Texas Artillery Designations (Trans-MS)

[Stryker65]

I thought I should post this here, as this information on the artillery in "Kirby Smithdom" is not readily available except through perusal of the Official Records:

1st Texas Field Battery: Captain William Edgar
(served with Walker's Greyhounds until captured at Henderson's Hill; reorganized and assigned to Siege Train)
2nd Texas Field Battery: Captain M. V. McMahan
(formerly Company E, 1st Texas Heavy Artillery; converted to light artillery)
3rd Texas Field Battery: Captain Owen G. Jones
(formerly A, 7th Texas Artillery Battalion; served at Fort Brown, TX)
4th Texas Field Battery: Captains William T. Mechling and Horace Haldeman
(served with Walker's Greyhounds)
5th Texas Field Battery: Captains Edmund Creuzbaur and Charles Welhausen
(served near Galveston)
6th Texas Field Battery: Captains Herman Willke and Samuel W. Allen
(served at Galveston)
7th Texas Field Battery: Captain William G. Moseley
(formerly B, 7th Texas Artillery Battalion)
8th Texas Field Battery: Captains Robert B. Maclin, P. Fox, and A. E. Dege
(served at Galveston)
9th Texas Field Battery: Captain James M. Daniel
(served with Walker's Greyhounds)
10th Texas Field Battery: Captains Joseph H. Pratt and Henry C. Hynson
(served with L. M. Walker's and J. S. Marmaduke's cavalry divisions)
11th Texas Field Battery: Captain Sylvanus Howell
(served in District of the Indian Territory, and then near Galveston)
12th Texas Field Battery: Captains Joseph D. Sayers and Thomas D. Nettles
(composed of members of the Sibley Brigade and the four cannon of McRae's Battery (captured at Valverde); usually served with that brigade)
13th Texas Field Battery: Captains George R. Wilson, Thomas Gonzales, and Robert J. Hughes
(served in central Texas)
14th Texas Field Battery: Captain George R. Dashiell
(served near Galveston)
15th Texas Field Battery: Captain William H. Nichols
(served near Galveston)
16th Texas Field Battery: Captain William E. Gibson
(served with Walker's Greyhounds)
17th Texas Field Battery: Captains William B. Krumbhaar and William M. Stafford
(served near Galveston)

 

[mjr251]

Six of those batteries served at Fort Manhassett, Sabine Pass, at various times in the latter years of the war. Interesting how artillery units served so far from where they were raised.

I'll also add that a few legions - combined arms battalions - had companies of field artillery mixed with their infantry and cavalry companies.

Are you going to list the Texas heavy artillery units also?

 

[Stryker65]

Six of those batteries served at Fort Manhassett, Sabine Pass, at various times in the latter years of the war. Interesting how artillery units served so far from where they were raised.

I'll also add that a few legions - combined arms battalions - had companies of field artillery mixed with their infantry and cavalry companies.

Are you going to list the Texas heavy artillery units also?

IIRC, the only true Heavy Artillery units was the 3rd Battalion, which later became the 1st Regiment. Originally containing eleven companies, Companies A and E were converted to light artillery early on, becoming the 3rd and 2nd Texas Field Batteries, respectively. In 1864, Company D was converted to siege artillery, and assigned to the Trans-Mississippi department Siege Train. Of the companies, however, Company F is by far the most famous, being the "Davis Guards" who destroyed the Union naval forces at the battle of Sabine Pass.

On the subject of the Legions, I made a previous thread on the primary one, which is the one I think you were referring to, the 8th Texas Infantry. Waul's Legion of course contained artillery as well, but its artillery battery was later detached and became the 1st Texas Field Battery, which I have referenced in my OP.

...pretty sure I missed something...

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

I thought I should post this here, as this information on the artillery in "Kirby Smithdom" is not readily available except through perusal of the Official Records:

