquier Artillery: 4 Napoleons, 2 20-lb Parrotts
Hampden Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 1 3" Rifles, 1 10-lb Parrott
Fayette Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 10-lb Parrotts
Lynchburg Artillery: 4 Napoleons

Washington Artillery
1st Company: 1 Napoleon
2nd Company: 2 Napoleons, 1 12-lb Howitzer
3rd Company: 3 Napoleons
4th Company: 2 Napoleons, 1 12-lb Howitzers

Alexander's Battalion
Madison Artillery: 4 24-lb Howitzers
Brooks Artillery: 4 12-lb Howitzers
Ashland Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 20-lb Parrotts
Bedford Artillery: 4 3" Rifles
Parker's Battery: 3 3" Rifles, 1 10-lb Parrott
Bath Artillery: 4 Napoleons

SECOND CORPS
Latimer's Battalion
1st Maryland Battery: 4 Napoleons
Alleghany Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles
Chesapeake Artillery: 4 10-lb Parrotts
Lee Artillery: 2 20-lb Parrotts, 1 10-lb Parrott, 1 3" Rifle

Jones' Battalion
Charlottesville Artillery: 4 Napoleons
Courtney Artillery: 4 3" Rifles
Louisiana Guard Artillery: 2 3" Rifles, 2 10-lb Parrotts
Staunton Artillery: 4 Napoleons

Carter's Battalion
Jeff Davis Artillery: 4 3" Rifles
King William Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 10-lb Parrotts
Louisa Morris Artillery: 4 Napoleons
Orange Artillery: 2 3" Rifles, 2 10-lb Parrotts

Dance's Battalion
2nd Richmond Howitzers: 4 10-lb Parrotts
3rd Richmond Howitzers: 4 3" Rifles
1st Rockbridge Artillery: 4 20-lb Parrotts
Powhatan Artillery: 4 3" Rifles
Salem Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles

Nelson's Battalion
Amherst Artillery: 3 Napoleons, 1 3" Rifle
Fluvanna Artillery: 3 Napoleons, 1 3" Rifle
Milledge's Battery: 2 3" Rifles, 1 10-lb Parrott

THIRD CORPS
Garnett's Battalion
Donaldsonville Artillery: 2 3" Rifles, 1 10-lb Parrott
Norfolk Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 1 3" Rifle, 1 10-lb Parrott
Pittsylvania Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles
Norfolk Light Artillery: 2 12-lb Howitzers, 2 3" Rifles

Poague's Battalion
Albemarle Artillery: 1 12-lb Howitzer, 2 3" Rifles, 1 10-lb Parrott
Charlotte Artillery: 2 12-lb Howitzers, 2 Napoleons
Madison Artillery: 1 12-lb Howitzer, 3 Napoleons
Warrenton Artillery: 2 12-lb Howitzers, 2 Napoleons

Sumter Artillery
Company A: 1 12-lb Howitzer, 1 Napoleon, 1 3" Rifle, 3 10-lb Parrotts
Company B: 4 12-lb Howitzers, 2 Napoleons
Company C: 3 3" Rifles, 2 10-lb Parrotts

McIntosh's Battalion
Hardaway Artillery: 2 3" Rifles, 2 Whitworths
Danville Artillery: 4 Napoleons
2nd Rockbridge Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles
Johnson's Battery: 4 3" Rifles

Pegram's Battalion
Pee Dee Artillery: 4 3" Rifles
Crenshaw's Battery: 2 12-lb Howitzers, 2 Napoleons
Fredericksburg Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles
Letcher Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 10-lb Parrotts
Purcell Artillery: 4 Napoleons

CAVALRY
Beckham's Battalion
1st Stuart Horse Artillery: 4 3" Rifles
2nd Stuart Horse Artillery: 2 Napoleons, 2 3" Rifles
Ashby Horse Artillery: ?
2nd Baltimore Light Artillery: 4 10-lb Parrotts
Washington Artillery: 3 Blakeley Rifles
Lynchburg Horse Artillery: ?

Other than being a logistical nightmare, finding the right guns for the right situation would have required distributing guns on an as needed basis.

Ryan
 
I think, at least in the early War, batteries were kind of split up such that any part of a column might have artillery support at any given time. My example for this would be at Laurel Hill where the OOB shows that the artillery guns were spread out throughout the column, with four guns in the front of the column, two in the center, and two in the rear of the column. That would inevitably lead to certain divisions in a battery structure, with a battery split into sections defending various parts of the column of two regiments of infantry. Thus, in any meeting engagements a infantry unit were to face, they would be assured artillery support. This is more or less what happened at Corricks Ford, where the Cleveland Light Artillery & the 14th Indiana met the retreating Rebels and were able to face off against their rear guard successfully. In this context I think the division of artillery units makes a lot of sense... it’s just that once you meet the enemy and decide to have a massive field battle it becomes detrimental, since all your guns are spread thin and stuck sharing positions with the infantry.
 
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