Mississippi: Pettus Flying Artillery Battery
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Unit History
Organized in the summer of 1861.
It was armed with two 6-lb. Smoothbores, two 12-lb. Howitzers, and two 3" Rifles on April 6-7, 1862.
It was armed with four guns on April 29, 1863.
Battery surrendered at Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 4, 1863.
Paroled at Vicksburg in July 1863.
Declared exchanged on September 12, 1863.
It was armed with two 10-lb. Parrotts and two 12-lb. Howitzers in may 1864.
Surrender by Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, commanding the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, at Meridian, Mississippi on May 4, 1865.
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Mustered in State army May 4, 1861, Panola County
Captain -- Alfred Hudson, killed at Shiloh
First Lieutenant -- Thad. D. Randolph
Second Lieutenant -- James L. Hoole, promoted Captain
Third Lieutenant -- John R. Sweaney, killed at Vicksburg
Lieutenants promoted: E. S. Walton, wounded at Vicksburg; Milton H. Trantham, in command at surrender of Vicksburg.
In the organization of the army under General Polk at Columbus, Ky., in the fall of 1861, Hudson's Battery was, with Blythe's Battalion, attached to Preston Smith's Brigade in Cheatham's Division. At Camp Beauregard, Ky., November, with Bowen's Division, present and absent, 109 men. In the next month General Polk broke up this camp, sending the troops to General Johnston at Bowling Green. He wrote: "1 send you Hudson's Battery, a very fine one." It was attached to Bowen's Brigade, in Floyd's Division of the army under Maj. Gen. William Hardee. After the retreat to Corinth, Bowen's Brigade was a part of General Breckenridge's "Reserve Corps."
Breckenridge fought in the front line at Shiloh, but he made no detailed report, and Bowen was severely wounded, and the Hudson Battery is not mentioned in the official reports.
Served in defense of Vicksburg in July 1862, under colnmand of First Lt. J. R. Sweaney, attached to Helm's Brigade. Under command of Sweaney, the battery participated in the battle of Baton Rouge on August 5, 1862, with the division under General Clark, General Breckenridge gave them honorable mention in his report. The battery had six men wounded.
Attached to Rust's Brigade of Lovell's Division, Van Dorn's Army, at the battle of Corinth in October 1862, Lt. Sweaney in command, but had no opportunity to participate. With Rust's Brigade, January 1863, Port Hudson district; same, March, Sweaney commanding. Transferred to Jackson, Mississippi, sent April 18, with Lowry's Regiment, to reinforce General Bowen at Grand Gulf. At I A.M., April 30, hearing that Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was crossing the river to Bruinsburg, Bowen sent a section of the Hudson Battery, with Col. Robert Lowry's Regiment and a part of Green's Brigade to occupy the roads in front of Port Gibson, in all 775 men, which he reinforced during the battle of May 1 with other infantry and artillery to a total of 5,000.
General Green reported that in the opening of the battle, three hours before dawn, on the Rodney road near Union Church, "the Hudson Battery, though in a very warm place, succeeded in driving the enemy's battery from its position. This, however, was soon replaced by another, which opened upon us with great fury. Our battery replied with signal success, though the enemy's shells and balls fell thick around them wounding many; yet they stood by their guns and kept up a regular fire. After three hours hard fighting the enemy ceased firing and withdrew a short distance." Sweaney retired his battery for ammunition, but soon returned and was engaged until Green was compelled to retreat about 11:00 A.M. "The Hudson Battery brought off all their pieces," Bowen said, "but had lost so many horses they were compelled to abandon their caissons. This battery suffered severely, having twenty wounded."
On May 14, Sweaney's section, camped near the Cox hospital, placed at disposal of General Forney for defense of Big Black Bridge.
At the Vicksburg line, the 12lb. howitzers of Hudson's Battery took position on the morning of the investment and remained until disabled. First Lieut. E. S. Walton commanded two guns in the railroad redan. From this detachment, four men were captured during the charge made upon the fort. Sweaney was killed and Walton desperately wounded, and Lieut. Trantham was left in command.
