The Springfield Illinois Light Artillery, also known as Vaughn's Independent Illinois Battery or Battery A, 3rd Illinois Light Artillery, was an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Organized in August 1862, the unit was first stationed at

Bolivar, Tennessee Bolivar, officially the City of Bolivar, is a city in and the county seat of Hardeman County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,417. History Bolivar was named for South American revolutionary leader Si ...

. In August–September 1863 the battery participated in

Frederick Steele Major General Frederick Steele (January 14, 1819 – January 12, 1868) was an American military officer who served in the Army in the Mexican-American War, Yuma War, and American Civil War. He is most noted for capturing the Arkansas state capi ...

's expedition to

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

, being engaged at Bayou Fourche. In spring 1864, the battery took part in the

Camden Expedition The Camden Expedition (March 23 – May 3, 1864) was the final Military campaign, campaign conducted by the Union Army in south Arkansas during the American Civil War, Civil War. The Offensive (military), offensive was designed to cooperate w ...

, fighting at Prairie D'Ane and Jenkins' Ferry. The unit sat out the remainder of the war in Little Rock before being mustered out of service in June 1865.

Formation

The Springfield Light Artillery was organized at

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

and mustered into Federal service on 21 August 1862. Thomas F. Vaughn of

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

was appointed

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. Vaughn previously commanded Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery from 25 August 1861 until 1 December 1861 when he resigned his commission. Vaughn led the Rhode Island battery at the

Battle of Ball's Bluff The Battle of Ball's Bluff (also known as the Battle of Leesburg or Battle of Harrison's Island) was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861, in which Union Army forces under Major Gener ...

where the unit suffered the loss of one gun and several casualties. The other officers of the Springfield Light Artillery were

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

s Edward B. Stillings and Henry D. Colby, both from Springfield, and Second Lieutenants Charles W. Thomas of Belleville and Louis D. Rosette of Springfield. Rank and file included

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

Louis B. Smith,

First Sergeant First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries. Singapore First sergeant is a Specialist (Singapore), specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First sergeants are the most senior of the junior spe ...

Alexander Busby, and

Quartermaster Sergeant Quartermaster sergeant (QMS) is a class of rank or appointment in some armed forces, especially those of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, and formerly also in the United States. Ireland Quartermaster sergeant () a ...

William E. Fitzhugh, all of Springfield, five

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

s (three from Springfield, two from Wenona), 12

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

s (six from Wenona, four from Springfield, two from

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

), one guidon bearer, one

bugler The bugle is a simple signaling brass instrument with a wide conical bore. It normally has no valves or other pitch-altering devices, and is thus limited to its natural harmonic notes, and pitch is controlled entirely by varying the air and ...

, one wagoner, five artificers, and 93 privates. According to a July 1863 report, the battery was armed with six 14-pounder James rifles. At that time, the battery reported having the following 3.80-inch ammunition on hand: 180 Hotchkiss

canister shot Canister shot is a kind of anti-personnel artillery ammunition. It has been used since the advent of gunpowder-firing artillery in Western armies, and saw particularly frequent use on land and at sea in the various wars of the 18th and 19th cent ...

, 36 Tatham's canister shot, 30 James canister shot, 250 James

solid shot A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the caliber, bore of the gun barrel, barrel from which it is shot. A round s ...

, and 451 James common shell. The battery originally included a section (two guns) of

M1841 12-pounder howitzer The M1841 12-pounder howitzer was a bronze smoothbore muzzle-loading artillery piece that was adopted by the United States Army in 1841 and employed during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. It fired a shell (projectile), she ...

s, so that it also reported having the following 12-pounder smoothbore ammunition: 72 common shell, 42 spherical case, and 50 canister shot. In the ordnance tables, the battery was referred to as Company A, 3rd Illinois Light Artillery, though there were no other companies (B, C, D, etc.) listed under the 3rd regiment.

