Buckner Battery - Mississippi

Dated: June 18, 2018

BUCKNER BATTERY

A Light Mississippi Artillery

Buckner Battery was a small unit attached to General Chalmers' cavalry division. Other than the brief description provided by Rowland's history, the battery has no unit history and no roster. The following article was compiled based upon Official Records, NARA military service records and other resources.
This page includes the following topics:
Buckner Battery Lt. Henry Holt Williams Gun cannon

History from Dunbar Rowland’s "Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898"

Unit History

The Buckner Battery of four steel breech-loading 2-pounders, Lieutenant Holt commanding, was part of the command of Col. R. V. Richardson, which joined General Chalmers in his unsuccessful attack on LaGrange and Collierville, Tenn., October 9-11, 1863, and participated in the battles of Byhalia, October 12, and Wyatt, October 13, during the retreat of Chalmers. Colonel McGuirk, commanding the brigade at Wyatt, said: "Lieutenant Holt, with his little battery, did well. If his guns were as large as his courage, he could do much more in defense of his country." During the battle the battery was withdrawn, "after doing good service and withstanding a terrific fire from the enemy." Lieutenant Holt had but two guns in this battle, the other section being under command of Lieutenant Armstrong, who also commanded one section at Collierville. Holt complimented the service of Armstrong, and also mentioned Private McDougal and Corporals Williams, White and Hoffmeister. October, 1863, assigned to McCulloch's Brigade, Chalmers' Cavalry, one rifle gun added to the battery. November 28, twenty-eight men, four Willlams 10-ounce, only guns of the kind in the army, and one 2.9-inch rifle. Lieutenant Armstrong and enlisted men of Ferguson's Brigade were on duty with the battery during December campaign on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.

~~ end of Rowland's history ~~~

Footnotes on Rowland's History

"2-pounder" and "10-ounce" - Two different descriptions of caliber. Actual size of ball was a No. 10 steel shot which weighs about 10 ounces.

"attack on LaGrange" - There was no direct attack on LaGrange at this time. Some of the Union cavalry garrisoned at LaGrange, TN, were deployed into Mississippi against General Chalmers raid that lasted from October 5 - 14, 1863.

"Colonel McGuirk" - Colonel John McGuirk, commander of 3rd Mississippi Cavalry Regiment. At Collierville, he lead two regiments on a flanking attack that captured the camp of the 7th Illinois Cavalry.

"Wyatt" - Town located on the north side of the Tallahatchie River between Holly Springs and Oxford. Location near the present site of Wyatt Boat Landing, just west of Hiway 7. Town was burned and a new one was relocated ~25 miles away.

"Ferguson's Brigade" - General Samuel W. Fergunson lead a brigade that operated in northern Alabama and Mississippi.

Private McDougal, Corporal Williams, White and Hoffmeister are identified as H. K. McDougal, W. A. Williams, D. A. Whilte and H. Hoffmeister, all members of the 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers cavalry regiment. Their records show they were on loan to Buckner Battery.

"battles of Byhalia . . " - This may actually refer to the skirmish at Salem, which no longer exists.

Command Organization

Commander: Lieutenant Henry Clay Holt of Manchester, Tennessee
Brigadier-General James R. Chalmers' cavalry Division - July 1863.
Col. Robert "Black Bob" McCulloch's Brigade, General Chalmers' Division - October 1863
Lieut-General Leonidus Polk's Army of the West - January 5, 1864.

Battles

        Various skirmishes - summer 1863.
      New Albany, MS - 6-7 October
        Salem, MS - 9 October
         Collierville, TN - 11 October
         Wyatt, MS - 13 October, 1863

