<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Rich Walker</i>
<br />Guys,
Many of you have vast historical experience and knowledge.
I need some primary historical sources that show captured arty being freely moved and engaged in combat during the same battle in which they were captured.
No secondary stuff. Must be primary source material.
Please post here on the thread.
Lt. Col. Richard Walker
I Corps
Army of the Mississippi
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division
"Defenders of Tennessee"
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
<u>O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXVII/1 [S# 70]
MAY 26- JUNE 29, 1864--The Lynchburg Campaign.
No. 1.--Reports of Maj. Gen. David Hunter, U.S. Army, commanding Department of West Virginia, including operations June 2-July 14.
</u>
<i>while our attention was directed to the rear of the column a detachment of the enemy's cavalry fell upon the artillery en route and got possession of two batteries, spiking the guns, disabling the carriages, and carrying off the horses. They were presently driven off by our cavalry, losing some 30 men, killed, wounded, and prisoners, and the guns were recaptured. Owing to the loss of horses and the breaking of the carriages we were obliged to abandon 8 pieces with their limbers and caissons, after burning all their carriages.
</i>
<u>O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXVIII/3 [S# 74]
May 1-September 8, 1864.--THE ATLANTA (GEORGIA) CAMPAIGN
No. 486.--Report of Capt. Francis De Gress, Battery H, First Illinois Light Artillery.</u>
<i>The enemy charged our works about 4 p.m.; was repulsed in my front, but broke through our center, and changing front charged my battery, which I was obliged to leave after spiking the guns, and after all my support had left me. As soon as my battery was recaptured I had the guns unspiked and fired again at the retreating enemy. One of my guns, injured since the 25th of June, burst at the third round. My losses(*) on that day were very heavy--14 men, 39 horses, 1 limber, ambulance, and harness. Replaced lost horses and harness from Battery A, and had battery in marching order by 9 o'clock the following day. July 27, withdrew the battery and marched all night, with division, to the extreme right of our line; went into position in rear of our line, and advanced into position July 31, firing at the rebel forts and city.
</i>
<u>O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME 2 [S# 2] -- CHAPTER IX.
JULY 16-22, 1861.--The Bull Run, or Manassas, Campaign, Virginia.
No. 88. -- Reports of Col. J. B. Kershaw, Second South Carolina Infantry.
</u>
<i>I detailed some of my men under General Johnson, Hagood and Col. Allen J. Green, of South Carolina, who were doing duty in my regiment as volunteer privates, each take charge of one of the captured guns and turn them on the enemy, while Captain Kemper took charge of two others, and they continued firing until ordered to desist by one of our general officers.
</i>
<u>O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XI/1 [S# 12]
MAY 31- JUNE 1, 1862-- Battle of Fair Oaks, or Seven Pines, Va.
No. 103. -- Report of Maj. Gen. Daniel H. Hill, C. S. Army, commanding division.
</u>
<i>Redes took skillful advantage of this commotion, and moved up his brigade in beautiful order and took possession of the redoubts and rifle pits. So rapid was the advance that six pieces were abandoned by the Yankees. These Rodes had turned upon the retreating column with effect. Carter galloped up with his pieces, and these, with the captured guns, successfully <ar12_944> repulsed an attempt of fresh Yankee troops to recapture the works.
</i>
<u>.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XII/2 [S# 16]
AUGUST 16-SEPTEMBER 2, 1862.--Campaign in Northern Virginia.
No. 131.--Report of Col. John B. Walton, Washington (Louisiana) Artillery, of operations August 23-31.
</u>
<i>After firing a short time he moved his battery forward about 400 yards and succeeded in holding the captured battery of four Napoleons, forcing the enemy back and compelling a battery immediately in his front, and which was annoying greatly our infantry, to retire. He then turned the captured guns upon their late owners, and at night brought them from the field, with their horses and harness.
</i>
<u>O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XIX/1 [S# 27]
SEPTEMBER 3-20, 1862.-The Maryland Campaign.
No. 268.--Reports of Col. S. Crutchfield, C. S. Army, Chief of Artillery, of operations September 13-19.
</u>
<i>The captured guns being turned over to the quartermaster for removal, I can make no exact return of the number. We had none disabled, and, of course, lost none.