Organizations

The Springfield Light Artillery remained on duty at

Camp Butler Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler (or simply Butler Marine Base) is a United States Marine Corps base located in the Japanese Prefecture#Japanese sense of prefecture, prefecture of Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. It was named after Marine Co ...

near Springfield from August until 1 November 1862. The battery traveled to Bolivar, Tennessee on 1–8 November where it was attached to the District of

Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis and 130 Miles Southwest of Nashville, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population wa ...

in the original XIII Corps,

Army of the Tennessee The Army of the Tennessee was a Union Army, Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. A 2005 study of the army states that it "was present at most of the great battles that became turning points ...

. From December 1862 to March 1863, Vaughn's Illinois Battery defended the Post of Bolivar, District of Jackson, XVI Corps. In March–May 1863, the battery was part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XVI Corps. In May–August 1863, it transferred to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XVI Corps. Vaughn's Battery was assigned to True's Brigade, Arkansas Expedition in September 1863. The battery was part of Artillery, 2nd Division,

Army of Arkansas The Army of Arkansas was a Union Army that served in the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the American Civil War. This force functioned exclusively in the state of Arkansas. History The Army of Arkansas was created on July 27, 1863, with Major G ...

from September 1863 to January 1864. The unit formed part of Artillery, 2nd Division,

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII ...

, Department of Arkansas in January–March 1864. The Springfield Light Artillery was in the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, VII Corps in March–April 1864. The unit was reassigned to Artillery, 3rd Division, VII Corps in April–May 1864. Vaughn's Battery was part of Artillery, 1st Division, VII Corps from May 1864 to June 1865.

History

The Springfield Illinois Light Artillery arrived at Bolivar and was assigned to a brigade commanded by Mason Brayman. On 15–20 December 1862, two sections participated in an expedition against Confederate raiders under

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...

. Vaughn's Battery performed garrison duty at Bolivar from November 1862 until 18 June 1863. Brayman's Bolivar garrison also included the 43rd Ohio, 12th Michigan, 43rd Illinois, and 61st Illinois Infantry Regiments on 30 January 1863. The battery was parceled out to guard the

Memphis and Charleston Railroad The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846, the gauge railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee, to Stevenson, Alabama ...

with one section each at

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, Collierville, and Germantown through 23 August 1863. The unit traveled to

Helena, Arkansas Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phil ...

on 24 August–2 September 1863, then joined

's expedition to Little Rock on 2–10 September 1863. In the expedition's order of battle, Colonel James M. True's Independent Brigade included the notation, "Ill. Battery, Capt. Thomas F. Vaughan". On 5 August 1863, Steele began his campaign by marching from Helena to the White River with two infantry divisions and one cavalry brigade. Steele met John Davidson's 6,000 Union cavalry and the combined 13,000-man force advanced west from

DeValls Bluff DeVall's Bluff, officially the City of DeVall's Bluff, is a city in and the county seat of the southern district of Prairie County, Arkansas, Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 619 at the 2010 census. History Prairie ...

on 18 August. True's brigade joined later and increased Steele's force to 14,500 soldiers, of whom only 10,500 men were present for duty.

Sterling Price Sterling Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was an American politician and military officer who was a senior General officers in the Confederate States Army, officer of the Confederate States Army, fighting in both the Weste ...

entrenched most of his 7,749 Confederate troops on the north bank of the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

, with a weaker force watching the south bank. Capture_of_Little_Rock_map

The Springfield Illinois Light Artillery fought at the

Battle of Bayou Fourche The Battle of Bayou Fourche, also known as the Battle of Little Rock, was a battle of the American Civil War fought between Union (American Civil War), Union and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces on September 10, 1863, in Pula ...

and the subsequent capture of Little Rock on 10 September. On the evening of 9 September, Federal engineers began constructing a pontoon bridge at Terry's Ferry on the Arkansas River downstream from Little Rock. The next morning, the bridge was fired on by Confederate artillery, but it was quickly silenced by a converging bombardment by several Union batteries deployed on the north bank. By 10:00 am, Union infantry secured a bridgehead on the south bank and Davidson's cavalry began crossing. Meanwhile, Steele advanced along the north bank with the bulk of his infantry to confront Price's defenses. On the south bank, Davidson's cavalry brigades under John Montgomery Glover and