History

After the fall of Vicksburg, General Daniel Ruggles began forming new regiments to defend Mississippi. After the enlistment ages were expanded, General James R. Chalmers began recruiting more men and training them at Grenada, MS. He rebuilt existing regiments and began forming new cavalry regiments. However, he did not have any artillery and submited a desperate request to his departmental commander for any artillery they could spare.
The Buckner Battery was first formed at Camp Moore, Tangipahoa, Louisiana, (just south of McComb, MS). Lt. Henry Holt was Post Adjutant at Camp Moore and took over as commander of Buckner Battery. The battery moved to Grenada where General Chalmers was raising and training his new recruites. After training, Chalmers set-up his headquarters at Oxford and began operations against the Union XVI Corps located at Memphis which protected the rail line out to LaGrange, Tennessee.
On 5 October 1863, General Chalmers began his raid to attack the Memphis & Charleston Rail Road. His brigade commander, Col. Robert V. Richardson, engaged the Union cavalry at New Albany. Chalmers slowly moved his 3050-man division north to clear out all the Union cavalry patrols and reached Quinn's Mill on the Coldwater River by 10 October. Chalmers attackd the Union garrison at Collierville, Tenn., on 11 October. The 66th Indiana Regiment, 260 strong, defended the town from an earthen fort, 100 X 200 feet, located on the north side of town. Chalmers set up on the ridge line directly south of the M&C RR within 600 yards range of the fort. After exchanging fire, a truce was called to discuss surrender. Just then a train arrived from Memphis. On board were General William Sherman, a brigade of the 13th US Regulars (240 strong) and Sherman's staff that included Generals Lightburn and Ewing. The 13th Regulars took defensive positions at the RR depot and rifle pits north of the RR tracks.
Chalmers placed his forces and his artillery on the ridge facing the town and the Union fort. McClendon's Battery had lost one of its guns and the remaining 6-lb was placed under the command of Lt. Holt. Chalmers ordered Col. McGuirk to lead two regiments around to the right and Col. Duckworth to lead two regiments around to the left for a coordinated attack. However, Col. McGuirk discovered the 7th Illinois Cavalry was camped on the North side of town and launched a surprise attack. McGuirk's men drove off the men from their camp and captured 90 prisoners and 100 horses. Their haul included 13 wagons of supplies and an ambulance and the rest were burned. Meanwhile, Col. Duckworth attacked the Union positions in the town from the West but were repulsed. The center of Chalmers' line advanced down the ridge towards the M&C RR which had Sherman's train straddling the battlefield. Lt. Holt rolled a section of his artillery forward to the tracks to fire point-blank at the depot and the fort. Confederate troopers raided the train and took the horses and tried to set the train cars on fire. After the battle, General Sherman telegraphed Memphis to send another train as his was destroyed---likely from rounds fired by Buckner Battery.
After fighting for a couple of hours, they received reports that Union reinforcements were coming from Germantown. General Chalmers ordered a retreat back to the Coldwater River. General Chalmers had been slightly wounded during the battle and he took leave of his command to visit his home. The next day the Confederates, under the command of Col. R. V. Richardson, discovered the Union cavalry were coming in puruit. A running battle was fought as they retreated back to the Tallahatchie River. The Conderates had built a gravel road and a bridge to allow passage through the 2 miles of swampy cedar brakes around the river (now the back waters of Sardis Lake). On the northern ridge of the river was the town of Wyatt. On 14 October, the 5th Mississippi Cavalry and a section of Buckner Battery were placed on the road at Wyatt to allow the rest of the division to safely cross the river.
The battles of New Albany, Collierville and Wyatt are the only battles mentioned in the OR's that describe the participation of Buckner Battery.
Buckner Battery is probably the only artillery unit to get within 200 yards of General Sherman during the entire war.
After Buckner Battery was transferred to Polk's Army, the OR contains a list of all artillery in his army. The list included a total of four(4) cannon described as "1.5625-inch William Gun". After February 1864, there is no mention of Buckner Battery or the Willliams Gun in the OR's except for one reference to two(2) guns used as garrison artillery at Columbus, MS.

