South Carolina Artillery: Artillery Batteries

June 12, 2002
Please follow this link.
We are moving, hopefully for the last time. My thanks to Traci Parsons who has worked so hard to move these pages and give them a new look and complete make over. She is a wonderful friend and I am extremely grateful for her hours of hard work.

Moving is a long and difficult process. Hopefully the Sixteenth site will follow shortly to the new address. My thanks for your patience, remember to bookmark the new address. This site will remain but will no longer be updated.
steve

The delays and off time with Geocites and Tripod, I cannot control, but the sites will continue. I thank all of you for your support and kindness to me. I had no idea. Again my thanks, steve

South Carolina Artillery
Artillery Batteries
Ferguson's Battery
Charleston German Artillery, Company A
Charleston German Artillery, Company B
Gist Guard Artillery
Johnson's Horse Artillery
Lafayette Battery
Macbeth Artillery

Citadel Flag by Marilyn

South Carolina Artillery
Artillery Batteries

Ferguson’s Battery
Beauregard’s Battery

One flag of Ferguson's Artillery is located in the Confederate Relic Room in Columbia, S.C. A second is located in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va.
Dedmondt, Glenn, The Flags of Civil War South Carolina, ISBN NUMBER 1-56554-696-2

Ferguson’s Battery, Battles and Stations

Date Battle or City Location Commanding Officer Brigade Division Corps
5/63-7/63 Vicksburg Campaign . Capt. T.B. Ferguson Gist Brigade Walker’s Division Department of the West
5/14/63 Jackson Mississippi Capt. T.B. Ferguson Gist Brigade . Department of the West
09/19-09/29-63 Chickamaugha* . Capt. T.B. Ferguson Artillery Battalion Walker’s Division Army of Tennessee
9/63-11/63 Chattanooga . Capt. T. B. Ferguson . Walker’s Division Longstreet’s Corps
11/23-11/25 Battle of Missionary Ridge . Capt. T.B. Ferguson* Artillery Battalion Walker’s Division Longstreet’s Corps
05/09-64 Atlanta Campaign . Lt. Rene Beaureguard Martin’s Battalion Artillery First Corps
12/15-12/16-64 Nashville . Captain Rene Beauregard* . . .

*Ferguson’s Battery was not in battle at Chickamaugha, although it did arrive in time. (The 16th S.C. and other units, were also not deployed.) During the retreat from Missionary Ridge this battery did well until trapped in the evening. It lost three guns and its battle flag in that engagement. T.B. Ferguson was removed without explanation, a rather harsh action. However, he was caught completely off guard (See Link Below) Rene Beaureguard, of the famous family, was given the unit and sadly suffered the same fate at Nashville, where he lost not only the guns of the unit but also most of the men.

Battle of Graysville

Mr. Dedmondt is correct, I was being a jerk, I have changed the wording and apologize for the thought. Ferguson's Battery was a fine unit.

*Ferguson's Battery was not in battle at Chickamaugha, although it did arrive in time. (1)During the retreat from Missionary Ridge this battery did well until trapped in the evening. It lost three guns and its battle flag in that engagement. (2)T.B. Ferguson was removed without explanation, a rather harsh action. Rene Beaureguard, of the famous family, was given the unit and got his at (3) Nashville where he lost not only the guns of the unit but also most of the men.

(1)The battery held its portion of the line on Missionary Ridge serving its guns for over five hours. It only left the ridge when units on either side retreated. While serving as rear guard on the retreat, the battery was ambushed after dark on the Graysville Road. They suffered great loss in this action.

(2) On July 14, 1863, Captain Ferguson was shot through the left lung while serving on the General's staff during the battle of Jackson, Miss. He miraculously survived his wound, was sent back to South Carolina, but never recovered sufficiently to return to the field. Command of the battery went to his friend and very able 1st Lieutenant, Rene T. Beauregard, son of the general.

(3)At Nashville, Hood began the assault without his artillery support. By the time the artillery came on the field the battle was lost. Ferguson's/Beauregard's battery, as a part of Bate's division, established a line of defense and attempted to make the best of a bad situation. They were completely outnumbered and overrun. Lieutenant Alston and Captain Beauregard left the field firing in an attempt to cover the retreat and save their guns. They did indeed experience great loss at Nashville but it was not Rene who "lost not only the guns of the unit but also most of his men." You can correctly blame that on John Bell Hood.

