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Giles Virginia Artillery (French’s VA Battery)

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Note: This unit was also known as the McComas VA Light Artillery.

Muster In: Organized by the detachment of Company B, Wise Legion, in early 1862.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Captain David A. French
Commander Image

Commander 2
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | Chaffin’s Farm | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army3

  • Commander: Captain David A. French4,5
  • Unit Strength:
  • -Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | Chaffin’s Farm | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army6

  • Commander: Captain David A. French7,8
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | Chaffin’s Farm | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army 9

  • Commander: Captain David A. French 10
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | Chaffin’s Farm | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army 11

  • Commander: Captain David A. French 12
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (August 7 & 31, 1864)13

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | Artillery Defenses | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army14,15

  • Commander: Captain David A. French (at least September 29)16,17
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army18

  • Commander: Captain David A. French19
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army20,21

  • Commander: Captain David A. French (November & December 1864)22,23
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (December 28, 1864)24

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army25,26,27

  • Commander: Captain David A. French (January & February 1865)28,29
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Stark’s Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army30,31

  • Commander:
    • Captain David A. French (March 1865)32
    • None listed. (April 1-2, 1865)33
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles34:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Action at Wilson’s Wharf (July 16, 1864) (possibly elements)35,36
  • Second Battle of Deep Bottom (August 16, 1864)37
  • Chaffin’s Farm (September 29, 1864)38
  • Fort Gilmer (September 29-30, 1864)
  • Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road (October 27, 1864)39
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 36-37 ↩
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 36-37 ↩
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 118 ↩
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 118 ↩
    5. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 671 ↩
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 118 ↩
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 118 ↩
    8. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 671 ↩
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 127 ↩
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 127 ↩
    11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 136 ↩
    12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 136 ↩
    13.  Bohannon, Keith S. The Giles, Alleghany and Jackson Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1990), pp. 92, 93 ↩
    14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 144 ↩
    15. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1315. ↩
    16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 144 ↩
    17.  Bohannon, Keith S. The Giles, Alleghany and Jackson Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1990), p. 94 ↩
    18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 147 ↩
    19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 147 ↩
    20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 156 ↩
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 163 ↩
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 156 ↩
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 163 ↩
    24. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 36-37 ↩
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 173 ↩
    26. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1176: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General R. E. Lee, January 31, 1865”; This list contains many commanders who were not there.  They were the “official” commanders but may have been gone on leave.  I have used none of the leaders from this list as a result. ↩
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 182 ↩
    28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 173 ↩
    29. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 182 ↩
    30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 191 ↩
    31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 201 ↩
    32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 191 ↩
    33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 201 ↩
    34. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 36-37 ↩
    35. “The War News.” Richmond Examiner. July 18, 1864, p. 1 col. 1-2 ↩
    36. “Rebel Batteries on the James.” Philadelphia Inquirer. July 18, 1864, p. 1 col. 3 ↩
    37.  Bohannon, Keith S. The Giles, Alleghany and Jackson Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1990), pp. 92-93 ↩
    38.  Bohannon, Keith S. The Giles, Alleghany and Jackson Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1990), p. 94 ↩
    39.  Bohannon, Keith S. The Giles, Alleghany and Jackson Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1990), p. 94 ↩

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