unit conversion?

[atlantis]

Sometimes an artillery unit would be converted into infantry, did the war secretary have to approved it? Did both sides use similar procedure for unit conversion. Finally in hindsight was this sound policy, even if you don't have the cannon that moment eventually the unit will be equipped.

 

[Rhea Cole]

I don't recall light artillery being converted just Heavy is that correct?

"Heavy Artillery" is a very confusing term. See my post up thread that goes a ways to explaining it. The organization & equipment of a light artillery battery in no way resembled that of a Heavy Artillery Regiment. Heavies were cross trained & equipped as infantry.

Light artillery battery's 100-125 men had a full schedule of drills, horse care, & equipment maintenance. For example, after an advance on the McAdamized ( farm to market gravel road ) from Nashville to Murfreesboro (+/-) half of the 125 horses would have needed new shoes. Some of the iron tires of the wheels would have needed replacement. The gravel road acted like sand paper on the iron shoes & tires. In the field, an artillery battery was a rolling articifer repair & replacement work shop.

In addition, the arms, ammunition, & equipment that converting light to heavy artillery would have required additional lift capacity. If it required three wagons, & 18 more horses, would entail 500 additional pounds of equine feed / day.

As you may suspect, converting an existing infantry regiment with existing TO & A into a Heavy Artillery Regiment would be practical.

 

[Stryker65]

I don't recall light artillery being converted just Heavy is that correct?

There were only two light artillery units that ended up being converted to infantry, both of them Confederate:
- The 12th Georgia Light Artillery Battalion, after serving as light artillery around Charleston and Savannah, was transferred as infantry to John B. Gordon's brigade (ANV) in May 1864.
- Six batteries of 1st Mississippi Light Artillery, after being exchanged from capture at Vicksburg, served on foot thereafter, including as light infantry at Tupelo and riflemen at Mobile.

 

[atlantis]

Does munitions of a converted artillery unit go to reserve artillery or is it dispersed among existing front units.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Does munitions of a converted artillery unit go to reserve artillery or is it dispersed among existing front units.

Give me an example of a converted artillery battery & I can probably answer the question. The 100 men (+/-) of an artillery battery was so insignificant that i am not aware of an instance where that happened.

 

[Stryker65]

Give me an example of a converted artillery battery & I can probably answer the question. The 100 men (+/-) of an artillery battery was so insignificant that i am not aware of an instance where that happened.

First one I thought of was Bomar's Georgia Battery (Chestatee Light Artillery).

 

[gary]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I wonder did these conversions cause problems with pay and later pensions.

I think a private's pay is still a private. The challenges would be fewer opportunities for promotions. Easier to rise in the infantry than artillery (but I dunno about cavalry b/c who has ever seen a dead cavalryman?). The British have a toast, "Long and Bloody War", meaning more promotional opportunities for junior officers.

 

[Mississippian1861]

Rice's TN Battery started out as a company of the 38th TN Infantry, then was converted to Heavy Artillery, later joined Forrest's Cavalry Corps, and part was sent back to being heavy Artillery in the Mobile garrison.

Heavy Artillery was also known as Foot Artillery, you also had the partially mounted Light Artillery and the all mounted Horse Artillery. Artillery regiments were also larger than infantry regiment as they had 12 companies, and the individual companies were also larger than an infantry company.