U.S. Horse Artillery Brigade

Officers of the Horse Artillery Brigade at Fair Oaks, 1862. Photo by James F. Gibson. Library of Congress.

The Horse Artillery Brigade of the Army of the Potomac was a brigade of various batteries of horse artillery during the American Civil War.

Made up almost entirely of individual, company-strength batteries from the Regular Army’s five artillery regiments, the Horse Artillery operated under the command umbrella of the Cavalry Corps. The Horse Artillery differed from other light artillery (also known as "mounted" artillery) in that each member of the unit traveled on his own horse, rather than the traditional light artillery practice of "drivers" riding horses pulling the guns, while the cannoneers rode on the limbers and caissons. Ordinarily, though, the cannoneers traveled on foot behind their respective gun. But,with each man on his own horse, the unit could travel faster and more efficiently. It was the brainchild of former artillery captain and Brig. Gen. William Farquhar Barry, Chief of Artillery for the Army of the Potomac, in 1861. With such a large percentage of the U.S. Horse Artillery being artillery batteries from the regular U.S. Army, it developed a superb reputation for military efficiency, accuracy of fire, and command presence in the field and in battle.

Originally under the direct command of Lt. Col. (and future Brigadier General) William Hays, and later under the two-brigade command of captains James Madison Robertson and John C. Tidball, the Horse Artillery served with distinction during most of the major engagements in the Eastern Theater. Tidball's brigade later was commanded by Capt Dunbar R. Ransom.

It is notable that each of these men - Barry, Hays, Robertson, and Tidball - came from the officers corps of the 2nd Regiment of Artillery. One of their chief champions, Henry Jackson Hunt, commanded the Reserve Artillery in the Army of the Potomac, and was also an officer of the Second U.S. Artillery.

Organization

1862 - Peninsula Campaign

Commander: Lieutenant Colonel William Hays, USV (Captain, USA, 2nd U.S Artillery), of Tennessee

Officers of Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery. L-R: Clarke, Tidball, Dennison, Pennington. Photo by James F. Gibson. Library of Congress

Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery (2nd Regiment of Artillery)

Commander: Captain John C. Tidball, USA, of Ohio

Lead (Right) Section Chief: First Lieutenant Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington, Jr., USA, of New Jersey
Rear (Left) Section Chief: First Lieutenant William Neil Dennison, USA, of Ohio
Center Section Chief: Second Lieutenant Robert Clarke, USA, of Pennsylvania
Chief of Line of Caissons: First Sergeant Frank

Officers of Combined Batteries B & L, 2nd U.S. Artillery. L-R: Wilson, Vincent, Robertson, Woodruff. Photo by James F. Gibson. Library of Congress

(Combined) Batteries B & L, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: Captain James Madison Robertson, USA

Lead (Right) Section Chief: First Lieutenant John Moulder Wilson, USA, of Washington, DC
Rear (Left) Section Chief: Second Lieutenant Carle Augustus Woodruff, USA, of New York
Center Section Chief: Second Lieutenant Albert Oliver Vincent, USA, of Ohio
Chief of Line of Caissons: First Lieutenant Perry Bly, 9th New York Cavalry (on TDY)

Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery, 1862. Photo by James F. Gibson. Library of Congress

Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: Captain Henry M. Benson, USA, of New Jersey

Lead (right) Section – First Lieutenant John W. Barlow, USA, of New York
Rear (left) Section – First Lieutenant Peter Conover Hains, USA, of New Jersey
Center Section – Second Lieutenant Robert Hunter Chapin, USA, of New York

Officers of Battery C, 3rd U.S. Artillery. L-R: Meinell, Gibson, Pendleton, and Fuller. Photo by James F. Gibson. Library of Congress