1st Texas Field Battery: Captain William Edgar
(served with Walker's Greyhounds until captured at Henderson's Hill; reorganized and assigned to Siege Train)
2nd Texas Field Battery: Captain M. V. McMahan
(formerly Company E, 1st Texas Heavy Artillery; converted to light artillery)
3rd Texas Field Battery: Captain Owen G. Jones
(formerly A, 7th Texas Artillery Battalion; served at Fort Brown, TX)
4th Texas Field Battery: Captains William T. Mechling and Horace Haldeman
(served with Walker's Greyhounds)
5th Texas Field Battery: Captains Edmund Creuzbaur and Charles Welhausen
(served near Galveston)
6th Texas Field Battery: Captains Herman Willke and Samuel W. Allen
(served at Galveston)
7th Texas Field Battery: Captain William G. Moseley
(formerly B, 7th Texas Artillery Battalion)
8th Texas Field Battery: Captains Robert B. Maclin, P. Fox, and A. E. Dege
(served at Galveston)
9th Texas Field Battery: Captain James M. Daniel
(served with Walker's Greyhounds)
10th Texas Field Battery: Captains Joseph H. Pratt and Henry C. Hynson
(served with L. M. Walker's and J. S. Marmaduke's cavalry divisions)
11th Texas Field Battery: Captain Sylvanus Howell
(served in District of the Indian Territory, and then near Galveston)
12th Texas Field Battery: Captains Joseph D. Sayers and Thomas D. Nettles
(composed of members of the Sibley Brigade and the four cannon of McRae's Battery (captured at Valverde); usually served with that brigade)
13th Texas Field Battery: Captains George R. Wilson, Thomas Gonzales, and Robert J. Hughes
(served in central Texas)
14th Texas Field Battery: Captain George R. Dashiell
(served near Galveston)
15th Texas Field Battery: Captain William H. Nichols
(served near Galveston)
16th Texas Field Battery: Captain William E. Gibson
(served with Walker's Greyhounds)
17th Texas Field Battery: Captains William B. Krumbhaar and William M. Stafford
(served near Galveston)

Thanks for sharing, @Stryker65. This can be useful when reading and seeing one of these batteries mentioned.

 

[mjr251]

On the subject of the Legions, I made a previous thread on the primary one, which is the one I think you were referring to, the 8th Texas Infantry. Waul's Legion of course contained artillery as well, but its artillery battery was later detached and became the 1st Texas Field Battery, which I have referenced in my OP.

Actually I was referring to Spaight's Battalion, which was similarly constituted as Waul's Legion. Spaight's was a legion in actuality, if not in name. Further confusing the issue is that his artillery Company B was redesignated in 1865 as Company I of Bates's 13th Texas Infantry, but they remained at Sabine Pass. Interesting that Waul's artillery was detached, while Spaight's remained organic until the last year of the war when it was reassigned yet still organic to another regiment!

Thanks for confirming 1st Texas Heavy Artillery. It's confusing that rather than several regiments there were just a lot of companies of one regiment assigned all along the coast.

 

[Stryker65]

Actually I was referring to Spaight's Battalion, which was similarly constituted as Waul's Legion. Spaight's was a legion in actuality, if not in name. Further confusing the issue is that his artillery Company B was redesignated in 1865 as Company I of Bates's 13th Texas Infantry, but they remained at Sabine Pass. Interesting that Waul's artillery was detached, while Spaight's remained organic until the last year of the war when it was reassigned yet still organic to another regiment!

Thanks for confirming 1st Texas Heavy Artillery. It's confusing that rather than several regiments there were just a lot of companies of one regiment assigned all along the coast.

Didn't know that ! Thought it was only infantry and cavalry, thanks for the new info! And you're right, I also forgot about Bates' regiment!

 

[bdtex]

10th Texas Field Battery: Captains Joseph H. Pratt and Henry C. Hynson
(served with L. M. Walker's and J. S. Marmaduke's cavalry divisions)

I have a collateral ancestor who enlisted in the 18th Texas Infantry in May 1862 but was detailed to Co. D, 10th Texas Field Battery until December 24,1863. I have only found 5 artillery muster records for him. Hard to know if he saw any action as a field artillerist.

 

[Pollaco]

Wasn't there a Hobby who commanded a battery? I think his name was Alfred Hobby, not real sure of the first name.

 

[mjr251]

Wasn't there a Hobby who commanded a battery? I think his name was Alfred Hobby, not real sure of the first name.

Colonel Alfred Marmaduke Hobby, 8th Texas Regiment. The 8th became a de facto legion when it was formed by combining the 8th Texas *Battalion* with Dan Shea's 4th Texas Artillery Battalion.

 

[Stryker65]

I have a collateral ancestor who enlisted in the 18th Texas Infantry in May 1862 but was detailed to Co. D, 10th Texas Field Battery until December 24,1863. I have only found 5 artillery muster records for him. Hard to know if he saw any action as a field artillerist.

The 10th Texas Field Battery saw some of the most action of any Texas field artillery unit during the war. During the period you list it served with Parsons'/Carter's Texas Cavalry Brigade (so probably during Marmaduke's Raid and at Milliken's Bend)

 

[bdtex]

The 10th Texas Field Battery saw some of the most action of any Texas field artillery unit during the war. During the period you list it served with Parsons'/Carter's Texas Cavalry Brigade (so probably during Marmaduke's Raid and at Milliken's Bend)

His surviving records are so scattered and confusing, it's hard to know exactly where was at any time during his service.