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. Also known as: Company A, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery and/or Dismukes' Battery.Howerton, Bryan R. "Arkansas Artillery Batteries" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 12 May 2004, Accessed 21 December 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?read=7332
Organization 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 succeeded as captain by First Lieut. Paul Thomas Dismukes, date uncertain.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: Hoadley's Battery for Danny" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 12/30/2012, Accessed 9 February 2013, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?md=read;id=27669 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 Invincible Guards of Magnolia", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 9 February 2013, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/magnolia.html
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.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: Arkansas men in 1st TN Heavy Artillery?" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 6 October 2005, Accessed 21 December 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?read=11032
One of the original company offices, First Lieutenant William M. Hughey,Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas, NARA M317, Roll 0255, Miscellaneous, Arkansas, A-I, http://www.fold3.com/image/#227649938 would go on to serve in Shoup's Mountain Battery and the 8th Arkansas Field Battery.
Service
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 untendable when Fort Henry and then Fort Donelson fell to Union forces in early February 1862. Columbus was cut off from 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 positionDaniel, Larry J. and Lynn N. Bock., Island No. 10: struggle for the Mississippi Valley. University of Alabama Press, 1996. , p. 27. 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.Daniel and Bock, Island No. 10, p. 34; ORA I, v. 8, pp. 144, 182–183. McCown was eventually replaced in command at the island by Brig. Gen. William W. Mackall.Daniel and Bock, Island No. 10, p. 114. The name is pronounced MAY-call.
Island No. 10 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:Odom, Danny "Re: Hoadley's Battery for Danny" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 2/10/2013, Accessed 11 February 2013 http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?page=1;md=read;id=27856 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.United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 8., Book, 1883; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154611/m1/625/?q=jackson : accessed February 09, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. 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.Daniel and Bock, Island No. 10, p. 70. 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.Daniel and Bock, Island No. 10, p. 80.
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, made a similar run.Walke, Henry, "The Western Flotilla at Fort Donelson, Island Number Ten, Fort Pillow, and Memphis," Battles and leaders, pp. 443–445. 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.Daniel and Bock, Island No. 10, p. 130. Realizing that his position was hopeless, Mackall put the men on the mainland in motion in the direction of Tiptonville.Daniel and Bock, Island No. 10, pp. 133–134.
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.Tennesseans in the Civil War, Vol 1. (Civil War Centennial Commission of Tennessee 1964, See Also "1st TENNESSEE HEAVY" Tennessee in the Civil War, Confederate Artillery Units, Accessed 9 February 2013, http://www.tngenweb.org/civilwar/csaart/hart1.htmlUnited States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 8., Book, 1883; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154611/m1/163/?q=Jackson Tennessee Artillery : accessed February 09, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
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 hurriedly fortified and armed as the next bastion further down the Mississippi River.Odom, Danny, "Re: Hoadley's Battery for Danny" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 12/30/2012, Accessed 9 February 2013, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?md=read;id=27666 The 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery was embarked on the Steamer Golden Age on June 2, 1862, for Vicksburg.
Siege of Vicksburg Upon arrival at Vicksburg, the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery was consolidated by order of Brigadier General M. L. Smith on June 18, 1862 due to depleted numbers, there were only about 330 men at the time.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: Numbering of Artillery Units" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 20 October 2011, Accessed 21 December 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=24873 On June 18, 1862 General Smith ordered the regiment temporarily consolidated into four companies, Company A was composed of Dismukes' (old) Co. B and part of Maley's (old) Company C. In the consolidation additional changes were made to the battery officers. First Lieutenant Peter F. Smith was dropped from the rolls and >Second Lieutenant Philip P. Frazier transferred to another battery. So the battery officers during the Siege of Vicksburg were: Captain Paul T. Dismukes First Lieutenant Robert H. Howell First Lieutenant John B Baggett First Lieutenant M. L. Smith transferred from Postelwhaite's Btry June 18, 1862 (Resigned April 30, 1864) Second Lieutenant Ed J. Thompson transferred from Postelwhaite's Btry June 18, 1862. (Resigned October 28, 1862) Second Lieutenant Stephen M Corbitt transferred from Upton's btry June 18, 62
During the Siege of Vicksburg, the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery, commanded by Colonel Andrew Jackson, Jr., was placed in charge of the upper batteries, from Fort Hill to the upper bayou, under the overall command of Colonel Edward Higgins. Dismukes Company, now Company A of the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery, served one 10-inch Columbiad gun in the Wyman's Hill Battery.Edwin Bearss' The Vicksburg Campaign, Volume I, page 460; and Volume II, pages 61 and 63."1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery, Company A [Dismukes']", National Park Service, Vicksburg National Military Park Accessed 10 February 2013, https://home.nps.gov/vick/learn/historyculture/1st-tennessee-heavy-artillery-company-a-dismukes.htm
Colonel Jackson reported on the passage of the batteries by enemy boats on the night of April 2, 1863, in which 391 shots were fired by the regiment. During the siege, Major Hoadley was killed on June 8, 1863, and Major Upton, who succeeded him, had his arm so badly smashed it had to be amputated.
The battery, along with the rest of the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery regiment was surrendered and paroled as part of Brigadier General John C. Moore's Brigade on July 4, 1863.