Also called McCown’s Artillery Corps
The Artillery Corps of Tennessee was formed in May, 1861, a part of the Provisional Army of the State of Tennessee, which was then an independent state and not a part of the Confederacy. It was mustered into the Confederate service at New Madrid, Missouri, August 14, 1861, with the possible intention of including other companies as they were organized, but it was discontinued in May, 1862, and its component units gradually transferred into the Confederate organization.
Its field officers were Colonel John P. McCown, Lieutenant Colonel Milton A. Haynes, and Major Alexander P. Stewart. In Lindsley’s Annals, Lieutenant Colonel Haynes gives a list of these field officers, and a list of the companies which composed the corps, with their respective commanders. These, appointed by Governor Harris, were submitted to the Legislature and by it confirmed, the field officers to take rank from May 17, 1861, the others on the dates shown after their names. Also shown in most cases were the commands or locations in which the various captains were serving, or to which they were ordered.
Battery commanders were:
- Company No. 1.Captain Arthur M. Rutledge, light battery, Knoxville, General Zollicoffer; May 17, 1861.
- Company No. 2. Captain Marshall T. Polk, light battery, Columbus, Kentucky, General Polk; May 17, 1861.
- Company No. 3. Captain William H. Jackson, light battery, Columbus, Kentucky, General Polk; May 17, 1861.
- Company No. 4. Captain Andrew Jackson, Jr., heavy battery, Columbus, Kentucky, General Polk; May 17, 1861.
- Company No. 5. Captain Smith P. Bankhead, light battery, Island No. 10, General McCown, May 17, 1861.
- Company No. 6. Captain William Miller, heavy battery, Bowling Green, Kentucky, June 1, 1861.
- Company No. 7. Captain Fred Krone, battery disbanded June 1, 1861.
- Company No. 8. Captain Fred Warner, resigned June 1, 1861. Captain Robert Sterling vice Warner, heavy battery, Columbus, Kentucky.
- Company No. 9. Captain J. Hamilton, June 1, 1861: died September 15, 1861. Captain S. H. D. Hamilton, September 20, 1861; died January 1, 1862. 1st Lieutenant Thomas N. Johnston, commanding siege artillery.
- Company No. 10. Captain William Keiter, June 20, 1861; killed November 8, 1861. Captain William Y. C. Humes, heavy battery, Columbus, Kentucky, November 8, 1861.
- Company No. 11. Captain Jesse Taylor, heavy battery, Fort Henry, July 18, 1861.
- Company No. 12. Captain W. Crane, recruiting, July 18, 1861.
- Company No. 13. Captain Thomas K. Porter, light battery, Bowling Green, Kentucky, July 18, 1861.
- Company No. 14. Captain John P. Lynch, light battery, Knoxville, July 18, 1861.
- Company No. 15. Captain John W. Stewart, heavy battery, New Madrid, Missouri, July 25, 1861.
- Company No. 16. Captain Hugh L. W. McClung, light battery, Knoxville, July 25, 1861.
- Company No.17. Captain Frank Maney, light battery, Fort Donelson, September 17, 1861.
- Company No. 18. Captain William R. Dunlap, September 17, 1861; died October 2, 1861. Captain George Monsarrat, 1ight battery, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, October 2, 1861.
- Company No. 19. Captain Robert P. Griffith, light battery, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, September 20, 1861.
- Company No. 20. Captain J. Wesley Eldridge, light battery, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, November 20, 1861.
- Company No. 21. Captain J. G. Anglade, heavy battery, Columbus, Kentucky, November 21, 1861.
- Company No. 22. Captain J. C. B. Jones, heavy battery, Columbus, Kentucky, November 21, 1861.
Colonel Haynes states, “The above is a correct copy, as far as recollected, of field officers and captains of the Corps of Tennessee Artillery as filed by me in my communication on the 7th day of January, 1862, to Major General Leonidas Polk, to be by him submitted to the Honorable, the Secretary of War.” General Polk’s letter dealt with the transfer of Tennessee troops into the Confederate States Army
NOTE: All of the above batteries are listed in the unit histories to follow, under the name of the last captain to command the battery. Co. No.7, “The Steuben Artillery,” was disbanded before being mustered into the Confederate service. Its guns and equipment were turned over to Captain J. W. Stewart, Co. No.15; many of its men were transferred to Co. No.3, Captain William H. Jackson. Captain W. Crane, commanding Co. No.12, appears as Walter O. Crain.
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.