Company H, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery

Company H, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery (1861-1865) was a Confederate Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. While the unit was assigned to a Tennessee Artillery Battalion, it was originally organized as the Magruder Guards volunteer company organized in Pulaski County, Arkansas. Also known as: Company D, 4th Arkansas Infantry Battalion and/or Hoadley's Battery.

Organization

Capt. Frederick W. Hoadley's Pulaski County company, the "Magruder Guards", was originally designated as Company D, 4th Arkansas Infantry Battalion. 4th Arkansas Infantry Battalion was organized at Little Rock, Arkansas, on November 10, 1861, with five companies, from Clark, Prairie, Pulaski and White counties.

Battles

The battalion was assigned to the defenses of Columbus, Kentucky, then to Island No. 10. Captain Frederick William Hoadley's Company D was detached at Island No. 10, given charge of a battery of heavy guns. Company D was captured at the fall of Island No. 10 on April 6-7, 1862.

The 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery Regiment was organized at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on May 10, 1862, after the capture of Island No. 10. The regiment was composed of ten companies which had previously served as independent batteries. Dismukes' Arkansas Battery was designated as Company B, and Hoadley's Arkansas Battery as Company H.

Hoadley's Battery was exchanged later in the summer of 1862. The regiment embarked on steamer Golden Age on June 2, 1862, bound for Vicksburg. Upon arrival at Vicksburg, it was consolidated by order of Brig. Gen. M. L. Smith on June 18, 1862 due to depleted numbers, there were only AbOUT 330 men at the time. On June 18, 1862, the regiment was temporarily consolidated into four companies. Company A was composed of Dismukes' (old) Co. B and part of Maley's (old) Co. C. Company B was composed of Parks' [formerly Hoadley's] (old) Co. H, along with (old) Cos. A and G and part of (old) Co. C. Hoadley was promoted to major.

During the Siege of Vicksburg, the Company B (including the remnants of Hoadley's Battery) manned the water batteries at Vicksburg with the rest of the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery, and were surrendered again with the Vicksburg garrison after the siege of that place on July 4, 1863.

On February 4, 1864, after being paroled and exchanged, the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery was further consolidated into two companies, (3rd) Co. A and (3rd) Co. B. This final consolidation ordered by Maj. Gen. D. H. Maury on February 4, 1864, was due to the fact that the men were scattered all over the place after being paroled at Vicksburg, "A number of the men, after being furloughed when paroled, joined the cavalry in North Mississippi and West Tennessee, and are now on duty with General Forrest's Command. Every effort to have these men returned to the regiment has failed."

The last reference of this command in the historical record is dated November 19, 1864, when a siege train company, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery, under Capt. Paul T. Dismukes, is listed among the forces of the Trans-Mississippi Department."

Surrender

The remnants of the battery surrendered with General Kirby Smith on May 26, 1865.

External links

• Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page
• The Encylopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
• The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
• The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas

See also

• Book:Arkansas Confederate Infantry Units
• Book:Arkansas Confederates, The Cavalry and Artillery Units
• List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
• Lists of American Civil War Regiments by State
• Confederate Units by State
• Arkansas in the American Civil War
• Arkansas Militia in the Civil War