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Madison Mississippi Artillery (Richards’ MS Battery)

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Muster In: Organized in early 1863.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Captain Thomas J. Richards
Commander Image

Commander 2
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (April 9 to December 28, 1864)4

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army5

  • Commander: Captain Thomas J. Richards6
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (April 9 to December 28, 1864)7

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army8

  • Commander: Captain Thomas J. Richards9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (April 9 to December 28, 1864)10

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army11

  • Commander: Captain Thomas J. Richards12
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (April 9 to December 28, 1864)13

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army14,15

  • Commander: Captain Thomas J. Richards16
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (April 9 to December 28, 1864)17
  • Note: Poague’s Battalion, reinforced by Penick’s “Pittsylvania” or “Lewis” Virginia Artillery, served with Alexander’s First Corps Artillery opposite Dutch Gap during the Fifth Offensive.18

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army19

  • Commander: Captain Thomas J. Richards20
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (April 9 to December 28, 1864)21

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle:

Pegram’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (November 1864)22

Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (December 1864)23

  • Commander: Captain Thomas J. Richards (November & December 1864)24,25
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
    • 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (April 9 to December 28, 1864)26
    • Also manning 2 x 8-inch Mortars (December 30, 1864)27
  • Note: At some point after November 30, 1864, the Madison Mississippi Light Artillery transferred from Pegram’s to Poague’s Artillery Battalion.  It appears to have been in Poague’s Battalion prior to November as well.  Could Sibley have made a mistake?  More research is needed to find the exact date.

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army28,29,30

  • Commander: None listed (January & February 1865)31,32
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Poague’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army33,34

  • Commander:
    • None listed. (March 1865)35
    • Captain Thomas J. Richards (April 1-2, 1865)34
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles37:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

      Sources:

      1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23 ↩
      2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23 ↩
      3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113 ↩
      4. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from April 9 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both April 9 and December 28, 1864.  What is unclear is if Sifakis can correctly assume this setup never changed at any point in between those dates.  More research is needed. ↩
      5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113 ↩
      6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113 ↩
      7. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from April 9 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both April 9 and December 28, 1864.  What is unclear is if Sifakis can correctly assume this setup never changed at any point in between those dates.  More research is needed. ↩
      8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122 ↩
      9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122 ↩
      10. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from April 9 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both April 9 and December 28, 1864.  What is unclear is if Sifakis can correctly assume this setup never changed at any point in between those dates.  More research is needed. ↩
      11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 131 ↩
      12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 131 ↩
      13. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from April 9 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both April 9 and December 28, 1864.  What is unclear is if Sifakis can correctly assume this setup never changed at any point in between those dates.  More research is needed. ↩
      14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140 ↩
      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. 1313. ↩
      16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140 ↩
      17. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from April 9 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both April 9 and December 28, 1864.  What is unclear is if Sifakis can correctly assume this setup never changed at any point in between those dates.  More research is needed. ↩
      18. 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. 1313. ↩
      19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149 ↩
      20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149 ↩
      21. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from April 9 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both April 9 and December 28, 1864.  What is unclear is if Sifakis can correctly assume this setup never changed at any point in between those dates.  More research is needed. ↩
      22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157 ↩
      23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166 ↩
      24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157 ↩
      25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166 ↩
      26. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from April 9 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both April 9 and December 28, 1864.  What is unclear is if Sifakis can correctly assume this setup never changed at any point in between those dates.  More research is needed. ↩
      27. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23 ↩
      28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175 ↩
      29. 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 1177: “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. ↩
      30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185 ↩
      31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175 ↩
      32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185 ↩
      33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 194 ↩
      34. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203 ↩
      35. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 194 ↩
      36. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203 ↩
      37. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, p. 23 ↩

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