Barrett's Missouri Battery
| Barrett's Missouri Battery 10th Missouri Light Battery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Active | April 1, 1862 to April 16, 1865 |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch |  Confederate States Army |
| Type | Artillery |
| Equipment | 2 × 6-pounder smoothbore cannons and 2 x 12-pounder howitzers (1862) 4 x 2 x 12-pounder howitzers (1864) |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
.jpg)
Barrett's Missouri Battery was an
Background
When the
Service history
Formation and Perryville
Barrett's Missouri Battery joined the Confederate Army on April 1, 1862, while the men were at Memphis, Tennessee. Captain D. A. Rice had been associated with unit, but did not continue with it after the organization date, so command was held by Captain Overton W. Barrett. At first, Barrett's Battery was not issued cannons and was sent to Corinth, Mississippi, where it was armed on May 19 with two 6-pounder smoothbores and two 12-pounder howitzers.[1] The 6-pounder smoothbores were obsolescent, fired at a flat trajectory, and had a range of 1,500 yards (1.4 km).[8][9] The howitzers had a maximum range of 1,072 yards (980 m) and fired with a higher trajectory,[10] which was useful where rough terrain made projectiles fired with a flat trajectory ineffective.[11] Confederate artillerymen were hampered by problems with gunpowder and artillery fuze quality, which often resulted in premature detonation of shells, sometimes while still in the cannon.[12] American Civil War cannons generally required a crew of four to six men.[13]
Union troops placed Corinth under siege, bringing on the
During the early stages of the fighting at Perryville, Powell advanced his brigade onto the field, but deployed them too far to the rear, leaving the formation isolated on the Confederate left. Barrett's battery, still armed with the four 6-pounders, took up a position atop a forested hill.[16] Later in the battle, Powell's infantry was sent forward from the battery's position to attack a Union battery on another hill,[17] although a single regiment was left to protect the artillery. Once Powell's attack began, Barrett's battery opened fire on the Union artillery at a range of 0.75 miles (1.21 km).[18] When the attack was followed by a successful Union counterattack, the battery fired inaccurately at the advancing Union soldiers before retreating to a new position further to the rear.[19] That secondary line was also attacked, and Powell's men were forced back to the Chaplin River.[20] The unit did not report suffering any casualties during the fighting.[1][21] The Confederates retreated after the battle, and Barrett's battery was stationed at various points in Tennessee until December.[1]
Stones River and Chickamauga
In December 1862, a Union army commanded by Major General
Meanwhile, Rosecrans had moved his army towards Chattanooga, capturing the place in early September. Bragg, in turn, prepared for a counterattack; the Chickamauga campaign had begun.[27] During the Confederate advance during the campaign, Barrett's battery successfully fought a Union cavalry detachment at LaFayette, Georgia, on September 7.[1] Bragg's and Rosecrans's armies made preliminary contact on September 18, and the Battle of Chickamauga was joined on September 19.[28] Barrett's battery was held in reserve along with other artillery units and was not heavily engaged at Chickamauga. The battery was then reinforced again, when members of Sengstak's Alabama Battery, who had been captured during the Siege of Vicksburg, were exchanged and assigned to Barrett's battery.[29][30]
Missionary Ridge and Ringgold Gap
After Chickamauga, the Union army retreated to Chattanooga, which the Confederates soon put under siege. Part of the Confederate defenses were on
Atlanta and Columbus
In the spring of 1864, Union Major General
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j McGhee 2008, p. 23.
- ^ Kennedy 1998, pp. 19–20.
- ^ Hatcher 1998, pp. 21, 23.
- ^ Kennedy 1998, pp. 23–25.
- ^ Shea & Hess 1998, pp. 34, 36–37.
- ^ Kennedy 1998, p. 38.
- ^ Gottschalk 1991, p. 120.
- ^ "Artillery at Antietam". National Park Service. June 12, 2019. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Ripley 1970, pp. 15, 366.
- ^ Ripley 1970, pp. 42, 367, 370.
- ^ Woodhead 1996, p. 282.
- ^ Woodhead 1996, p. 283.
- ^ Woodhead 1996, p. 285.
- ^ a b Parrish 1998, p. 53.
- ^ Hawke 1998, p. 124.
- ^ Noe 2011, p. 173.
- ^ Noe 2011, p. 233.
- ^ Noe 2011, p. 278.
- ^ Noe 2011, p. 285.
- ^ Noe 2011, p. 286.
- ^ Noe 2011, p. 371.
- ^ McWhiney 1998, p. 151.
- ^ Cozzens 1991, p. 141.
- ^ Daniel 2015, p. 74.
- ^ Daniel 2015, pp. 77–78.
- ^ Daniel 2015, pp. 87–88.
- ^ Robertson 1998, p. 227.
- ^ Robertson 1998, pp. 227–230.
- ^ a b c d e f McGhee 2008, p. 24.
- ^ "Sengstak's-Barrett's Battery". Alabama State Archives. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ Roland 1998, pp. 243–246.
- ^ Daniel 2015, p. 122.
- ^ Bohannon 1998, pp. 246–247.
- ^ Luvaas 1998, p. 326.
- ^ Kennedy 1998, p. 343.
- ^ "Flag, Barrett's Tenth Light Artillery Missouri C.S.A." Missouri Secretary of State. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
Sources
- Bohannon, Keith S. (1998). "Ringgold Gap, Georgia". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- ISBN 0-252-06229-9.
- Daniel, Larry J. (2015) [2005]. Cannoneers in Gray: The Field Artillery of the Army of Tennessee (Revised ed.). Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-5168-X.
- Gottschalk, Phil (1991). In Deadly Earnest: The Missouri Brigade. Columbia, Missouri: Missouri River Press. ISBN 978-0-9631136-1-0.
- Hatcher, Richard (1998). "Wilson's Creek, Missouri". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- Hawke, Paul (1998). "Perryville, Kentucky". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- Kennedy, Frances H., ed. (1998). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- Luvaas, Jay (1998). "Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- McGhee, James E. (2008). Guide to Missouri Confederate Regiments, 1861–1865. Fayetteville, Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 978-1-55728-870-7.
- McWhiney, Grady (1998). "Stones River, Tennessee". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8131-3384-3.
- Parrish, T. Michael (1998). "Siege of Corinth, Mississippi". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- Ripley, Warren (1970). Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War. New York, New York: Promontory Press. ISBN 0-88394-003-5.
- Robertson, William Glenn (1998). "Chickamagua, Georgia". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- Roland, Charles P. (1998). "Chattanooga III, Tennessee". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- Shea, William L.; Hess, Earl J. (1998). "Pea Ridge, Arkansas". In Kennedy, Frances H. (ed.). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
- Woodhead, Henry, ed. (1996) [1991]. Echoes of Glory: Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life. ISBN 0-8094-8850-7.