Union Artillery Batteries with Howitzers

[Romanowm]

I am wondering if anyone knows of any Union artillery batteries that had howitzers in their battery ordinance?
I found two
Cooks battery Massachusetts light artillery 8th
Kentucky light artillery- Simmonds battery.
I'm especially interested in any NY state batteries. Unfortunately the NY state military museum is closed right now.

 

[Rhea Cole]

The 12 pound Napoleon was a gun- howitzer. It would be useful if you would define your search parameters. For example, in 1864 the Army of the Potomac had 346 cannons, 254 rifles & 120 12 pound gun-howitzers. In the first months of the war, a mix of 1841 Model 6 pdr cannon & 12 pdr howitzers was the standard for batteries.

 

[Belfoured]

I am wondering if anyone knows of any Union artillery batteries that had howitzers in their battery ordinance?
I found two
Cooks battery Massachusetts light artillery 8th
Kentucky light artillery- Simmonds battery.
I'm especially interested in any NY state batteries. Unfortunately the NY state military museum is closed right now.

Weidrich's Battery I 1st NY Light had two 12 lb Howitzers at Second Bull Run along with 4 rifles (I forget whether 3" Ord or 10 lb Parrotts). In fact that caused a deployment problem when he was ordered to oppose Longstreet's Chinn Ridge attack on August 30.

 

[Romanowm]

Weidrich's Battery I 1st NY Light had two 12 lb Howitzers at Second Bull Run along with 4 rifles (I forget whether 3" Ord or 10 lb Parrotts). In fact that caused a deployment problem when he was ordered to oppose Longstreet's Chinn Ridge attack on August 30.

Thank you.

 

[Romanowm]

The 12 pound Napoleon was a gun- howitzer. It would be useful if you would define your search parameters. For example, in 1864 the Army of the Potomac had 346 cannons, 254 rifles & 120 12 pound gun-howitzers. In the first months of the war, a mix of 1841 Model 6 pdr cannon & 12 pdr howitzers was the standard for batteries.

Definitely not the napoleon. 1841 12 per howitzer.

 

[UCVRelics]

I am wondering if anyone knows of any Union artillery batteries that had howitzers in their battery ordinance?
I found two
Cooks battery Massachusetts light artillery 8th
Kentucky light artillery- Simmonds battery.
I'm especially interested in any NY state batteries. Unfortunately the NY state military museum is closed right now.

This should help you a bunch. You have to drill down but a lot of the unit info included gun types.

US Civil War, 1861 - 1865

dmna.ny.gov

 

[Romanowm]

This should help you a bunch. You have to drill down but a lot of the unit info included gun types.

US Civil War, 1861 - 1865

dmna.ny.gov

I've been there. It usually does not show the ordinance of the battery. At least I could not find it. This museum is closed. I live 20 minutes away.

 

[UCVRelics]

You have to scroll down and check the historical sketch or the unit history.

The battery left Albany, N. Y., January 17, 1862, arriving at Fort Ellsworth, near Alexandria, Va., on the 25th, where it remained, occupied in drill and garrison duty until July 21, 1862, when it took the field, having been ordered to join Pope's army.

On June 23, 1862, it received its armament, which consisted of four 3-inch rifled cannons and two " light twelves." The latter were brass cannons known as twelve-pounder " Napoleons." The equipment included, also, six caissons, one battery wagon and forge, with six horses each for the guns, caissons, forge, and battery wagon, and sixteen saddle horses for the sergeants, artificers, buglers and guidon bearer. The officers purchased their own horses.

Battles and Casualties Table from Phisterer


Monument at Gettysburg


Historical Sketch


Civil War Newspaper Clippings


Constitution and By-Laws of the Soldier's Lyceum, 11th N.Y. Independent Battery


List of Members, Soldier's Lyceum, and Honorary Members


Minutes of Meetings and Special Meetings, Soldier's Lyceum
14 January 1864 - 14 April 1864

 

[Rhea Cole]

Out West we don't need no tiny weeny 12 pound howitzers...​

 

[Don Dixon]

Battery D, 1st Illinois Light Artillery ["McAllister's Battery"], from Plainfield, IL. It was equipped with four 24-pounder howitzers for the duration of the war.

Regards,
Don Dixon

 

[Rhea Cole]

Battery D, 1st Illinois Light Artillery ["McAllister's Battery"], from Plainfield, IL. It was equipped with four 24-pounder howitzers for the duration of the war.

Regards,
Don Dixon

That gives the "light" in light artillery a new meaning.

 

[Belfoured]

I've been there. It usually does not show the ordinance of the battery. At least I could not find it. This museum is closed. I live 20 minutes away.

For what it's worth, any NY batteries in the Army of the Potomac that may have entered service with any M1841 12 lb howitzers likely turned them in at some point by choice or by "Hunt force" (pun intended). Hunt correctly saw them as largely useless because of their very short effective range and limitation to firing shell.

