1st Kentucky Artillery
Encyclopedia
The 1st Kentucky Artillery (also known as Cobb's Battery) was an artillery battery
that was a member of the Orphan Brigade
in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
. It fought in several engagements throughout the Western Theater
, including the battles of Shiloh
, Baton Rouge
, Siege of Jackson
, Sulphur Trestle, Resaca
, Murfreesboro
, Jonesborough
, Chickamauga
, Missionary Ridge
, and Johnsonville
. Following the end of the Atlanta Campaign
, Cobb's Battery was detached from the Orphan Brigade and reassigned to defend Mobile, Alabama
.
Officer
, Hylan B. Lyon
—who had resigned his commission when war became inevitable— he was elected the first Captain of the battery. However, due to Kentucky's
official policy of neutrality
during the early days of the conflict, Captain Lyon found that he could not train and drill his battery properly in Mint Springs. Therefore, the battery moved to Clarksville, Tennessee
and enlisted as a group to join the Confederate States Army
. At Camp Boone
, the battery was trained in artillery, and from this point forward was known either as the 1st Kentucky Artillery or Cobb's Kentucky Battery.
Following Lyon's promotion to General, Robert L. Cobb was made Captain of the battery, and it was under his command that the unit moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky
, and was officially brought into John C. Breckinridge's
1st Kentucky Brigade
, later to gain fame as the "Orphan" Brigade.
as Lyon's Battery, took part in the Battle of Shiloh on 6 April 1862. Designated a reserve unit along with the remainder of Gen. Breckinridge's Division, the six-gun battery engaged the Federal Army
at about 11:30 a.m., and its position was overrun by about noon, with all guns captured. The guns were subsequently recaptured by Confederate forces, but four removed from the field were not used again during the battle. The Shiloh National Military Park
Marker also states that all horses were killed when the Federals overran the position, but another report indicates that horse belonging to Frank Gracey escaped death. That same report states that 34 members of the battery were killed in action during the combat. The battery could very well have been misnamed by Brig. Gen.
Daniel Ruggles
in his official report, calling the battery, "Captain Trabue's Kentucky," (which according to another Shiloh Military Park Marker, is a unit that is not mentioned another time in the Official Records, and Shiloh Military Park's Marker Finder attributes the location to "Cobb's Company.") which was used later in the day to reinforce the Confederate line, and also allowed Ruggles' Division to push further into the Federal line.
without a single casualty due to enemy fire. However, while in the swampland between Vicksburg, Mississippi
and Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, the entire Orphan Brigade was hit hard by malaria
, to the point that by 11 August 1862, Cobb's Battery had dropped from 117 men fit for duty to only 36.
under the brigade command of Brig. Gen. Benjamin H. Helm
, and making up a portion of Breckinridge's
Division, was deployed across Glass' Ford with two cannons on 19 September 1863. During the ensuing artillery duel, the commands of Cobb, Slocomb, and Helm suffered 22 wounded or dead, which equaled the Union losses during the battle. On the following day, a portion of the battery was sent to Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
to assist in repelling the Union advance.
Army of Tennessee
, and was credited by Bragg with causing "much confusion before the enemy reached musket range." However, following the collapse of the Confederate defensive line on the ridge, guns "Lady Buckner" and "Lady Breckinridge" were captured by forces under Maj. Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan.
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
that was a member of the Orphan Brigade
Orphan Brigade
The Orphan Brigade was the nickname of the First Kentucky Brigade, a group of military units recruited from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to fight for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The brigade was the largest Confederate unit to be recruited from Kentucky during...
in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It fought in several engagements throughout the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
, including the battles of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, Baton Rouge
Battle of Baton Rouge (1862)
The Battle of Baton Rouge was a ground and naval battle in the American Civil War fought in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, on August 5, 1862. The Union victory halted Confederate attempts to recapture the capital city of Louisiana.-Background:...
, Siege of Jackson
Jackson Expedition
The Jackson Expedition occurred in the aftermath of the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi in July 1863. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman led the expedition to clear General Joseph E. Johnston's relief effort from the Vicksburg area.-Background:...
, Sulphur Trestle, Resaca
Battle of Resaca
The Battle of Resaca was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was waged in both Gordon and Whitfield counties, Georgia, from May 13 - 15, 1864. It ended inconclusively with the Confederate Army retreating. The engagement was fought between the Military Division of the...
, Murfreesboro
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
, Jonesborough
Battle of Jonesborough
-Further reading:...
, Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
, and Johnsonville
Battle of Johnsonville
The Battle of Johnsonville was fought November 4–5, 1864, in Benton County, Tennessee and Humphreys County, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. Confederate cavalry commander Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest culminated a 23-day raid through western Tennessee by attacking the Union supply...
. Following the end of the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
, Cobb's Battery was detached from the Orphan Brigade and reassigned to defend Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
.
Formation
The battery was organized at the very outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 at Mint Springs, Kuttawa, Kentucky. Former United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, Hylan B. Lyon
Hylan B. Lyon
Hylan Benton Lyon was a career officer in the United States Army until the start of the American Civil War, when he resigned rather than fight against the South...
