Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Maryland
“Baltimore Battery” “Brockenbrough’s Artillery”
1861
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August 17 | Organized at Richmond. |
July | Assigned to Elzey’s Brigade at Centreville. |
1862
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March 2 | John B. Brockenbrough became captain of the battery. He was a native of Lexington, Virginia, an attorney and a graduate of the University of Virginia who had been an organizer and officer in Virginia’s Rockbridge Artillery. |
Assigned to Army of the Valley | |
Battle of Front Royal |
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Assigned to Ashby’s cavalry in the retreat up the Shenandoah Valley | |
Battle of Harrisonburg |
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June 8 |
Battle of Cross KeysSupported the 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment |
June 9 |
Battle of Port RepublicGeneral Taylor presented two captured Napoleons to the battery. |
June 26 |
Gaines’ Mill |
June 29 |
Dispatch Station |
July 1 |
Malvern Hill |
July | Moved to Charlotteville and rested for a month. |
August 21 | Engaged with United States Regulars. Four men were killed. |
August 24-26 | Marched 50 miles in 48 hours with nothing to eat except the green corn in the fields, then gorged on Federal supplies at Manassas Junction. |
August 29-30 |
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) |
September | Crossed the Potomac and spent three days in Frederick. |
September 12 | Recrossed the Potomac and drove Federal troops out of Martinsburg |
September 14-15 |
Harpers FerryThe battery was positioned on Loudon Heights. |
September 16 | Marched to join Lee’s force at Sharpsburg, arriving in the evening. |
September 17 |
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)The battery was commanded by Captain John B. Brockenbrough and was equipped with one 3″ Ordnance Rifle, one Blakely Rifle, one 10-pounder Parrott and one 12 pounder Howitzer. The Howitzer was iron, and may have been unique at Antietam. The battery is said to have fired the first shots of the battle on the morning of September 17. From the monument to the battery on the Antietam battlefield: The Battery, under the command of Capt. J.B. Brockenbrough, occupied a position near this marker at daybreak, and opened the battle on the Confederate side. From a tablet next to the monument: The Baltimore Battery (Confederate) fired from this spot into the Union forces in the Cornfield. It included a 12-pounder iron howitzer (like the small gun before you), the only one of its kind among the 500 cannon at Antietam. |
October | Went into winter quarters near Newmarket. |
December 13 |
Battle of FredericksburgCaptain Brockenbrough was wounded in the arm. |
1863
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March 2 | Captain Brockenbrough was promoted to major and assigned as Chief of Artillery to Brigadier General Taliferro. Captain William H. Griffin took over command of the battery. |
June | Assigned to Horse Artillery, Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac |
June 9 |
Battle of Brandy Station |
June 12 | Marched to Winchester with the Maryland Line. |
June 13-15 |
Second Battle of WinchesterThe battery shelled Star Fort, and was given first choice of the captured Federal guns. |
June 16 | Temporarily assigned to Jenkins’ Cavalry Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of Northern Virginia. |
July 1 | Skirmish at Carlisle and bombardment of Harrisburg. |
July 2-3 |
Battle of GettysburgCommanded by Captain William H. Griffin, it brought four 10-pounder Parrotts to the field. Temporarily assigned to Latimer’s artillery, 2nd Corps on Benner’s Hill. |
Duel at Mount Zion with Battery M, U.S. Regulars | |
Battle of Hagerstown |
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September 10 |
Culpeper Court HouseThe battery lost one of its guns and crew captured after its infantry support withdrew. |
October 10 | Assigned to Young’s Brigade, Hampton’s Division, Cavalry Corps for a raid on James City |
October 12 | Raid at Brandy Station |
October 14 |
Bristoe Station |
October | To Hanover Junction to join the reformed Maryland Line. |
1864
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May 10 | Temporarily attached to Stuart’s cavalry to intercept Sheridan’s raid on Richmond. |
May 11 |
Yellow TavernDueled three Federal batteries at 800 yards range, losing heavy casualties and almost losing two guns. |
June | Attached to General Bradley Johnson’s 1st Maryland Cavalry, Army of the Valley |
July 30 |
Burning of Chambersburg |
August 7 |
Battle of MoorefieldThe battery lost thirteen men killed and wounded before they could even load their guns during a Federal surprise attack. |
August | Moved to New Market and were refitted and reinforcements from Marylanders who had been serving at Fort Sumter. |
September 21-22 |
Battle of Fisher’s Hill |
October 9 |
Woodstock |
1865
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March 2 |
Battle of WaynesboroThe battery lost four guns and 23 men captured as the remnants of Early’s Army of the Shenandoah were overwhemed and either captured or scattered. |
March | Survivors ordered to Petersburg to fight as infantry. |
April 9 |
Appomattox Court HouseSurrendered with Lee’s army |
Other officers included Lieutenants William B. Beam, John McNulty, James T. Wilhelm, and John W. Goodman.