Artillery on the Mountain: Federal

As I said in an earlier post, the terrain was not suitable for the use of artillery but, both sides did the best they could. That post focused on Confederate artillery units, here are the Federal units at South Mountain.

Kentucky Light Artillery, Simmonds' Battery, Captain Seth Simmonds commanding: Mustered into United States service as Company E, 1st Kentucky Infantry, it was transferred and retrained as an artillery unit. It was attached to the Kanawha Division of Jacob Cox and it had the distinction of being the only Kentucky unit to fight in the Eastern Theatre of the war. Around 10 o'clock on September 14th, a section of the battery armed with two 10-pounder Parrots, commanded by a Lieutenant Glassier, was ordered up to an open area near Fox's Gap to support the final assault by the Kanawha Division against the remnants of Samuel Garland's Confederate brigade. The section played a role in demoralizing the Confederate defenders and driving off Bondurant's Battery from its position near the Wise Cabin. Two 20-pounder Parrot's were left in the rear in a position from which these guns could easily put fire down onto the Confederate defenders at Turner's Gap.

Battery A, 1st Maryland Light Artillery, Captain John W. Wolcott commanding: Organized and mustered in at Baltimore and Pikesville, Maryland, these men were defending their homestate. Attached to William Franklin's 6th Corps, the battery was advanced at about 2 PM on September 14th supporting Union skirmishers that had been deployed. When the assault began, the battery was ordered to change position to support the assault column. A Lieutenant Rigby wrote home, "We had to take the road through a village, which was being shelled by three 12 pounders posted on the mountain. From where we started, to the village, was about one mile and the postition we were about to take, about one mile from the village; as soon as we appeared on the road, the Rebels turned their guns upon us, and such a shower of shot and shell fell around us is not easily imagined...we went through at a full gallop...without a scratch and took our position." Before the battery could get off any shots, the main Confederate line had been broken and the fight was surging up the mountainside negating the use of the battery in fear of hitting friendly units.

Battery B, 1st Maryland Light Artillery, Lieutenant Theodore Vanneman commanding: This battery, while present on the field at Crampton's Gap, was not engaged.

Battery A, 1st Massachusetts Light Artillery, Captain Josiah Porter commanding: This battery was present on the field at Crampton's Gap, but was not actively engaged.

8th Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery, Captain Asa Cook commanding: Attached to the 1st Division of Major General Jesse Reno's 9th Corps, the battery was deployed along the Old Sharpsburg road leading towards Fox's Gap to drive off the Confederate artillery that was posted at Turner's Gap. Suddenly, a Confederate battery to the left of Cook's guns (Bondurant's Battery) opened fire on the Union artilleryman. The sudden fire, drove the artilleryman from their guns despite Cook trying frantically to keep his men from routing. As he remained in position, he would lose 1 man killed and 4 wounded. Cook's men would return to their guns following the Union attack the destroyed Thomas Drayton's brigade.

1st Battery, New York Light Artillery, Captain Andrew Cowan commanding: This battery was not actively engaged in the fight at Crampton's Gap but the Confederate artillery piece "Jennie" that was captured when the Confederate's fled from the gap was turned over to this battery.

Battery L, 1st New York Light Artillery, Captain John A. Reynolds commanding: Assigned to Joseph Hooker's 1st Corps, this battery was present on the field but was not engaged.

1st Battery, Ohio Light Artillery, Captain James McMullin commanding: Attached to the Kanawha Division, a section of this battery under Lieutenant George Crome, was engaged in the early fighting near Fox's Gap. Advanced to support Scammon's brigade, the section came under heavy fire from Confederate sharpshooters. The artilleryman continued serving their guns despite the withering fire and only abandoned them when Lieutenant Crome went down, mortally wounded, while in the act of loading one of his pieces. The guns were abandoned and nearly captured by Alfred Iverson's 20th North Carolina. The remaining guns of the battery were posted on a hill near the intersection of the Old Sharpsburg Road and the National Pike to combat Confederate artillery batteries in position at Turner's Gap.