—who had resigned his commission when war became inevitable— he was elected the first Captain of the battery. However, due to Kentucky's
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
official policy of neutrality
Neutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
during the early days of the conflict, Captain Lyon found that he could not train and drill his battery properly in Mint Springs. Therefore, the battery moved to Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
and enlisted as a group to join the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. At Camp Boone
Camp Boone
Camp Boone, Tennessee was located on Guthrie Road/ U.S. Route 79 near the Kentucky - Tennessee border at Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee .Camp Boone was laid out in early 1861 by three men who had been authorized to raise a Kentucky Regiment for...
, the battery was trained in artillery, and from this point forward was known either as the 1st Kentucky Artillery or Cobb's Kentucky Battery.
Following Lyon's promotion to General, Robert L. Cobb was made Captain of the battery, and it was under his command that the unit moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, and was officially brought into John C. Breckinridge's
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
1st Kentucky Brigade
Orphan Brigade
The Orphan Brigade was the nickname of the First Kentucky Brigade, a group of military units recruited from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to fight for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The brigade was the largest Confederate unit to be recruited from Kentucky during...
, later to gain fame as the "Orphan" Brigade.
Armament
When the battery was organized, it started its service with four M1841 6-pounder smoothbore guns and two M1841 12-pound Howitzers. By July 1863, it had acquired four M1857 12-pounder Napoleon Guns, and, by the Atlanta Campaign, it had acquired a total of 6 12-pounder Napoleon Guns. Three of the Napoleon Guns were named by the battery after Orphan Brigade commanders' wives, these guns being called "Lady Breckinridge," "Lady Buckner," and "Lady Helm."Shiloh
The battery, listed on the Confederate Order of BattleShiloh Confederate order of battle
The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Shiloh of the American Civil War. The Union order of battle is shown separately...
as Lyon's Battery, took part in the Battle of Shiloh on 6 April 1862. Designated a reserve unit along with the remainder of Gen. Breckinridge's Division, the six-gun battery engaged the Federal Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
at about 11:30 a.m., and its position was overrun by about noon, with all guns captured. The guns were subsequently recaptured by Confederate forces, but four removed from the field were not used again during the battle. The Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The main section of the park is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh, about nine miles south of Savannah, Tennessee, with an additional area located in the city of Corinth, Mississippi, 23 miles ...
Marker also states that all horses were killed when the Federals overran the position, but another report indicates that horse belonging to Frank Gracey escaped death. That same report states that 34 members of the battery were killed in action during the combat. The battery could very well have been misnamed by Brig. Gen.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Daniel Ruggles
Daniel Ruggles
Daniel Ruggles was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded a division at the Battle of Shiloh.-Biography:Ruggles was born in Barre, Massachusetts, in 1810...
in his official report, calling the battery, "Captain Trabue's Kentucky," (which according to another Shiloh Military Park Marker, is a unit that is not mentioned another time in the Official Records, and Shiloh Military Park's Marker Finder attributes the location to "Cobb's Company.") which was used later in the day to reinforce the Confederate line, and also allowed Ruggles' Division to push further into the Federal line.
Baton Rouge
During the Battle of Baton Rouge, 5 August 1862, Cobb's Battery was a participant only at the beginning of the battle. The battery was ordered to the rear while the battle was still being fought, and was able to escape the Battle of Baton RougeBattle of Baton Rouge (1862)
The Battle of Baton Rouge was a ground and naval battle in the American Civil War fought in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, on August 5, 1862. The Union victory halted Confederate attempts to recapture the capital city of Louisiana.-Background:...
without a single casualty due to enemy fire. However, while in the swampland between Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
and Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, the entire Orphan Brigade was hit hard by malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, to the point that by 11 August 1862, Cobb's Battery had dropped from 117 men fit for duty to only 36.
Chickamauga
Cobb's Battery, along with Slocomb's Battery and the residue of the Orphan BrigadeOrphan Brigade
The Orphan Brigade was the nickname of the First Kentucky Brigade, a group of military units recruited from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to fight for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The brigade was the largest Confederate unit to be recruited from Kentucky during...
under the brigade command of Brig. Gen. Benjamin H. Helm
Benjamin Hardin Helm
Benjamin Hardin Helm was a Kentucky politician, attorney, Confederate brigadier general, and a brother-in-law of Abraham Lincoln. He was also the son of Kentucky Governor John L. Helm.-Early life:...
, and making up a portion of Breckinridge's
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
Division, was deployed across Glass' Ford with two cannons on 19 September 1863. During the ensuing artillery duel, the commands of Cobb, Slocomb, and Helm suffered 22 wounded or dead, which equaled the Union losses during the battle. On the following day, a portion of the battery was sent to Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
to assist in repelling the Union advance.
Missionary Ridge
The battery, still in Breckinridge's Division, was set on the left flank of Bragg'sBraxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
, and was credited by Bragg with causing "much confusion before the enemy reached musket range." However, following the collapse of the Confederate defensive line on the ridge, guns "Lady Buckner" and "Lady Breckinridge" were captured by forces under Maj. Gen.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Philip H. Sheridan.