Battery C, 3rd U.S. Artillery

Commander: Captain Horatio Gates Gibson, USA, of Pennsylvania

Lead (Right) Section Chief: First Lieutenant William Duncan Fuller, USA, of Maine
Rear (Left) Section Chief: First Lieutenant Edmund Pendleton, USA, of Virginia
Center Section Chief: First Lieutenant Henry Meinell, USA, of New York
Chiefs of Line of Caissons: Second Lieutenant William D’Wolf, USA, of Illinois, (mortally wounded at Williamsburg, May 4, 1862; Died of wounds, June 3, 1862); Second Lieutenant Francis Lowell Dutton Russell, USA, of Massachusetts (on TDY from 4th US Artillery)
Battery Wagon & Forge: (First?) Lieutenant J.W. Upham, 9th New York Cavalry (on TDY)

1863 - Gettysburg Campaign

Officers of the Horse Artillery at Culpeper, September 1863. Library of Congress

First Brigade, Horse Artillery

Commander: Captain James Madison Robertson, USA

Acting Assistant Adjutant General: 1LT J.H. Bell, 6th New York Cavalry

Batteries of the First Brigade:

9th Michigan Battery, US Volunteers (6:3”)

Captain Jabez James Daniels, USV, commanding

Lead (right) Section Chief: First Lieutenant Addison Kidder, USV
Rear (left) Section Chief: First Lieutenant Luther R. Smith, USV
Center Section Chief: Lt. Lewis R Rage, USV
Chief of Line of Caissons: Second Lieutenant Thomas J. Lumbocker, USV(?)

Independent Battery, 6th New York Light Artillery, US Volunteers (6:3”) (formerly the Artillery Company K, 9th New York State Militia, and the 83rd New York Infantry Regiment)

Commander: Captain Joseph W. Martin, USV

Lead (Right) Section Chief: First Lieutenant Moses P. Clark, USV
Rear (Left) Section Chief: Second Lieutenant J. Wade Wilson, USV
Center Section Chief: First Sergeant James E. Tileson, USV

Batteries B & L, 2nd US Artillery (6:3”)

Commander: First Lieutenant Edward Heaton, USA

Battery M, 2nd US Artillery (6:3”)

Commander: First Lieutenant Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington, Jr., USA

Battery E, 4th US Artillery (4:3”)

Commander: First Lieutenant Samuel Sherer Elder, USA

Second Brigade, Horse Artillery

Commander: Captain John Caldwell Tidball, USA

Batteries of the Second Brigade:

Batteries E & G, 1st US Artillery (4:3”)

Commander: Captain Alanson Merwin Randol, USA

Lead (Right) Section Chief: Second Lieutenant James Chester, USA
Rear (Left) Section Chief: Second Lieutenant Ernest L. Kinney, USA

1st U.S. Light Artillery, Battery K (6:3”)

Commander: Captain William Montrose Graham, Jr., USA

Lead (Right) Section Chief: First Lieutenant Teofil B. von Michalowski (or Michalows), USA

Battery A, 2nd US Artillery (6:3”)

Commander: Second Lieutenant John Haskell Calef, USA

Lead (Right) Section Chief: Second Lieutenant John William Roder, USA
Rear (left) Section Chief: First Sergeant Joseph Newman, USA
Center Section Chief: Sergeant Pergel, USA

Battery C, 3rd US Artillery (6:3”)*

Commander: First Lieutenant William Duncan Fuller, USA

Lead (Right) Section Chief: First Lieutenant Henry Meinell, USA
Rear (Left) Section Chief: First Lieutenant James Rigney Kelly, USA
Center Section Chief: Second Lieutenant James Madison Lancaster, USA
First Sergeant – First Sergeant Daniel Munger, USA

Light Battery H, 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, US Volunteers (2:3”)

Commander: Captain William D. Rank, USV

Lead (Right) Section Chief: William M. Runkel, USV
Rear (Left) Section Chief: Thomas B. Nelson, USV
Center Section Chief: Second Lieutenant John A. Light, USV

Battery C, 3rd US Artillery was not present during the battle of Gettysburg

1864 - Overland Campaign

The Horse Artillery remained organized into two brigades until June, when it was reduced to one. The units that were cut from the ranks left their best equipment with the remaining units, and reported to Washington, DC for further orders, elsewhere. The following are the final list of command and staff and order of battle of the larger organization and the list for the reduced roster.