I'm probably oversensitive, but it seemed to me that there was a touch of sarcasm in your article. Your comment regarding Chickamauga was almost true but in your wording it made it sound as if they were there but just didn't get into it. The Army of Tennessee had an almost impossible task. While the Army of Northern Virginia was marching 5-20 miles at a time, the AOT was campaigning over an area half the size of Europe. Gist's Brigade was attempting to get to Chickamauga by train. The rails were justifiably jammed with other units and trains. Ferguson's/Beauregard's Battery was placed on a siding to allow infantry to get by. Although in the area, they never actually made it to the battlefield

This battery was among the finest the AOT could field, shown by the number of times they were employed as rear guard, a position allotted to the most disciplined troops. They served at Pine Mountain, were in the hottest part of Kennessaw Mountain, supported the infantry charge at Jonesboro with a full battery charge of guns chasing Kilpatrick's men from the field. They only pulled back when charges on either side failed. After the debacle at Nashville, they remained together as a force, possibly rejoining Lt. Calhoun and their S.C. contingency, and finally surrendered at Salisbury, N.C.

Glenn Dedmondt glennd46@hotmail.com

Ferguson’s Battery Officers

. T.B. Ferguson (Capt.) . .
. R.T. Beauregard(1Lt.) . .
. H.D. Calhoun (1Lt.) . .
. J.A. Alston (2Lt.) . .
. L.R. Stark (2Lt.) . .

German Artillery, Company A
Charleston German Artillery, Company A
Company A, South Carolina German Artillery
Werner's Company

German Artillery, Company A, Battles and Stations

Date Battle or City Location Commanding Officer Brigade Division Corps
Fall,/61 Unit Organized . Captain D. Werner . . .
11/7/61 Port Royal . Captain D. Werner . . Dept. of S.C., Ga., and Fla.
08/63-09/63 Charleston Harbor . . Unattached First Military District Dept. of S.C., Ga., Fla.
2/65-4/65 Carolina’s Campaign . Captain F.W. Wagener Robertson’s Brigade Wright’s Division Department of S.C., Ga., and Fla.

Wagener's Battery Officers

. C. Norhden (Capt.) . .
. F.W. Wagener (Capt.) . .
. Didrich Werner (Capt.) . .
. N. Bischoff(1Lt.) . .
. J.D. Lesemann (1Lt.) . .
. G.H. Lindstedt (1Lt.) . .
. J.W. Maggill (1Lt.) . .
. W. Barnwell (2Lt.) . .
. John Mehrtens (2Lt.) . .
. John Mousees (2Lt.) . .
. C. Wulbern (2 Lt.) . .

German Artillery, Company B
Charleston German Artillery, Company B
Company B, South Carolina German Artillery
Harm's Company

German Artillery, Company B, Battles and Stations

Date Battle or City Location Commanding Officer Brigade Division Corps
Fall,/61 Unit Organized . Captain F. Melchers . . .
11/07/61 Port Royal . Captain F. Melchers . . Department of S.C., Ga., and Fla.
2/65-4/65 Carolina’s Campaign . Captain F. Melchers Trapier’s Brigade . Department of S.C., Ga., and Fla.

Melcher's Battery Officers

. F. Melchers (Capt.) . .
. H. Klatte(1Lt.) . .
. J. Stelljes(1Lt.) . .
. H. Harenburg (2Lt.) . .
. C.F. Hencken (2Lt.) . .

Gist Guard Light Artillery
Chichester’s Light Artillery
Gilchrist's Company

Gist Guard Light Artillery, Battles and Stations

Date Battle or City Location Commanding Officer Brigade Division Corps
Early 1862 Unit Organized . Captain Charles E. Chichester* . . .
6/63-5/64 Charleston Harbor Served as Heavy Artillery Captain C.E. Chinchester Temp attached to the 15th S.C. Heavy Artillery . Department of S.C., Ga., Fla.
8/9-63 Charleston Harbor (Battle) . Captian C.E. Chinchester . . .

A descendant of Chinchester wrote me a wonderful summary of his service and I not only lost that I lost the email address - I apologize and ask that if he should return, he forgive the over sight and the slight and write me again with the information. It needs to be on this page.

*Would love to own Chinchester’s Uniforms, he was a S.C. Zouvae and an artilleryman. His unit seemed to get passed from “pillar to post.” The unit ended the war as part of Taliaferro’s Division in 1865. He must have been a man of great pride. He is buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.

U.D.C.:Recollections and Reminiscences 1861-65:
Individuals:
None
Rosters and Other:
Citadel Cadets, Troops Dispositions Charleston Harbor at beginning of war, Zouve Cadets, Firing on Star of West, Vol. 6, page 293, U.D.C.(The Zouve Cadets or many of them came to the Gist Guard.)

