From Bergeron, La. Confed. Units, 10-11:

"The battalion originated as the 8th Infantry Battalion, but it reorganized as artillery with only three companies at Vicksburg, Mississippi, shortly after its arrival there, on May 5, 1862. During the first Union attack on Vicksburg, May 18-July 27, 1862, the men manned four heavy cannons in the city's river batteries. From this time until the spring of 1863, the battalion occupied batteries at the center of the city front of river batteries. On April 23, 1863, during a passage of the batteries by Union vessels, one of the battalion's guns discharged prematurely, killing 1 man and severely wounding 2 others. The men fired on enemy gunboats and artillery batteries on the Louisiana shore during the Siege of Vicksburg, May 19-July 4, 1863. Captured and paroled at the fall of the city, the men went into parole camp at Enterprise, Mississippi. Most of the men eventually made their way to their homes. After being exchanged in early 1864, a handful of men reported for duty at Mobile, Alabama, and served with the 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery. A larger contingent of men reported for duty in the Trans-Mississippi Department and were organized under Captain Thomas N. McCrory as Company D, Siege Train Battalion. This company may have acted for a time as part of the 2nd Louisiana Heavy Artillery Battalion. The men did duty in Fort Buhlow near Pineville until the end of the war. At the surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Department, most of the men disbanded and went home rather than sign paroles."
http://www.acadiansingray.com/8th%20Bn.%20Hvy.%20Arty.htm

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8th Battalion, Louisiana Heavy Artillery

8th Artillery Battalion was organized during the early spring of 1862 with men from the New Orleans area. Serving as heavy artillery and containing four companies, the unit was stationed at Forts Jackson and St. Phillip. Later it was ordered to Mississippi and attached to the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. Garrisoned at Vicksburg for more than a year, it was captured when the city fell in July, 1863. That December only 42 men were present, and they moved to Mobile. Here the battalion served at Forts Gaines and Morgan, and in August, 1864, most were captured. The unit no longer existed. Its commanders were Lieutenant Colonel William E. Pinkney and Major Frederick N. Ogden.
http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm