U.S. Horse Artillery Brigade
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 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. 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, of TennesseeBattery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery
Commander: Captain John C. Tidball, USA, of Ohio
- Lead Section Chief: First Lieutenant Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington, Jr., USA, of New Jersey
- Rear 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
Commander: Captain James Madison Robertson, USA
- Lead Section Chief: First Lieutenant John Moulder Wilson, USA, of Washington, DC
- Rear 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
Commander: Captain Henry Benson, USA, of New Jersey
- Lead Section – First Lieutenant John W. Barlow, USA, of New York
- Rear Section – First Lieutenant Peter Conover Hains, USA, of New Jersey
- Center Section – Second Lieutenant Robert Hunter Chapin, USA, of New York
Commander: Captain Horatio Gates Gibson, USA, of Pennsylvania
- Lead Section Chief: First Lieutenant William Duncan Fuller, USA, of Maine
- Rear 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, ; Second Lieutenant Francis Lowell Dutton Russell, USA, of Massachusetts
- Battery Wagon & Forge: Lieutenant J.W. Upham, 9th New York Cavalry
1863 - Gettysburg Campaign
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
Captain Jabez James Daniels, USV, commanding
- Lead Section Chief: First Lieutenant Addison Kidder, USV
- Rear 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
Commander: Captain Joseph W. Martin, USV
- Lead Section Chief: First Lieutenant Moses P. Clark, USV
- Rear Section Chief: Second Lieutenant J. Wade Wilson, USV
- Center Section Chief: First Sergeant James E. Tileson, USV
Commander: First Lieutenant Edward Heaton, USA
Battery M, 2nd US Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington, Jr., USA
Battery E, 4th US Artillery
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
Commander: Captain Alanson Merwin Randol, USA
- Lead Section Chief: Second Lieutenant James Chester, USA
- Rear Section Chief: Second Lieutenant Ernest L. Kinney, USA
Commander: Captain William Montrose Graham, Jr., USA
- Lead Section Chief: First Lieutenant Teofil B. von Michalowski, USA
Commander: Second Lieutenant John Haskell Calef, USA
- Lead Section Chief: Second Lieutenant John William Roder, USA
- Rear Section Chief: First Sergeant Joseph Newman, USA
- Center Section Chief: Sergeant Pergel, USA
Commander: First Lieutenant William Duncan Fuller, USA
- Lead Section Chief: First Lieutenant Henry Meinell, USA
- Rear Section Chief: First Lieutenant James Rigney Kelly, USA
- Center Section Chief: Second Lieutenant James Madison Lancaster, USA
- First Sergeant – First Sergeant Daniel Munger, USA
Commander: Captain William D. Rank, USV
- Lead Section Chief: William M. Runkel, USV
- Rear Section Chief: Thomas B. Nelson, USV
- Center Section Chief: Second Lieutenant John A. Light, USV
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
Quartermaster: Captain William Goldie, USV
Commissary of Subsistence: Captain Henry Loud Cranford, USV
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 Edward B. Williston, USA
Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington, Jr., USA
Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant 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
Quartermaster: Captain Ira F. Payson, USV
Commissary of Subsistence: First Lieutenant William Murray Maynadier, USA
Organization:
Battery E, 1st U.S. Artillery
Commander: Captain Alanson M. Randol, USA
Battery K, 1st U.S. Artillery
Commander: Captain 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 ; and B.J. Littlefield, USV
Battery G, 2nd U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant John Hartwell Butler, USA
Battery C, 3rd U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant William Duncan Fuller, USA
From June 1864
Horse Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac
Commander – Captain James M. Robertson, USA
Organization:
Batteries H & I, 1st U.S. Artillery
Commander: Captain Randol, USA
Battery K, 1st U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant 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 Edward B. Williston, USA
Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant ACM Pennington, Jr., USA
Batteries C, F,&K, 3rd U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant James Rigney Kelly, USA
Batteries C&E, 4th U.S. Artillery
Commander: First Lieutenant Charles Lane Fitzhugh, USA,
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 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