January – June, 1864

1st Brigade, U.S. Horse Artillery

Commander: Captain James Madison Robertson, USA (Brevet Colonel)

Quartermaster: Captain William Goldie, USV (formerly Captain, 56th Illinois Infantry)

Commissary of Subsistence: Captain Henry Loud Cranford, USV (formerly First Lieutenant, 84th New York Infantry)

Organization:

9th Battery, Michigan Light Artillery

Commander: Captain Jabez Daniels, USV

6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery

Commander: Captain Joseph W. Martin, USV

Batteries B & L, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant Edward Heaton, USA

Battery D, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) Edward B. Williston, USA

Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington, Jr., USA

Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Captain) Rufus King, Jr., USA

Battery E, 4th U.S. Artillery

Commander: Captain Samuel Elder, USA

2nd Brigade, U.S. Horse Artillery

Commander: Captain John Caldwell Tidball, USA (Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, USA; Colonel, 4th New York Artillery, USV)

Quartermaster: Captain Ira F. Payson, USV (died, July 30, 1864)

Commissary of Subsistence: First Lieutenant (Brevet Captain) William Murray Maynadier, USA

Organization:

Battery E, 1st U.S. Artillery

Commander: Captain (Brevet Major) Alanson M. Randol, USA

Battery K, 1st U.S. Artillery

Commander: Captain (Brevet Lieutenant Colonel) William Montrose Graham, USA

Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant Robert Clarke, USA

Section Chiefs: First Lieutenants John H. Calef, USA; N.A. Cameron, USV (TDY from 4th New York Heavy Artillery); and B.J. (Benjamin Franklin) Littlefield, USV (former US Sharpshooter, on TDY from 4th New York Heavy Artillery)

Battery G, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) John Hartwell Butler, USA

Battery C, 3rd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) William Duncan Fuller, USA

From June 1864

Horse Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac

Commander – Captain (Brevet Colonel) James M. Robertson, USA

Organization:

Batteries H & I, 1st U.S. Artillery

Commander: Captain (Brevet Major) Randol, USA

Battery K, 1st U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) John Egan, USA

Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant Clarke, USA

Batteries B&L, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant Heaton, USA

Battery D, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Lieutenant Colonel) Edward B. Williston, USA

Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) ACM Pennington, Jr., USA (later Colonel of New Jersey Cavalry and Brevet Brigadier General, USV)

Batteries C, F,&K, 3rd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) James Rigney Kelly, USA (formerly enlisted Engineers Artificer and later enlisted 3rd Artillery Sergeant)

Batteries C&E, 4th U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant Charles Lane Fitzhugh, USA, (later Colonel, 6th New York Cavalry and Brevet Brigadier General, USA and USV)

Units separated & sent to DC for further orders:

Batteries E&G, 1st U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant David Essex Porter, USA

Battery G, 2nd U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant (Brevet Major) William Neil Dennison, USA

Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery

Commander: First Lieutenant Rufus King, Jr., USA

6th New York Independent Battery

Commander: Captain Joseph W. Martin, USV

1865

By 1865, the Horse Artillery Brigade still existed on paper, but the various units were dispersed and assigned to a number of commands, as was the typical practice of regular foot artillery in the field.

References

Heitman, Francis B., Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, From its Organization, September 29, 1789 to March 2, 1903, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1903.
American Memory: Selected Civil War Photographs. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division. Washington, D.C.
Register of Graduates and Former Cadets of the United States Military Academy. West Point, NY: West Point Alumni Foundation, Inc., 1970.
U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.

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