Gist Guard Battery Officers

. T.G. Boag (Capt.) . .
. C.E. Chinchester (Capt.) . .
. R.C. Gilcrest (Capt.) . .
. A.C. Whitridge (1Lt.) . .
. B.M. Walpole (2Lt.) . .

Johnson’s Horse Artillery Battery
Colcock’s Section Horse Artillery

Johnson's Horse Artillery Battery, Battles and Stations

Date Battle or City Location Commanding Officer Brigade Division Corps
Late 1863 Unit Organized . Lt. Richard Johnson Third South Carolina Cavalry . Dept. of S.C., Ga., Fla.
2/4-65 Carolina’s Campaign . Captain Richard Johnson Third S.C. Cavalry Artillery First and Second Corps

Lafayette Artillery Battery
Kanapaux's Artillery The Lafayette Artillery Flag is located in the Confederate Museum in Charleston, S.C.
Dedmondt, Glenn, The Flags of Civil War South Carolina, ISBN NUMBER 1-56554-696-2

U.D.C.:Recollections and Reminiscences 1861-65:
Individuals:
Barron, S.D. Barron, Kanapaux Artillery, Vol.8, page 276, U.D.C.
Garrison, W.S. Garrison, Kanapaux Artillery, Vol. 8, page 277, U.D.C.
Robinson, W.J. Robinson, Lafayette Light Artillery, Vol. 8, page 283, U.D.C.
Rosters and Other:
None

Lafayette Artillery, Battles and Stations

Date Battle or City Location Commanding Officer Brigade Division Corps
Fall/ 61 Unit Organized . Captain J.T. Kanapaux . . Department of South Carolina
2/4-65 Carolina’s Campaign . Captain J.T. Kanapaux . . First and Second Corps

Lafayette Battery Officers

. J.T. Kanapaux (Capt.) . .
. L.F. Le Bleux(1Lt.) . .
. M.P. O'Conner Sr. (1Lt.) . .
. C.J. Zealy (1Lt.) . .
. A.V. Kanapaux (2Lt.) . .
. G.W. Aimar (2Lt.) . .
. T.G. Bolger (2Lt.) . .
. F.C. Durieux (Guidon) . .

* Thanks to Roxsanne Wells-Layton, for her kind help. Roxsanne has developed and maintains this site, with a lot of information on this unit, York County in the Civil War, do not miss it.

Macbeth Light Artillery Battery
Boyce’s Artillery
Jeter’s Artillery

Union, S.C.

U.D.C.:Recollections and Reminiscences 1861-65:
Individuals:
Mixson, J.W., Macbeth Artillery, Vol. 5, page 275
Rice, S.M., Macbeth Artillery, Vol. 3, page 98-100
Rosters and Other:
None

Macbeth Light Artillery, Battles and Stations

Date Battle or City Location Commanding Officer Brigade Division Corps
Fall/61 Unit Organized . Captain R. Boyce . . .
08/23/62 Rappahannock Station . Captain R. Boyce Evan’s Brigade . First Corps
9/14/62 South Mountain . Captain R. Boyce Evan’s Brigade . First Corps
9/17/62 Sharpsburg . Captain R. Boyce Evan’s Brigade . First Corps
5/7-63 Vicksburg Campaign . . Evan’s Brigade French’s Division Department of the West
7/63 Jackson . . Reserve Artillery . Department of Mississippi and Louisiana
10/28/64 Morristown A detachment of unit . . District of North Carolina Department of East Tennessee

The Macbeth Artillery is another of the strange artillery units of the Confederacy. The unit can be well traced with Evan’s Brigade until Vickburg. The unit then returns to South Carolina. It reappears in East Tennessee in 1864. Lt. B.A. Jeter also commanded the unit.

The following or part of it was given to me a while ago, but I have neglected to make the changes. However, since this documents the wonderful service of the man as well as the battery I am delighted to include it.

steve

RE: MacBeth Light Artillery Battery

My name is Manning Jeter. My great-great-great Uncle was Berry Argivis Jeter. "Uncle Givis" entered into the South Carolina State troops from the Union District as a 1LT with the position of Executive Officer of the MacBeth Light Artillery (undoubtedly named for Colonel Robert MacBeth of the Union District. Givis remained with the unit and was promoted to Captain and the commander (hence, the name Jeter Light Artillery). The battery spent from May of 1864 through April 1865 in Asheville, North Carolina. The Asheville newspaper was mostly destroyed in April 1865, however a November, 1864 article that still exists reports an engagement involving the North Carolina Confederate troops supported by the Jeter artillery battery. The Yankees took a beating to include their supply wagons according to the article. One of the battery's cannons and its crew was detached to the Confederate cavalry in the Asheville area. The newspaper reports that due to poor leadership by the cavalry commander the cannon was lost to the Federals. In 1964 the Asheville Civil War Centennial Commission published an history of the battle of Asheville. The fighting actually continued beyond the surrenders of Lee and Johnston due to poor communications. The Jeter battery has been cited as firing the last cannon shot of the war east of the Mississippi - whether this is true or not is questionable.

From researching Uncle Givis' South Carolina service records, it appears that he and his battery never surrendered. Instead they just went home. There is no record of the dispositions of his cannons, his unit records nor his unit flag. There is a section in downtown Asheville that I am told by the members of the Chamber of Commerce that is known as the Jeter-Cherry section. Apparently because the Jeter battery was camped there to defend the routes into Asheville during their almost one year there.

Uncle Givis and his wife, Mary, never had any children. He died in 1872 and is buried next to Mary at Grace Methodist Church, Union, South Carolina. His brother, another of my Great-Great-Great uncles was Thomas Bothwell Jeter. Uncle Thomas was a Captain in the Confederate infantry. After the war, he was a President of the SC State Senate and in 1870 seceded Wade Hampton to complete Hampton's term as Governor of South Carolina.

I am an Upcountry boy. Uncle Givis is the ancestor that I used for my membership in the Sons Of Confederate Veterans and the Military Order of Stars and Bars. He was reported to be a true leader of men and very popular with his troops. He was with the battery in the battles of Antietam and Secessionville. He is cited in the book on the Battle of Secessionville and taking one of the battery's cannons and crew and singularly slowing the Federal advance until the infantry could reinforce the position. In Antietam, there is a book recording the battle that noted that General Lee commented on the bravery of the battery and its Lieutenant in halting the Yankee advance.

I feel that if the unit records were ever located and more research were done, CPT Berry Argivis Jeter and the MacBeth Light Artillery Battery would receive some very long overdue applause and credit from those of us in the Southron community that still take pride in our ancestry and our Southern heritage.

Hope this might add some to your records.

With best Southron regards,

Manning T. Jeter, III
Savannah, Georgia
December 9, 2000
Savannahus@aol.com

U.D.C.:Recollections and Reminiscences 1861-65:
Individuals:
Porter, Stokes, Lt., Macbeth Artillery, Vol. 4, page 406
Rosters and Other:
None

Jeter's Battery Officers

. Robert Boyce (Capt.) . .
. B.A. Jeter (1Lt.) . .
. H.F. Scaife (1Lt.) . .
. S.W. Porter (1Lt.) . .
. Wm. Munro(2Lt.) . .
. F. Anderson (Asst. Surg.) . .

For Additional Reading:
DANIEL, LARRY J.:Cannoneers in Gray, The Field Artillery of the Army of Tennessee.

RIPLEY, WARREN: Siege Train, The Journal of a Confederate Artillery Man in the Defense of Charleston.

JOHNSON, JOHN: The Defense of Charleston Harbor.

WISE, JENNINGS: The Long Arm of Lee.

Can you help, with more information, will you?batsonsm@bellsouth.net To return to S.C. Bibliography, Page One
(Infantry)

To return to S.C. Bibliography, Page Two
(Cavalry)

To return to S.C. Bibliography, Page Three
(Artillery)

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Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Division	Corps
5/63-7/63	Vicksburg Campaign	.	Capt. T.B. Ferguson	Gist Brigade	Walker’s Division	Department of the West
5/14/63	Jackson	Mississippi	Capt. T.B. Ferguson	Gist Brigade	.	Department of the West
09/19-09/29-63	Chickamaugha*	.	Capt. T.B. Ferguson	Artillery Battalion	Walker’s Division	Army of Tennessee
9/63-11/63	Chattanooga	.	Capt. T. B. Ferguson	.	Walker’s Division	Longstreet’s Corps
11/23-11/25	Battle of Missionary Ridge	.	Capt. T.B. Ferguson*	Artillery Battalion	Walker’s Division	Longstreet’s Corps
05/09-64	Atlanta Campaign	.	Lt. Rene Beaureguard	Martin’s Battalion	Artillery	First Corps
12/15-12/16-64	Nashville	.	Captain Rene Beauregard*	.	.	.

.	T.B. Ferguson (Capt.)	.	.
.	R.T. Beauregard(1Lt.)	.	.
.	H.D. Calhoun (1Lt.)	.	.
.	J.A. Alston (2Lt.)	.	.
.	L.R. Stark (2Lt.)	.	.

Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Division	Corps
Fall,/61	Unit Organized	.	Captain D. Werner	.	.	.
11/7/61	Port Royal	.	Captain D. Werner	.	.	Dept. of S.C., Ga., and Fla.
08/63-09/63	Charleston Harbor	.	.	Unattached	First Military District	Dept. of S.C., Ga., Fla.
2/65-4/65	Carolina’s Campaign	.	Captain F.W. Wagener	Robertson’s Brigade	Wright’s Division	Department of S.C., Ga., and Fla.

.	C. Norhden (Capt.)	.	.
.	F.W. Wagener (Capt.)	.	.
.	Didrich Werner (Capt.)	.	.
.	N. Bischoff(1Lt.)	.	.
.	J.D. Lesemann (1Lt.)	.	.
.	G.H. Lindstedt (1Lt.)	.	.
.	J.W. Maggill (1Lt.)	.	.
.	W. Barnwell (2Lt.)	.	.
.	John Mehrtens (2Lt.)	.	.
.	John Mousees (2Lt.)	.	.
.	C. Wulbern (2 Lt.)	.	.

Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Division	Corps
Fall,/61	Unit Organized	.	Captain F. Melchers	.	.	.
11/07/61	Port Royal	.	Captain F. Melchers	.	.	Department of S.C., Ga., and Fla.
2/65-4/65	Carolina’s Campaign	.	Captain F. Melchers	Trapier’s Brigade	.	Department of S.C., Ga., and Fla.

.	F. Melchers (Capt.)	.	.
.	H. Klatte(1Lt.)	.	.
.	J. Stelljes(1Lt.)	.	.
.	H. Harenburg (2Lt.)	.	.
.	C.F. Hencken (2Lt.)	.	.

Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Division	Corps
Early 1862	Unit Organized	.	Captain Charles E. Chichester*	.	.	.
6/63-5/64	Charleston Harbor	Served as Heavy Artillery	Captain C.E. Chinchester	Temp attached to the 15th S.C. Heavy Artillery	.	Department of S.C., Ga., Fla.
8/9-63	Charleston Harbor (Battle)	.	Captian C.E. Chinchester	.	.	.

.	T.G. Boag (Capt.)	.	.
.	C.E. Chinchester (Capt.)	.	.
.	R.C. Gilcrest (Capt.)	.	.
.	A.C. Whitridge (1Lt.)	.	.
.	B.M. Walpole (2Lt.)	.	.

Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Division	Corps
Late 1863	Unit Organized	.	Lt. Richard Johnson	Third South Carolina Cavalry	.	Dept. of S.C., Ga., Fla.
2/4-65	Carolina’s Campaign	.	Captain Richard Johnson	Third S.C. Cavalry	Artillery	First and Second Corps

Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Division	Corps
Fall/ 61	Unit Organized	.	Captain J.T. Kanapaux	.	.	Department of South Carolina
2/4-65	Carolina’s Campaign	.	Captain J.T. Kanapaux	.	.	First and Second Corps

.	J.T. Kanapaux (Capt.)	.	.
.	L.F. Le Bleux(1Lt.)	.	.
.	M.P. O'Conner Sr. (1Lt.)	.	.
.	C.J. Zealy (1Lt.)	.	.
.	A.V. Kanapaux (2Lt.)	.	.
.	G.W. Aimar (2Lt.)	.	.
.	T.G. Bolger (2Lt.)	.	.
.	F.C. Durieux (Guidon)	.	.

Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Division	Corps
Fall/61	Unit Organized	.	Captain R. Boyce	.	.	.
08/23/62	Rappahannock Station	.	Captain R. Boyce	Evan’s Brigade	.	First Corps
9/14/62	South Mountain	.	Captain R. Boyce	Evan’s Brigade	.	First Corps
9/17/62	Sharpsburg	.	Captain R. Boyce	Evan’s Brigade	.	First Corps
5/7-63	Vicksburg Campaign	.	.	Evan’s Brigade	French’s Division	Department of the West
7/63	Jackson	.	.	Reserve Artillery	.	Department of Mississippi and Louisiana
10/28/64	Morristown	A detachment of unit	.	.	District of North Carolina	Department of East Tennessee

.	Robert Boyce (Capt.)	.	.
.	B.A. Jeter (1Lt.)	.	.
.	H.F. Scaife (1Lt.)	.	.
.	S.W. Porter (1Lt.)	.	.
.	Wm. Munro(2Lt.)	.	.
.	F. Anderson (Asst. Surg.)	.	.