The Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Heavy Guns in Arkansas #1
In Response To: Heavy Guns in Arkansas #1 ()

"According to my counting, total number of such (or similar) heavy, anti-ship, guns present in Arkansas would have been:"

I forgot this lone "nearly heavy" piece:

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Von Phul's Battery
Soldiers detailed from regiments of Brigadier General Daniel M. Frost's infantry brigade formed this battery on February 3, 1863, likely at Little Rock, Arkansas. Armed initially with one bronze [#1] 24-pounder and two 6-pounder [#2] Parrotts, it moved with Frost's Brigade to Fort Pleasants, near Pine Bluff, later that month, where it eventually served six guns while guarding the river approach to Little Rock. [...] [After June 27, 1862] Von Phul's artillery experienced no further combat.

James E. McGhee, Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865, p.42-43

[#1] The reference to bronze means it was not a 24-pdr gun, but a 24-pdr field howitzer (either the official Model 1841 or a Southern copy).
[#2] Commonly meaning, at the time, "rifled guns of 3-pdr nature" or 2.91-in, see my previous message. Plain 10-pdr Parrotts, likely originating from Pike.
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Early in September, 1863, I was requested by the military authorities at Little Rock, after Holmes was relieved and while Price was in command, to organize and drill a sufficient force to man a bronze Napoleon gun [#3] and a twenty-four pound bronze Howitzer, in possession of the ordnance officers, during the defense of Little Rock, against the expected attack of General Steele, from the direction of Clarendon.

William E. Wodruff, Jr., With the Light Guns in '61-'65, p. 99

[#3] Very rare in Trans-Mississippi. I wasn't even aware any Southern one crossed the river. I wonder if Woodruff had ever seen one before. Could be a misidentification for a "normal" (heavy, unwieldy and obsolete) 12-pdr field gun. This would explain why it was assigned to a second-tier slow-moving unit, instead of being eagerly sought by any artilleryman around.
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I suspect these two references points to the same piece, transferred back to Little Rock when Fort Pleasant was evacuated in July 1863.

Messages In This Thread

Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Heavy Guns in Arkansas #1
Re: Heavy Guns in Arkansas #1
Re: Heavy Guns in Arkansas #1
Heavy Guns in Arkansas #2
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?
Re: Woodruff during the Brooks Baxter War?