On reaching Shepherdstown late next evening, I met Brig. Gen. W. N. Pendleton, who desired me to return to Harper's Ferry and endeavor to get together batteries of the captured guns and such ammunition as I could and send it to Shepherdstown or the battle-field of Sharpsburg, as our ordinance supplies were getting short and our batteries in an inefficient condition from hard marching and previous fighting. I <ar27_963> therefore returned to Harper's Ferry. After much difficulty I found the quartermaster in charge of the captured guns, and found he had been busy removing them, and in so doing had mismatched the caissons, limbers, and guns to such an extent that after vainly spending half the day at it, I gave up the task of getting together any batteries from among them. The batteries of Captains Brown, Dement, and Latimer had been left at Harper's Ferry, as disabled, on account of the condition of their horses. I therefore had horses turned over to them, filled them up with ammunition, exchanged two of Captain Latimer's 10-pounder Parrotts, whose vent-pieces had burned out in the action of the day before, for two 3-inch rifles of the captured guns, and started them for the battle-field, going on ahead myself. I got there too late in the evening to be able to give any report of the battle.
</i>
<u>.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XX/1 [S# 29]
DECEMBER 26, 1862-JANUARY 5, 1863.--The Stone's River or Murfreesborough, Tenn., Campaign.
No. 288.--Report of Capt. James P. Douglas, Texas Battery.
</u>
<i>On the morning of December 31, [1862,] I received orders through Capt. George M. Mathes, chief of artillery of McCown's division, to move to a position in rear of the division, which I accordingly did. Subsequently, about sun-up, I was ordered to advance toward the enemy's lines, and as soon as practicable join my brigade. I ordered the battery forward immediately and rode rapidly in advance to ascertain the position <ar29_937> of the troops. After riding to the point where the enemy's first battery was captured, I found that the brigade had driven the enemy, and was advancing rapidly. I returned to the battery and put my horses to their best speed, to assist in holding the advanced position obtained. When I arrived within 150 yards of the captured battery (my battery being at its best speed), I discovered a large body of Federal infantry drawn up in line in front of the position occupied by the captured guns, and about 125 yards from my lead team. I immediately halted the battery and gave the command, "Front into line." While this was [being] executed, I discovered that the enemy did not know whether I was friend or foe. I therefore gave the command, "Left oblique and action front," thus bringing my guns into position not bearing exactly on the enemy. During this time the enemy had unfolded and waved conspicuously the Stars and Stripes. As no time was to be lost, I ordered the gunners to commence firing with canister. The enemy, doubtless hearing my command, opened a brisk fire, wounding 1 man and killing 3 horses and wounding 3. The cannoneers under the circumstances acted with great coolness, and in a moment threw a rapid and deadly fire into the enemy's ranks. They stood but a few discharges, when they retreated in considerable disorder.
In these rapid movements some of my horses had become entangled and broken their harness, and one of my caissons in running over a log had broken the pintle-pin. Some time was consumed in righting these things, during which time I was ordered to employ a portion of my horses in conveying the captured guns to the rear.
</i>
<u>O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXVII/1 [S# 43] -- Gettysburg Campaign
No. 331. -- Report of Lieut. Edwin B. Dow,
Sixth Maine Battery.
</u>
<i>At 7.30 p.m. I was relieved by Major McGilvery, who placed Seeley's battery, under command of Lieutenant James, in my position, and I retired into the edge of the woods. Lieutenant Rogers, of this battery, in reconnoitering found the enemy had retired from «57RR--VOL XXVII, PT I» <ar43_898> the field in haste, and had not taken the captured guns with them, nor even spiked them. He immediately reported the fact to me, and as many men as I could spare were sent under his charge to bring them off the field. With the aid of the Garibaldi Guard, of New York, he brought off, under a fire from the enemy's sharpshooters, four 3-inch rifled guns and two limbers belonging to Company I, Fifth Regulars, which we immediately limbered on our caissons and ran to the rear.
I was then ordered by Major McGilvery to go to the front and see if any other public property was on the field, which order I obeyed, and discovered four light 12-pounder guns and a limber of the Ninth Massachusetts Battery. The remnant of the One hundred and fiftieth New York Regiment, although tired and weary, took hold of the guns and ran them up to Lieutenant James' position, where I turned them over to Lieutenant James, not having force sufficient to bring' them off the field. Lieutenant James brought the guns off, and, I understood, turned them over to the Ninth Massachusetts Battery.
By order of Major McGilvery, I reported to Generals Tyler and Hunt what we had done. General Hunt ordered me to go to the rear near the reserve train with the I did so, and next morning had the satisfaction of returning the guns of Company I, Fifth Regulars, guns to their commanding officer.
</i>
I think from this and the others I have reviewed, that you will find that captured guns were often used against their owners(from their original position) but seldom moved about freely and used aggressively after capture(or recapture). More often then not horses/men were stripped from other batteries/units not engaged and used to drive out or haul out the guns by hand to the rear for reequiping.
Brig. Gen. Phil Driscoll
1st Brigade/1st Division/VCorps/AoP
|