 

[Romanowm]

For what it's worth, any NY batteries in the Army of the Potomac that may have entered service with any M1841 12 lb howitzers likely turned them in at some point by choice or by "Hunt force" (pun intended). Hunt correctly saw them as largely useless because of their very short effective range and limitation to firing shell.

I agree. The unit I belong to has two howitzers. We would like to represent a union battery that at least had them at one point during the war. The battery also does confederate as Crenshaws battery. They had howitzers at the start of the war too.

 

[Romanowm]

You have to scroll down and check the historical sketch or the unit history.

The battery left Albany, N. Y., January 17, 1862, arriving at Fort Ellsworth, near Alexandria, Va., on the 25th, where it remained, occupied in drill and garrison duty until July 21, 1862, when it took the field, having been ordered to join Pope's army.

On June 23, 1862, it received its armament, which consisted of four 3-inch rifled cannons and two " light twelves." The latter were brass cannons known as twelve-pounder " Napoleons." The equipment included, also, six caissons, one battery wagon and forge, with six horses each for the guns, caissons, forge, and battery wagon, and sixteen saddle horses for the sergeants, artificers, buglers and guidon bearer. The officers purchased their own horses.

Battles and Casualties Table from Phisterer


Monument at Gettysburg


Historical Sketch


Civil War Newspaper Clippings


Constitution and By-Laws of the Soldier's Lyceum, 11th N.Y. Independent Battery


List of Members, Soldier's Lyceum, and Honorary Members


Minutes of Meetings and Special Meetings, Soldier's Lyceum
14 January 1864 - 14 April 1864

Thank you. This is great info!

 

[Bryce]

I am wondering if anyone knows of any Union artillery batteries that had howitzers in their battery ordinance?
I found two
Cooks battery Massachusetts light artillery 8th
Kentucky light artillery- Simmonds battery.
I'm especially interested in any NY state batteries. Unfortunately the NY state military museum is closed right now.

In Arkansas and Missouri union cavalry units (non-artillery). were actually armed with howitzers. For instance the 11th Kansas cavalry had a section of Hollacher. Also, I think McLeans Colorado battery during prices invasion had howitzers

 

[Belfoured]

I agree. The unit I belong to has two howitzers. We would like to represent a union battery that at least had them at one point during the war. The battery also does confederate as Crenshaws battery. They had howitzers at the start of the war too.

Rebel batteries tended to have more of these and kept them longer. One thing to watch out for is a listing that may be referring to mountain howitzers and not 12 lb..

 

[drezac]

They were starting to phase out the 12-pd howitzers at the start of the war. Pre-war, a 12-pdr battery consisted of 4 12-pdr 'Heavy" guns and 2 howitzers. When they started using the lighter 12-pdr Napoleons, they changed the 12-pdr battery to consist of 6 12-pdr Napoleons.

 

[James Brenner]

This comment is not meant to be snarky so please do not take it the wrong way. The correct terminology is ordnance, not ordinance. Ordnance refers to weapons, etc. while ordinance refers to laws and regulations.

 

[Belfoured]

They were starting to phase out the 12-pd howitzers at the start of the war. Pre-war, a 12-pdr battery consisted of 4 12-pdr 'Heavy" guns and 2 howitzers. When they started using the lighter 12-pdr Napoleons, they changed the 12-pdr battery to consist of 6 12-pdr Napoleons.

Good point about the prescribed pre-war battery, although as a practical matter the standard pre-war battery tended to be 4 6 lb M1841 guns and 2 M1841 12 lb howitzers.

 

[Western Reserve Volunteer]

Yes, that was the 6 pounder battery, which was probably the most common organization earlier in the war for light artillery.

But there were 12 pounder batteries, Mr Rezac can correct me here if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain in early 1861 12 lb batteries would have been more a regular Army thing? Anyways those were equipped with the old Model 1841 "heavy" 12 pounder cannons, and 24 or 32 lber howitzers. They were rather heavy and unwieldy field pieces, which resulted in the development of the Napoleons and meant they weren't used much outside the earliest days of the war. If I recall correctly they actually required eight horse teams to move, as opposed to the six horse teams used on most other field guns.

I suspect that the 12 lb field howitzers made to accompany the 6 pounder guns are the most useful (and certainly the most common) howitzers of the war. Their ammunition, at least, was compatible with the Napoleons and the Mountain Howitzers, and if mobility was more important than range they'd still be useful. You might want to see about Western Theater units, no doubt these guns served more there than in the Eastern theater once the "howitzer Hunt" began. The 32 lb and 24 lb howitzers start to push the upper bounds of field artillery and as a practical matter few were produced anyhow as far as I know.

It would be interesting to see how many volunteer units early in the war actually organized according to the book... I suspect very few as there seemed to be (for Ohio anyways) a distinct preference for the 6 pounder gun over the howitzers. I imagine that the more complex gunnery required by howitzers dissuaded most volunteer organizations before the war from acquiring them.