Alleghany (Virginia) Artillery

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Virginia

The Alleghany (Virginia) Artillery, also known as Carpenter’s Battery, lost 46 men killed and 124 men badly wounded during the the Civil War.

1861
November Organized from Company A, 27th Virginia Infantry Regiment, under the command of Captain Joseph Carpenter. The First Lieutenant was John Carpenter, the Captain’s younger brother. Assigned to Artillery,Valley District, Department of Northern Virginia, they were armed with six iron 6-pounders from the Tredegar Iron Works and consisted of around 80 men.
1862
March Attached to Stonewall Brigade, Valley District, Army of Northern Virginia
May-June Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Jackson’s Division, Valley District, Department of Northern Virginia
June-July Assigned to Stonewall Brigade, Jackson’s Division, Jackson’s Command, Army of Northern Virginia
June 25 – July 1
Seven Days battles
June 30
White Oak Swamp
July 1
Malvern Hill
August Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Jackson’s Division, Jackson’s Command, Army of Northern Virginia
August 9
Cedar Mountain

Captain Joseph Carpenter was mortally wounded. His brother, Lieutenant John Carpenter, was promoted to captain and took command of the battery.
August 21
Cunningham’s Ford
August 28-30
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

Commanded by Captain John C. Carpenter. The battery was army with two 12-pounder Napoleons and two 3″ Ordnance rifles. Five men were killed. Captain Carpenter was badly wounded, and although it was thought he would lose his leg he did not, and eventually returned to duty,
September Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Jackson’s Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
October 2 Men from the disbanded Winchester Artillery were transferred in.
October 17
near Kearneysville
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
May 1-4
Battle of Chancellorsville
June 14-15 Second Battle of Winchester
July 1-4
Battle of Gettysburg

The battery was commanded by Captain John Cadwalader Carpenter.

From the War Department marker on the Gettysburg battlefield:

Army of Northern Virginia
Ewell’s Corps Johnson’s Division
Latimer’s Battalion Carpenter’s Battery

The Alleghany Artillery
Two Napoleons Two 3 Inch Rifles

July 2. The Battery took a prominent part in the cannonade against the Union artillery on East Cemetery Hill and other points which began about 4 P. M. and continued over two hours. Some of the Union guns on the left enfiladed the Battalion and caused the Battery to suffer severely and having exhausted its ammunition it was ordered to withdraw.

July 3. Remained in reserve and not engaged.

July 4. Withdrew from the field with the Battalion.

Losses Killed 5 Wounded 24 Horses killed 9
July 14 Falling Waters
August Assigned to Andrew’s Battalion, Johnson’s Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
October
Bristoe Campaign
November-December
Mine Run Campaign
1864
May 5-6
Battle of The Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 23-26
North Anna
June 1-3
Cold Harbor
June Lynchburg Campaign. Assigned to Braxton’s Battalion, Artillery, Second Corps, Army of the Valley,
July 9
Monocacy
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester
September 22
Fisher’s Hill
October 19
Cedar Creek
December 28 The battery was reported as armed with two 10-lb. Parrott rifles and one 12-lb. Napoleon
1865
March 2, 1865
Waynesboro
March, 1865 The battery moved to the Petersburg area with the survivors of the Second Corps and took part in the end of the  Siege of Petersburg assigned to Braxton’s Battalion, Second Corps Artillery, Army of Northern Virginia.
April 1, 1865
Battle of Five Forks

Corporal John Willey took command of the survivors after most of the battery was killed or captured, including all of its guns.
April 9, 1865
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee’s army. Only two men from the battery were still with the army to surrender.