Company B, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery

Company B, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery (1861–1864) was a Confederate Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. Although the unit was assigned to a Tennessee Artillery Regiment, it was originally organized as the McCown Guards, or the McCown Guards Artillery, a volunteer company raised in Lafayette County, Arkansas. It was also known as Company A, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery and/or Dismukes' Battery. The company began as an infantry company called the McCown Guards, recruited in Columbia and Lafayette counties, Arkansas, and organized at Lamartine, Arkansas, on December 6, 1861, under the command of Captain Datus Whitaker (Whit) Harris. Harris was later succeeded as captain by First Lieutenant Paul Thomas Dismukes, though the exact date is uncertain. Dismukes had originally served as a sergeant in the Invincible Guards, a militia company raised at Magnolia in Columbia County, Arkansas, which became a company in the 5th Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. The company had been recruited for the 15th (Johnson/Gee) Arkansas Infantry but was diverted into artillery service before joining that regiment. It was sent east of the Mississippi River and converted into an artillery battery, eventually being assigned to the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery as (2nd) Company A. One of the original company officers, First Lieutenant William M. Hughey, later served in Shoup's Mountain Battery and the 8th Arkansas Field Battery. Dismukes' battery probably first became associated with heavy artillery at Columbus, Kentucky, in the winter of 1862. Columbus was initially the first major Confederate bastion on the Mississippi River, but it became untenable after Fort Henry and then Fort Donelson fell to Union forces in early February 1862. Cut off from the rest of the Confederate Army and facing capture by Union troops advancing overland from the Tennessee River to the Mississippi, the position was abandoned on the orders of General Beauregard. The evacuation began on February 24, when the first members of the Columbus garrison arrived at Island No. 10. Two days later, its new commander, Brigadier General John P. McCown, arrived and immediately worked to strengthen the position, transforming the island and nearby mainland into a formidable obstacle. By mid-March, five batteries containing 24 guns had been built on the shore above the island; 19 guns were in five batteries on the island itself; and the floating battery New Orleans, with nine guns, was moored at the west end of the island. McCown was eventually replaced in command by Brigadier General William W. Mackall. Dismukes' battery was part of the heavy artillery that had just arrived at Madrid Bend on March 1, 1862. It appears that Captain Harris and Lieutenant Hughey had already left the battery before it moved to New Madrid. The battery officers during this period were Captain Paul T. Dismukes, First Lieutenant Robert H. Howell, First Lieutenant George T. Moorman, Second Lieutenant Philip P. Frazier, and Second Lieutenant Wash T. Dickson. Union gunboats and mortars arrived on March 15, beginning the siege of Island No. 10. Union ground forces under General John Pope at New Madrid and Union naval forces under Admiral Andrew Hull Foote upstream of the bend were kept apart by the island, and from the first they disagreed on how to conduct the operation. Pope wanted immediate action; Foote hoped to subdue the island by slow bombardment. As early as March 17, Pope asked that two or three gunboats run past the Confederate batteries to enable him to cross the river and trap the garrison, but Foote demurred, arguing that his boats were not invincible. For the next two weeks, fighting consisted of long-range bombardment of the island, mostly by mortars, occasionally answered by the Confederate batteries. On April 4, the Union gunboat Carondelet made her way downstream and was not discovered until she was abreast of Confederate Battery No. 2.

Company B, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery (1861–1864) was a Confederate Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. While the unit was assigned to a Tennessee Artillery Regiment, it was originally organized as the McCown Guards or the McCown Guards Artillery, a volunteer company organized in Lafayette County, Arkansas. It was also known as Company A, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery and/or Dismukes' Battery. An infantry company known as the "McCown Guards" was recruited in Columbia and Lafayette counties, Arkansas, and organized at Lamartine, Arkansas, on December 6, 1861, under the command of Captain Datus Whitaker (Whit) Harris. Captain Harris was succeeded as captain by First Lieutenant Paul Thomas Dismukes, date uncertain. Dismukes had originally served as a Sergeant in the Invincible Guards, a militia company raised at Magnolia, in Columbia County, Arkansas, which became a company in the 5th Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. The company was originally recruited for the 15th (Johnson/Gee) Arkansas Infantry, but was sidetracked into the artillery service before it joined the 15th Arkansas. The unit was sent east of the Mississippi River and converted to an artillery battery where it would eventually be assigned to the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery as (2nd) Company A. One of the original company officers, First Lieutenant William M. Hughey, would go on to serve in Shoup's Mountain Battery and the 8th Arkansas Field Battery. Dismuke's battery probably first became associated with heavy artillery at Columbus, Kentucky, in the winter of 1862. While initially serving as the first major Confederate bastion on the Mississippi River, Columbus became untenable when Fort Henry and then Fort Donelson fell to Union forces in early February 1862. Columbus was cut off from the rest of the Confederate Army and faced capture by Union troops advancing overland from the Tennessee River to the Mississippi. To avoid losing the garrison and its equipment, General Beauregard ordered that the position be abandoned as quietly as possible. The process began on February 24, when the first members of the Columbus garrison arrived at Island No. 10. Two days later, its new commander, Brig. Gen. John P. McCown, arrived and immediately set to work to strengthen the position. McCown was able to transform the island and nearby mainland into a formidable obstacle for any fleet attempting to pass. By the middle of March, five batteries containing 24 guns had been built on the shore above the island; 19 guns were in five batteries on the island itself; and the floating battery New Orleans, with nine guns, was moored at the west end of the island. McCown was eventually replaced in command at the island by Brig. Gen. William W. Mackall. Dismuke's battery was part of the heavy artillery which had just arrived at Madrid Bend on March 1, 1862. It appears that Captain Harris and Lieutenant Hughey had already left the battery before it moved to New Madrid. The battery officers during this period appear to have been: Captain Paul T. Dismukes, First Lieutenant Robert H. Howell, First Lieutenant George T. Moorman, Second Lieutenant Philip P. Frazier, Second Lieutenant Wash T. Dickson. Union gunboats and mortars arrived on March 15, and the siege of Island No. 10 began. Union ground forces led by General John Pope, in New Madrid, and Union naval forces led by Admiral Andrew Hull Foote, upstream of the bend, were kept apart by Island No. 10. From the first, they did not agree how to go about conducting the operation. Pope wanted immediate action; Foote hoped to subdue the island by the slow process of bombardment. As early as March 17, Pope was asking that two or three gunboats run past the Confederate batteries, to enable him to cross the river and trap the entire garrison. Foote demurred, arguing that his boats were not invincible. For the next two weeks, fighting consisted of bombardment of the island at rather long range, mostly conducted by the mortars, and occasionally replied to by the Confederate batteries. On April 4, the Union gunboat Carondelet made her way downstream, and was not discovered until she was abreast of the Confederate Battery No. 2. The batteries opened, but their fire was inaccurate, and Carondelet completed the run unscathed. Two nights later, USS Pittsburg made a similar run. On April 7, Pope made his move, and transports carried his troops across, landing on the Tennessee side of the river, thus threatening the Confederate positions from the rear. Realizing that his position was hopeless, Mackall put the men on the mainland in motion in the direction of Tiptonville. Dismuke's battery evacuated its positions at Madrid Bend on April 7, 1862, along with other artillery units under Captain Andrew Jackson, Jr. They escaped across Reelfoot Lake and reached Memphis April 14, 1862 with 36 men. The 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery Regiment was organized at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on May 10, 1862, composed of ten companies which had previously served as independent batteries. Dismukes' Arkansas Battery was designated as Company B, and Hoadley's Arkansas Battery as Company H. The field grade officers of the regiment were: Colonel Andrew Jackson, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sterling, Major Frederick W. Hoadley. It appears that First Lieutenant George T. Moorman and Second Lieutenant Wash T. Dickson were not with the unit when it reorganized at Fort Pillow following its escape from Island No. 10. The battery officers at the time of the formation of 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery were: Captain Paul T. Dismukes, First Lieutenant Robert H. Howell, First Lieutenant Peter F. Smith, Second Lieutenant Philip P. Frazier. General Villepigue began the evacuation of Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River at the end of May 1862. By June 4, it had been abandoned and the troops sent down to Memphis to be dispersed from there to other points. The heavy artillery was needed at Vicksburg which was then being…

• Organized at Lamartine, Arkansas, as the McCown Guards infantry company under Captain Datus Whitaker (Whit) Harris.

• First members of the Columbus garrison arrived at Island No. 10 during the evacuation of Columbus, Kentucky.

• Dismuke's battery arrived at Madrid Bend as part of the heavy artillery.

• Union gunboats and mortars arrived, beginning the siege of Island No. 10.

• Union gunboat Carondelet ran past the Confederate batteries at Island No. 10.

• Dismuke's battery evacuated its positions at Madrid Bend and escaped across Reelfoot Lake.

• The battery reached Memphis with 36 men.

• 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery Regiment organized at Fort Pillow, Tennessee; Dismukes' Arkansas Battery designated Company B.

• Fort Pillow abandoned; troops sent down to Memphis to be dispersed to other points.

1. 1Company B, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Company B, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery - Wikidatawikidata.org