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A Brief History of the Georgia Volunteer Light Artillery

By Patrick McSherry
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General:

The Georgia Volunteer Light Artillery, consisting of Batteries A and B, served its period of enlistment within the continental United States.

Unit History:

The Georgia Volunteer Light Artillery formed two batteries – Battery A and Battery B – for service in the war. The two batteries were mustered into the federal service at Griffin, Georgia, with Battery A being mustered in on May 13 and Battery B being mustered in on May 15. At the time of mustering in, the two batteries consisted of eight officers and 246 enlisted men.

On June 14, the batteries were ordered Camp Thomas, located on the former Civil War battlefield of Chickamauga. At Camp Thomas the batteries were assigned to the Light Artillery Brigade of the First Army Corps.

Camp Thomas was becoming a very large training center, growing to house about fifty thousand soldiers. Unfortunately, the camp did not have good sanitary conditions or the necessary sources for clean water for this number of troops. Also men were brought together from all over the country, bringing with them strains of illness to which men from other areas were not yet exposed. As a result, conditions in the camp deteriorated and sickness skyrocketed. As the summer of 1898 reached its zenith, the government decided to relocate many of the men to new, healthier camps. However Batteries A and B continued on at Camp Thomas. It wasn't until early July that the batteries finally received their shelter tents, a prelude to the ongoing supply problems that the Georgia Volunteer Artillery would continue to experience. To improve their water supply and avoid the fate of other troops who had come before them at Camp Thomas, Battery B was supplied with a filter to filter their drinking water.

The summer heat took its toll on the troops training at Camp Thomas. In an act of kindness, Major General Brook, in command of the First Army Corps, ordered all drills and unnecessary work to be suspended for the 4th of July, and it was noted that “The principal work the officers and men [of Battery B] did was endeavoring to keep in the shade and keep cool." It was a quiet July 4th celebration. The heat at camp Thomas was excessive, so bad that in the beginning of August Bugler Cary was riding his horse when it suddenly dropped over, injuring Cary. It was determined that the horse died of sunstroke.

The batteries fought a continual fight to obtain the supplies and equipment required for them to function. Even though the Georgia Volunteer Artillery had been mustered into the federal service in May, but it wasn't until about July 10 that Battery B received pistols for its non-commissioned officers. Time passed into August and the uniforms for all of the men had not yet been received. More importantly, Battery B had yet to receive their cannons or ammunition! The guns had supposedly shipped on July 16, but had not yet arrived. Part of the delay was explained. The breechloading cannon being supplied had a breech block designed for use with smokeless powder. However there was a lack of smokeless powder. The breechblocks had to be reconfigured to handle the standard black powder before they could be provided to the batteries. This became an ongoing problem with it being reported as late as August 4 that Battery B’s guns still had not been received. In addition, it was reported that, even though Battery B had horses, no saddles were provided so the men on horseback had to ride bareback. Battery A had received four cannon gun tubes, but no carriages to mount them on and no caissons to carry the ammunition. However, it does appear that by the end of August, both batteries received and mounted their cannon - three months into their period of service. Also, later in August, both batteries finally received their forge wagons which would allow their blacksmiths to get to work…except Battery A’s forge wagon was locked and no key was provided.

During August there were some odd goings-on at the camp of the Georgia Light Artillery. A number of the men of the Georgia Light Artillery were brought up on charges for a series of crimes - desertion, failure to follow orders, etc. The oddest case was that of Private Spence Hutchins of Battery A. He was charged with stealing two lemons and some sugar valued at five cents. Pvt. Hutchins was sentenced thirty days at hard labor. General Pennington, commander of the Department of the Gulf, which included Camp Thomas, concluded that the sentence was too severe for the crime, and returned Hutchins to Duty. Another notable event was that someone had supplied Battery A’s mascot, a raccoon, with whiskey, and the poor animal was seen staggering about camp on its way to the battery commander’s tent.

While batteries were stationed at Camp Thomas, on August 12, an armistice was negotiated between the United States and Spain ending the war’s fighting. If the batteries were going to serve outside of the continental U.S. they would be part of an occupation force, which was not an idea relished by the men and officers of the Georgia Artillery.

As the end of August approached, rumors surfaced that the Georgia Volunteer Artillery would be mustered out. First, the two Georgia batteries, along with the other batteries of the Artillery Brigade were ordered to perform a practice march with their guns and equipment to Lookout Mountain and back. The plan afterwards was that the Georgia batteries would be sent to Atlanta to be mustered out, something which both the men and the officers were wholly in support. Battery B specifically wanted the honor of marching through Atlanta with their newly received guns. It is unclear if that desire was fulfilled, but they weer not mustered out in Atlanta.

On September 1, the batteries were ordered to return to Griffin, Georgia, the same place where they had been mustered in. At Griffin the men were given a thirty day furlough. At the conclusion of the furlough, the Georgia Volunteer Artillery was mustered out of service on October 17 at Griffin. At the time of mustering out, the batteries consisted of seven officers and 308 enlisted men.

During its term of service the batteries had two men died from disease, and had four men desert.



Bibliography:
 

“A Very Quiet Day at Camp Thomas,” Chattanooga Daily Times (Chattanooga, Tennessee). July 11, 1898, 12.

“Chathams at Chickamauga,” The Savannah Morning News (Savannah, Georgia). July 16, 1898, 2.

Correspondence relating to the War with Spain And Conditions Growing Out of the Same Including the Insurrection in the Philippine Island and the China Relief Expedition. Vol. 1 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902), 588.

“Dissatisfaction Pronounced,” The Savannah Morning News (Savannah, Georgia). August 24, 1898, 2.

“First Off for Knoxville,” The Savannah Morning News (Savannah, Georgia). August 22, 1898, 2.

“Georgia Artillery on the March,” The Savannah Morning News (Savannah, Georgia). August 26, 1898, 2.

“In George and Florida,” The Savannah Morning News (Savannah, Georgia). July 22, 1898.

“Other Soldiers Coming to Camp Thomas,” Chattanooga Daily Times (Chattanooga, Tennessee). July 28, 1898, 5.

“Seven Regiments from Camp Thomas,” Chattanooga Daily Times (Chattanooga, Tennessee). August 4, 1898, 5.

“Soldiers Not To Leave Camp Thomas,” Chattanooga Daily Times (Chattanooga, Tennessee). July 5, 1898, 5.

“Soldiers Will be Paid Next Week,” Chattanooga Daily Times (Chattanooga, Tennessee). August 6, 1898, 5.


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