Arkansas 8th Artillery Battery
HISTORICAL NOTES:
William M. Hughey lived in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, when the war began. He enrolled in a local mounted volunteer company very early in the war, but the company disbanded. Next Hughey joined the "McCown Guards Artillery", commanded by Capt. D. Whitaker Harris, a company organized in Lafayette County, Arkansas, and eventually designated as Company B, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery. Sometime in 1862, Hughey returned to Arkansas. Hughey may have accompanied General Hindman when he came to the state in May or he may have accompanied General M.M. Parson's Missouri Infantry Brigade and the artillery train that Parson brought with him in his crossing of the Mississippi. According to a Goodspeed biographical sketch, "An artillery company was raised and placed under his command, and he served under General Hindman in this capacity in the several engagements that took place in Arkansas following that date."
When General Thomas C. Hindman arrived in Arkansas in late May, 1862 to assume command of the new Trans-Mississippi District, he found almost nothing to command. He quickly began organizing new regiments, but his most pressing need was for arms for the new forces he was organizing, including the artillery. With Hindman's first order, dated May 31, 1862, at Little Rock, he announced his staff, including the appointment of Major Francis A. Shoup, Chief of Artillery. On September 29, 1862, General Hindman issued Special Order No. 8 from Little Rock which directed F. A. Shoup, now a Colonel, to take charge of the organization of the artillery from North West Arkansas and assigning certain "suitable officers to duty in the company now unorganized, and recommend them for appointment." These suitable officers included Lieutenants Huey(sic) and Miller. By November 8, 1862, Lieutenants Hughey and Miller were helping Captain James Shoup organize a battery. Special Order No. 35, from Camp on the Mulberry River, assigned the following officers to duty in "Shoup's Mountain Battery":
J. C. Shoup Captain.
Willliam M. Huey(sic) 1st Lieut.
W. A. Miller Jr. 1st Lieut.
G. F. Halliburton 2nd Lieut.
Shoup's Mountain Battery was involved in the Battle of Cane Hill, November 28, 1862, and the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862. Col. Charles A. Carroll took note of Hughey's performance in his report of the engagement at Cane Hill:
Of the mountain howitzer battery attached to my brigade, and commanded by First Lieutenant Hughey, only one section was serviceable... In moving the battery from the first position taken in the morning, the carriage of one of the pieces was so badly broken as to render impossible to moving of it by horses. Notwithstanding the gun thus dismantled was under a galling fire of the enemy's artillery, shells bursting by the minute around it, the cannoneers dismounted, and, under the direction of their officers, bore the piece, crippled but triumphant, to the rear....
Chas. A. Carroll,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade
In the re-organization of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi following the defeat at Prairie Grove, a decision was made by General Hindman to disband Shoup's battery due to the poor quality of its guns. The battery personnel, which had been made up of men detailed from various infantry units were disbanded, the men sent back to their original commands and the officers, including Lieutenants Hughey and Miller were relieved of duty.
By March 1863, First Lieutenant William M. Hughey and Second Lieutenant W. A. Miller, formerly of Shoup's Mountain Battery were organizing a new battery with men taken from the Camp of Instruction at Dardanelle, Arkansas. On April 2, 1863, General Cabell wrote from Clarksville Arkansas to General Cooper:
...requesting that Lt Hughey late of Capt Harris' btry be appointed Capt of Artillery and ordered to report to me for duty. He was elected 1st Lt in Dec, 1861...He came west of the river with Gen Hindman... He is now in command of a 3 gun battery in my command and I find him competent, faithful and industrious...
OFFICERS:
William M. Hughey
BATTLES:
Battle of Fayetteville
Battle of Devil's Backbone
Camden Expedition
Battle of Prairie D'Ane
Battle of Poison Spring
Battle of Marks' Mills
Battle at Ditch Bayou
Price's Missouri Raid
Battle of Fort Davidson
Fourth Battle of Boonville
Second Battle of Lexington
Battle of Little Blue River
Second Battle of Independence
Battle of Byram's Ford
Battle of Westport
Battle of Marais des Cygnes
Battle of Mine Creek
Battle of Marmiton River
Second Battle of Newtonia
ROSTERS:
The roster of this battery contains the names of 2 men. Twelve additional names are filed under Hughey's Battery.
William M. Hughey
W. H. Hugher
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
REFERENCES: REF: Wikipedia
Crute - Units of the Confederate States Army
Sifakis - Compendium of the Confederate Armies
When General Thomas C. Hindman arrived in Arkansas in late May, 1862 to assume command of the new Trans-Mississippi District, he found almost nothing to command. He quickly began organizing new regiments, but his most pressing need was for arms for the new forces he was organizing, including the artillery. With Hindman's first order, dated May 31, 1862, at Little Rock, he announced his staff, including the appointment of Major Francis A. Shoup, Chief of Artillery. On September 29, 1862, General Hindman issued Special Order No. 8 from Little Rock which directed F. A. Shoup, now a Colonel, to take charge of the organization of the artillery from North West Arkansas and assigning certain "suitable officers to duty in the company now unorganized, and recommend them for appointment." These suitable officers included Lieutenants Huey(sic) and Miller. By November 8, 1862, Lieutenants Hughey and Miller were helping Captain James Shoup organize a battery. Special Order No. 35, from Camp on the Mulberry River, assigned the following officers to duty in "Shoup's Mountain Battery":
Shoup's Mountain Battery was involved in the Battle of Cane Hill, November 28, 1862, and the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862. Col. Charles A. Carroll took note of Hughey's performance in his report of the engagement at Cane Hill:
Of the mountain howitzer battery attached to my brigade, and commanded by First Lieutenant Hughey, only one section was serviceable... In moving the battery from the first position taken in the morning, the carriage of one of the pieces was so badly broken as to render impossible to moving of it by horses. Notwithstanding the gun thus dismantled was under a galling fire of the enemy's artillery, shells bursting by the minute around it, the cannoneers dismounted, and, under the direction of their officers, bore the piece, crippled but triumphant, to the rear....
Chas. A. Carroll,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade
In the re-organization of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi following the defeat at Prairie Grove, a decision was made by General Hindman to disband Shoup's battery due to the poor quality of its guns. The battery personnel, which had been made up of men detailed from various infantry units were disbanded, the men sent back to their original commands and the officers, including Lieutenants Hughey and Miller were relieved of duty.
By March 1863, First Lieutenant William M. Hughey and Second Lieutenant W. A. Miller, formerly of Shoup's Mountain Battery were organizing a new battery with men taken from the Camp of Instruction at Dardanelle, Arkansas. On April 2, 1863, General Cabell wrote from Clarksville Arkansas to General Cooper:
William M. Hughey
W. H. Hugher
Crute - Units of the Confederate States Army
Sifakis - Compendium of the Confederate Armies