Lewis Merrill Lewis Merrill (October 28, 1834 – February 27, 1896) was a career officer in the United States Army noted for his work in resisting the early Ku Klux Klan organization in several Southern United States, Southern states. During the American Civ ...

moved west to Bayou Fourche where John S. Marmaduke organized a defensive position. Supported by artillery firing from the north bank of the Arkansas River, Glover's brigade turned the Confederate left flank. When Price saw that his north bank defenses were outflanked by the Union advance along the south bank, he ordered Little Rock to be evacuated. Vaughn's Battery performed garrison duty at Little Rock from September 1863 until March 1864. One section was sent to defend

Lewisburg, Arkansas Lewisburg is a former town in and the first county seat of Conway County, Arkansas, Conway County, Arkansas, United States. The area is a Residential area, residential Neighbourhood, neighborhood of Morrilton, Arkansas, Morrilton which is locat ...

between 19 October 1863 and 15 March 1864. First Lieutenant Stillings resigned on 18 February 1864 and Second Lieutenant Thomas was promoted to fill the vacancy. Another 72 men were recruited into the battery, most of them in December 1863 and January 1864, but several joined the unit in 1865. The wagoner, one sergeant, and one private drowned in the Arkansas River at Little Rock. Others died or deserted. One private was sentenced to

Alton Military Prison The Alton Military Prison was a prison located in Alton, Illinois, built in 1833 as the first state penitentiary in Illinois and closed in 1857. During the American Civil War, the prison was reopened in 1862 to accommodate the growing popula ...

on 2 May 1863 to serve out his term of enlistment. Etc 450

On 17 March 1864, the Springfield Illinois Light Artillery was reunited and participated in Steele's

from 23 March–3 May 1864. During the campaign, Vaughn's Battery was part of the artillery contingent of Frederick Salomon's 3rd Division. Steele's effective force numbered 13,000 troops of which about 2,500 became casualties. There was a skirmish at Okolona on 2–3 April. The Battle of Prairie D'Ane occurred on 9–12 April. Steele's VII Corps seized Camden but was unable to maintain its position because Confederate cavalry wrecked two supply convoys at Poison Spring and Marks' Mills. On 26 April, Steele's force abandoned Camden and marched back toward Little Rock. The Federal column reached the Saline River on 29 April and paused while the engineers built a pontoon bridge across the rain-swollen stream. The

Battle of Jenkins' Ferry The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, also known as the Engagement at Jenkins' Ferry, was fought on April 30, 1864, in Hot Spring and Saline counties (present-day Grant County), Arkansas, during the American Civil War The American Civil War ...

was fought on 30 April. Though outnumbered, Salomon's soldiers improvised defensive positions on the south bank and repulsed repeated Confederate assaults during the morning. After the last attack ended at 12:30 pm, Salomon's division withdrew across the river and destroyed the pontoon bridge. The Federals reported 63 killed, 413 wounded, and 45 missing, while Confederate returns showed 86 killed, 356 wounded, and one missing. Steele's force continued its retreat to Little Rock. Vaughn's Battery was on garrison duty at Little Rock from May 1864 to June 1865. First Lieutenant Colby resigned on 28 June 1864 and Second Lieutenants Rosette and John Schaefer of Wenona were promoted to first lieutenant. Second Lieutenant James Irwin of Chatham was promoted to first lieutenant on 19 July 1864. First Lieutenant Thomas resigned on 17 September 1864. The other new second lieutenants were Ward Bertram and Albert Flood of Springfield and William M. Gillmore of Wenona. The battery was ordered to Springfield, Illinois, on 25 June and mustered out 30 June 1865. During its service one enlisted man was killed in battle and 22 enlisted men died by disease.

Notes

References

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Formation

Organizations

History

See also

Notes

References

Further reading