In parole camp at Enterprise in November 1863, Capt. James L. Hoole commanding; present, 64 men; aggregate, 102 men, December, exchanged. Chalmers sent Hoole's Battery of mountain howitzers, with his reinforcements, to Maj. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest during the Meridian Campaign, and they participated in the battle of Okolona on February 22, 1864, both in the town, and in the attack 5 miles out where Col. Jeff. Forrest and Col. Barksdale were killed. Hudson's Battery, Lt. E. S. Walton, two 10lb. Parrotts and two 12lb. howitzers, in Morton's Artillery Battalion of Forrest's Cavalry, with batteries of Morton, Thrall and Rice.
In battle of Harrisburg on July 14, 1864, on the fight of the line, with Roddey's Division.
In the attack on Athens, Alabama on September 23, 1864, "Hudson's Battery, commanded by Lieut. E. S. Walton, was placed northeast of the fort," (Forrest's report) which surrendered after artillery firing was kept up a short time. Walton's guns were also in action at Sulphur Springs, where another garrison was taken on September 25, and at Eastport on October 10, Walton, supported by Kelley's Cavalry, defeated two gunboats and three transports loaded with troops. "Two balls penetrated one gunboat and a shell burst in one of the transports, causing it to be enveloped in steam and flame."
The battery was with Forrest in the raid in West Tennessee, which followed, and at Johnsonville on November 3, with Morton's and Thrall's Batteries, made the famous fight against the land batteries and gunboats defending the military depot. About 50 guns were in action, mostly on the Federal side. "The gunboats, in fifteen minutes after the engagement commenced, were set on fire, and made rapidly for the shore, where they were consumed. My batteries next opened upon the transports, and in a short time they were in flames. The immense amount of stores were also set on fire, together with the huge warehouse above the landing. The enemy continued a furious cannonading on my batteries." (Forrest's report.)
At times, the rammers were shot from the hands of the cannoneers and men were nearly buried under the dirt thrown on them by the explosion of shells from the land batteries, and their work was possible only by reason of their remarkable accuracy and rapidity of firing.
Chalmers reported that a section of the battery aided in the capture of the transport USS Cheeseman on October 30, at Paris Landing.
On March 23, 1865, Gen. Forrest, at West Point, ordered General Chalmers at Pickensville, Ala., to send Arrnstrong's Brigade with Hudson's Battery to Selma. April 11, Hudson Battery with General Starke at Greensboro.
Field and Staff
- Commander: Alfred Hudson (Captain)
- Captain: James L. Hoole
Assignments
- September-October 1861: Cheatham's Brigade, 1st Geographical Division, Department #2
- October 1861: Bowen's Brigade, 1st Geographical Division, Department #2
- October 1861: Smith's Brigade, Cheatham's Division, 1st Geographical Division, Department #2
- November-December 1861: 2nd Brigade, Bowen's Division, 1st Geographical Division, Department #2
- January-February 1862: Bowen's Brigade, Central Army of Kentucky, Department #2
- February-March 1862: Bowen's Brigade, Crittenden's Division, Central Army of Kentucky, Department #2
- March-June 1862: Bowen's Brigade, Reserve Corps, Army of the Mississippi
- June-August 1862: Helm's Brigade, District of the Mississippi, Department #2
- August 1862: Helm's Brigade, Clark's Division, Breckinridge's Command, District of the Mississippi, Department #2
- September-October 1862: Rust's Brigade, Lovell's Division, District of the Mississippi, Army of West Tennessee, Department #2
- October 1862: Rust's Brigade, Lovell's Division, Lovell's Corps, Army of West Tennessee, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- January 1863: Rust's Brigade, Loring's Division, Army of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- January-March 1863: Rust's Brigade, Loring's Division, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- March-April 1863: Rust's Brigade, 3rd Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- April 1863: 4th Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- April-May 1863: Attached Troops, Bowen's Division, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- May-July 1863: Barton's Brigade, Stevenson's Division, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- November 1863: Baldwin's Brigade, Forney's Division, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- November-December 1863: Ross' Command, Forney's Division, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana
- April-May 1864: Artillery, French's Division, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana
- May-June 1864: Artillery, Forrest's Cavalry Corps, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana
- June 1864: Unattached, Chalmer's Division, Forrest's Cavalry Corps, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana
- June-July 1864: McCulloch's Brigade, Chalmer's Division, Forrest's Cavalry Corps, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana
- July 1864-May 1865: Artillery, Forrest's Cavalry Corps, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana
Companies & Counties of Origin
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Battles, Skirmishes and Engagements
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