~~ end of history ~~~

Organization Table for Chalmers Cavalry Division - November 1863

Organization Table for Chalmers Cavalry Division

Note: George's Mississippi regiment refers to the 5th Mississippi Cavalry.

~~~~~~~~

Williams Gun

Buckner Battery consisted of four(4) unusal breech-loading, smoothbore cannons called the Williams Gun. Captain David R. Williams, CSA, of Covington, Kentucky designed the gun. Only 42 Williams Gun cannon were produced during the war. They were produced at three foundries: F. B. Deane Jr. & Son, Lynchburg, Virginia, Tredegar Iron Works, Richmond, Virginia, and Skates & Co, Mobile, Alabama.

The gun was loaded by hand as the crank opened and closed the breech-block. The crank rotated a large cam that moved the breech block forward and aft. The crank rotated rotated a worm gear on the left side of the breech that operated a spring-loaded hammer, releasing the hammer when the handle was in the aft position.
Range: 800 yards effective and 2000 yards max
   Rate of Fire: 25 rounds per minute
   Caliber: 1.5625 inch smoothbore
Ignition: percussion cap
   Ammo: solid round ball, Shot No. 10.

The designer's son, R. S. Williams, was authorized to organize an artillery company equipped with Williams Guns for operational tests.
Adjutant and Inspector Generals Office, Special Order No. 11, dated Richmond Jany 14, 1863.
Special Orders No 11

The Williams Gun was first used with General George Pickett's brigade in Virginia. The Official Records of the war describe four Williams Guns used by Buckner Battery at the Battle of Collierville, TN, on 11 October, 1863. The OR's record that Schofield Battery used Williams Guns at the Battle of Blue Springs, Tennessee, the next day.
One Williams Gun was captured in Kentucky. This gun was part of a battery under General Humphrey Marshall stationed near Ivyton, KY. On March 20, 1863, Captain Reuben Patrick of the 14th Kentucky Infantry (Union) crept into the Union camp, detached the 150-pound gun from its carriage, and carried it into the woods and hid it. He returned after the Confederates had left and retrieved the cannon. The cannon was subsequently stored at the arsenal at Frankfort for 30 years. This example remained in the Veteran's family until it was donated to the Kentucky Military History Museum.
A photo was taken of this cannon during an 1894 reunion(below). It may be the only photo of the Williams Gun shown mounted on a carriage, even though it is obviously a post-war version. The 1894 photos whows a carriage with 48-inch steel whieels. There is one main beam mounted on the axle and the gun is mounted on a pintel mount at the end of this beam. The cannon was not secured by "cheek pieces" as typical with most field guns.

Example of a Williams Gun at the West Point Museum
.

Note the gun is mounted on a pintel mount.
Front sight is missing.

Example of a Williams Gun at the Watervliet Army Arsenal Museum in New York
The museum has since closed and they do not know where the Army moved this gun.

This gun is the most complete example to survive the war.
It has all the sights and moving parts. Note the trunnion collar and front sight are brass.
Photo from website of Watervliet Army Arsenal Museum's old webpage.

Details of Crank, Cam, Worm Gear, sliding Breech Block from a Replica Cannon

Cannon Ball dug at Collierville, TN

Four(4) examples were dug at the site of 11 October battle.
Ball measures approximately 1.5 inches diameter.
Size is too large for a cannister load from a field gun.

Lieut. Henry C. Holt

Henry Clay Holt was born on February 6, 1841, in Rowesville, Orangeburg, South Carolina, and was the son of Dr. Archibald M. Holt, a physician. His family moved to Manchester, Bedford County(now Coffee County), TN, prior to the war. On September 15, 1858, Henry Holt entered the US Naval Academy. When the war began, he was in his thrid year and the academy released him to enter service. Henry Holt returned to Tennessee and became a Midshipman in the CS Navy serving on CSS Jackson. He participated in the naval battle Head of Passes outside New Orleans. He also fought in the first gunboat battle on the Mississippi River at the Battle of Lucas Bend, on January 11, 1862.

After the CS Navy loss most of their ships, Midshipman Henry Holt resigned and joined the privateer organization, the Confederate River Defense Fleet. He served on the flag ship, CSS Little Rebel. At the Battle of Memphis on 6 June 1862, the CSS Little Rebel was grounded. The Confederate River Defense Fleet was disssolved.

Henry Holt was commisioned a Lieutenant in the CS Army at Camp Moore,Tangipahoa, Louisiana, with the duty of Drill Master. He was given a special duty as liasion between Army General Daniel Ruggles and CSN Captain Isaac Brown, commanding the ironclad CSS Arkansas. Later he was assigned as Post Adjutant (or P.A.C.S.A.) at Camp Moore. He was commended for aiding in the attack on Baton Rouge on 5 August 1862. It is unclear how he actaully fought in the battle or if he provided supplies from Camp Moore.