1st Battery A, New Jersey Light Artillery, Captain William Hexamer commanding: This battery was present on the field at Crampton's Gap but was not engaged.

1st Battery, New Hampshire Light Artillery, Lieutenant Frederick Edgell commanding: This battery was present with the 1st Corps at Turner's Gap but was not engaged.

Battery A, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Lieutenant John Simpson commanding: Attached to the Pennsylvania Reserve Division of the First Corps, the battery was present on the field at Frostown Gap but it is unclear if they engaged.

Battery B, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Captain James Cooper commanding: Attached to the Pennsylvania Reserve Division, Cooper's Battery engaged with Confederate artillery on South Mountain as it went into position near the Mount Tabor Church. The battery ceased fire when the infantry advance began to avoid friendly casualties.

Battery C, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Captain Jeremiah McCarthy commanding: This battery was attached to the division of Darius Couch of the 6th Corps and was not engaged at South Mountain.

Battery D, 1st Pennsylvana Light Artillery, Captain Micheal Hall commanding: This battery was attached to Couch's Division of the 6th Corps and was not engaged at South Mountain.

Battery F, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Captain Ezra Matthews commanding: Battery was attached to Rickett's Division of the 1st Corps and was held in reserve and did not see action.

Battery G, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Lieutenant Frank Amsden commanding: Battery was attached to the Rickett's Division but was detailed to man the defenses of Washington during the Maryland Campaign.

Battery D, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, Captain J. Adelbert Monroe: This battery was attached to the First Corps and Captain Monroe, while serving as commanding officer of the battery, was also Chief of Artillery for the First Corps. The battery was no engaged.

Battery D, 2nd United States Artillery, Lieutenant Edward B. Williston commanding: This battery was attached to the first division of the 6th Corps under the command of Major General Slocum. It would not see action at Crampton's Gap.

Battery E, 2nd United States Artillery, Lieutenant Samuel N. Benjamin: This battery was attached to Willcox's Division of the 9th Corps. At 8 AM on the 14th, it was ordered to report to General Alfred Pleasonton and placed in position on a high knoll that could fire at both Turner's and Fox's Gap. Benjamin writes in his reports that he engaged three seperate Confederate batteries silencing one and drawing the fire of the other two away from Union infantry. The battery had a detachment from the 79th New York Infantry present helping to work the guns. No casualties were suffered.

Battery B, 4th United States Artillery, Captain Joseph Campbell commanding: Probably that most famous artillery unit to come out of the war, Battery B assigned to the First Division of the First Corps. On September 14th, it was attached to support John Gibbon's "Iron" Brigade as it assaulted Turner's Gap directly up the National Pike. When Gibbon's brigade became stalled, one section under Lieutenant James Stewart was advanced and went into position where it shelled a farm house that was housing Confederate sharpshooters and successfully forcing them to abandon their position. Stewart's section would continue to support the attack. When hostilities had ended for the day, Stewart was relieved by the two remaining sections of the battery, but Stewart refused, or adamently argued, that he should remain in the field, but his section was eventually relieved and ordered to the rear to replenish ammunition and rest.

Battery E, 4th United States Artillery, Captain Joseph Clark, Jr. commanding: This battery was attached to Samuel Sturgis' Division of the 9th Corps. Upon arriving at Fox's Gap, the battery was detached from Sturgis and ordered to support Cox's Division as it advanced during the afternoon Union assault.

Battery A, 5th United States Artillery, Lieutenant Charles Muhlenberg commanding: Battery was attached to Issac Rodman's Division of the 9th Corps. It was on the field at Fox's Gap but was likely not engaged.

Battery C, 5th United States Artillery, Captain Dunbar Ransom commanding: This battery was attached to the Pennsylvania Reserve Division. It was on the field at Frostown Gap but it was likely not engaged.

Battery F, 5th United States Artillery, Lt. Leonard Martin commanding: This battery was attached to the division of William F. Smith of the 6th Corps. It was on the field at Crampton's Gap but was not engaged.