Lynchburg (Virginia) Artillery

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Virginia

1861
April Created in Lynchburg under the command of Captain Henry Grey Latham, a medical doctor.
July Assigned to Cocke’s Brigade, Army of the Potomac. Equipped with four 6-pounder smoothbore howitzers.
July 21
Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

The battery lost one man wounded.
July-October Assigned to Cocke’s Brigade, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac.
October-November Assigned to Cocke’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac.
November-January Assigned to Cocke’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, 1st Corps, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia.
1862
January-April Assigned to Cocke’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia.
April 3 The battery was reorganized. Captain Latham, a doctor, left to become an army surgeon. James Dearing became captain. Dearing was in the West Point Class of 1862, (which graduated early as the class of June 1861). He resigned before graduation with the secession of Virginia)
April – May
Siege of Yorktown

Assigned to Pickett’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, Potomac District, Army of Northern Virginia.
May 5
Battle of Williamsburg
May 31-June 1
Battle of Seven Pines
June-July Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Longstreet’s Division, Army of Northern Virginia.
June 25-July 1
Seven Days Battles
June 30
Frayser’s Farm
July-August Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Longstreet’s Division, Army of Northern Virginia.
October-February Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Pickett’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
February-April Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Pickett’s Division, Department of Virginia and North Carolina.
April-May
Suffolk Campaign

Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Pickett’s Division, Department of Southern Virginia
May-July Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Pickett’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
June Redesignated as the 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion as Company D. The battery and the battalion would continue to operate independently and be known by their older designations. Captain Dearing was promoted to major and Captain Joseph Blount took command of the battery.

Assigned to Artillery Battalion, Pickett’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The battery was commanded by Captain Joseph Blount. The battery brought 96 men to the field and was equipped with four 12-pounder Napoleons. It lost 10 casualties.

From the War Department marker for the battery at Gettysburg:

July 3. Advanced to the front about daybreak. Later in the morning took position on the ridge west of the Emmitsburg Road 200 yards from the Roger’s House and remained there for hours unengaged. When the signal guns were fired about 1 P. M. moved forward to the crest of the hill and took an active part in the cannonade. But its ammunition being exhausted as Longstreet’s infantry was advancing and all efforts to procure a fresh supply proving fruitless the Battery was withdrawn.

July 4. In line of battle all day with the left wing of McLaws’ Division. Marched at sunset to Black Horse Tavern.

Losses not reported in detail.
July Assigned to Dearing’s 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion, 1st Corps Artillery, Army of Northern Virginia.
September Moved to North Carolina and assigned to Dearing’s 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion, Pickett’s Division, Department of North Carolina.
December Assigned to Dearing’s 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion, Department of North Carolina.
1864
April 17-20
Plymouth Expedition
May Assigned to Dearing’s 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.
May 17-June 14
Bermuda Hundred

Assigned to Dearing’s 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion, Hoke’s Division, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.
June 1-3
Battle of Cold Harbor
June-October
Siege of Petersburg

Assigned to Read’s 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.
October Assigned to Read’s-Stribling’s 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion, 4th Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.
1865
April 2-9
Appomattox Campaign
April 6
Rice’s Station

A number of the battery’s men were captured.
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Only three men surrendered with Lee’s army.