While still performing the duty of Post Adjutant, he also began to lead Buckner Battery. Eventually, he was transferred to Brigadier-General James R. Chalmers as the official commander of the battery. While with Chalmers' cavalry division, Lt. Holt saw action in North Mississippi and participated in the October 1863 raid on Collierville, TN. In January 1864, Lt. Holt and Buckner Battery were transferred to Lieut-General Leonidus Polk's Army of the West. The Official Records continued to reference Lt. H. C. Holt and the Williams Gun but there is no futher mention of Lt. Holt after February 1864.
Note: there was a Lt. Holt serving in General Nathan B. Forrest's Staff but this is not the same person.

The Official Records of the war includes a few activities of Buckner Battery. In the service records of Lt. Holt, there are requisition forms for forage for 28 horses/mules which is also stated in Rowland's history of the unit. This would mean the size of the battery was no more than 28 men. Since the William Gun could be operated by only 3 men or less, and the battery contained 4 Williams Gun and one 3-inch Ordnance gun and probably a supply wagon, the congregant of 28 men and horses would be sufficient to move and operate this small battery in the field.

Lt. Holt issued a report on the Battle of Collierville where he describes the deployment of the battery. The reports by other commanders described Buckner Battery as being used at New Albany and Wyatt. At Collierville, it is said a section of the battery was advanced by hand with the attacking dismounted cavarly. By the time they retreated back to Wyatt, Buckner Battery was low on ammunition and only 2 guns were used to hold off the Union troops to allow the remainder of their forces to escape across the Tallahatchie River. Even though Lt. Holt's report describes the action, he does not mention the type of cannon he operated nor the caliber or number of rounds he fired.

An order in December 1863, required Lt. Holt to return the men who were on loan from General Ferguson's command. The service records of three of the names mentioned in Rowland's history identified them as members of the 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers who were detached for special service to Buckner Battery. This is why there is no roster for this unit as Buckner Battery was composed of men on detached served from other regiments.

After the war, Henry married Catherine A. Puckett and settled in Tullahoma and set-up a law business. In 1868, Henry got into an argument with another lawyer, James D. Aydelot. On August 8, 1868 Henry Holt called Aydelot to come out into the streets of Tullahoma. Henry drew a derringer pistol which misfired and Aydelot shot and killed him. He was buried on Sunday, August 9, 1868, in Oakwood Cemetery in Tullahoma, Coffee County, along with other members of his family. He was survived by his widow and daughter. James Aydelot would become mayor of Tullahoma many years later.

Before the war, two of Henry's brothers moved to Arkansas. One brother was George William Moreau Holt, also a physician like his father. He began service as a doctor in the war but was promoted to Brigadier General of the Arkansas’s state militia. On July 25, 1864, he was pursued and killed by Pvt. George Lucas of the 3rd Missouri Cavalry (US) who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his action. General George Holt was the only general of state militia to be killed in combat during the war.

Brief Bio of Midshipman H. C. Holt, CSN & CRDF

Midshipman H. C. Holt bio

Sources:

Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. Records for General Chalmers Tennessee Raid in October 1863, including after battle reports by General Chalmers, Col. R. V. Richardson and Lt. H. C. Holt.

"Military History of Mississippi; 1803-1898” by Dunbar Rowland. New edition with supplement by H. Grady Howell, Jr. Chickasaw Bayou Press, 2003.

NARA Military Service Records for Lt. H. C. Holt filed under Officers & Staff and three(3) members of the 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers.

1860 Federal Census for states of Tennessee and Maryland.

US Naval Academy Student Records for Midshipman Henry C. Holt for Years 1859, 1860, 1861.

Drawing sketches of a Williams Gun cannon provided by Watervliet Army Arsenal Museum, NY.

Material from the US Army Ordnance Museum.

Article from "The Artilleryman" magazine by Lyle Hegsted.

Example of a Williams Gun cannon at the Kentucky History Museum, Franklin, KY.

Newspapers reporting the death of Henry C. Holt.
Memphis Daily dated August 14, 1868
Public Ledger, Vol VI, No. 139, dated August 13, 1868.
Republican Banner, dated August (?) 1868.

"Coming Like Hell!: The Story Of The 12th Tennessee Cavalry", by Waldon Loving, Writers Press Club, 2002.

Blog "Eastern Kentucky and the Civil War". Includes 1894 Reunion photo with a William Gun cannon and the story of its capture.
Link: http://eakycivilwar.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

Scale Model of William Gun
Model built to 1:6 scale using drawing and dimensions provided by the shop machinist at Watervalet Army Arsenal Museum before it was closed. Model has working crank, cam and breech block. The model depicts the gun mounted on a pintel mount attached to a single beam which is mounted on scaled 36-inch wheels. Model was on temporary display at Morton Museum in Collierville, TN.

Details of the Cam and Breech Block of the Model

Infantry	22nd Mississippi	29th Mississippi	30th Mississippi
Cavalry	5th Mississippi		31st Mississippi