Also called “Nelson Artillery”; formerly Captain J. G. Anglade’s Company
This company was mustered into Confederate service at Nashville, October 14, 1861 as Captain J. G. Anglade’s Company. It served as Company “A”, Captain George H. Monsarrat’s Reserve Artillery Battalion, which was a temporary organization in November, 1861. It was listed as one of the companies in the Artillery Corps of Tennessee; as Company “G”, 1st Tennessee Artillery Regiment; as Company “G”, 1st Tennessee Light Artillery Battalion, and about January 1, 1864, was merged into the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery Regiment. Captain Anglade resigned in February 1862, and Lieutenant James A. Fisher became captain.
The company was reported at Columbus, Kentucky on November 20, 1861, and on the evacuation of that point about March 1, 1862, it was ordered to Island Number 10, where, after a siege of 23 days, it was surrendered on April 8, 1862. It was in a Camp of Returned Prisoners at Jackson, Mississippi, August 1, 1862, and was exchanged at Vicksburg, Mississippi, September 20, 1862.
A company report showed it stationed at Port Hudson, Louisiana, in November-December, 1862, and remained there until the surrender of Port Hudson on July 9, 1863. Major General Frank Gardner was in command at Port Hudson, and the report of his forces included the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery Battalion, composed of the Maury Artillery, the Nelson Artillery (Fisher’s) and the Rock City Artillery. This battalion, along with the 12th Louisiana Battalion, was commanded by Captain DeGoumay, of the 12th Louisiana, and was attached to Brigadier General W. N. R. Beall’s Brigade. It was engaged during the bombardment of Port Hudson on March 14, 1863, the bombardment of May 8-10, and the subsequent siege lasting from May 27 to July 9, 1863.
On May 19, 1863, the Tennessee Heavy Artillery Battalion reported nine officers, 110 men present for duty, 184 present, and 188 present and absent, with no breakdown as to individual companies. On June 30, the report showed nine officers, 77 men present for duty, 145 present, 164 present and absent. Along with the other troops captured the company was paroled on July 10, 1863, and was next reported at “Smyrna” Camp Ground, location not given.
A report dated October 31, 1863, at this camp ground, from Companies “B” and “G”, 1st Light Artillery Regiment, formerly 1st Tennessee Light Artillery Battalion, reported the presence of these two companies during the siege and surrender of Port Hudson. Company “G” was, of course, Fisher’s Company.
In January of 1864 the members of the 1st Tennessee Light Artillery Battalion were permanently incorporated into the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery Regiment, and in February 1864, Major General D. H. Maury, at Mobile, Alabama, consolidated what was left of the regiment into two companies, known as 3rd “A” and 3rd “B”, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery Regiment. Captain James A. Fisher was captain of 3rd “B”, and presumably the remnants of his company were merged into this company. Captain Fisher was paroled at Meridian, Mississippi on May 12, 1865.
This unit history was extracted from Tennesseans in the Civil War, Vol 1. Copyrighted 1964 by the Civil War Centennial Commission of Tennessee and is published here with their permission. This history may not be republished for any reason without the written permission of the copyright owner.