Mississippi Confederate Guards Artillery Battalion

Historical Notes:
Captain Grisham’s battery was formed in Pontotoc County. It was ordered from Mississippi to Wilmington in October, 1861. The battery was included in the brigade of Gen. Samuel G. French, late Chief of Ordnance of Mississippi, who was assigned to command of the district of the Pamlico in North Carolina, March 17, 1862. The returns show the battery under the command of Captain Bradford, in Branch's artillery battalion, Department of North Carolina, Gen. D. H. Hill, June 30, 1863; in the Department of Richmond, under General Elzey, July 31, 1863, and assigned to Coit's battalion in the Richmond defenses. Coit's battalion served in North Carolina in the early spring of 1864, aided in repelling the attack of Butler at Swift creek and Drewry's bluff, participated in the defense of Petersburg by Hoke and Bushrod Johnson, and "has also since been engaged constantly," reported the chief of artillery February 28, 1865. Bradford's three guns, 20-pounder Parrotts, were on the morning of June 18 placed in position on the north side of the Appomattox to sweep with an enfilade fire the left of General Beauregard's new line, which they had occasion to effectively defend the same day. Next day, they were reinforced with other batteries from Lee's army, including the Madison Light Artillery in Poague's battalion, while Humphreys' brigade took position in the trenches. The famous mine explosion was under the salient held by Pegram's battery of Coit's battalion. The battery also had two 12-pounder guns. Lieutenant A. J. Cochran's section was with Garnett's brigade in October, 1864, and later on the Weldon Railroad. It surrendered April 9, 1865. Officers:

Grisham, John C. - Captain

Bradford, William - Captain

First Lieutenant -- John H. Hoy.

Second Lieutenant -- Samuel W. Weatherell.

Assignments:

March-April 1862: French's Brigade, District of the Pamlico, Department of North Carolina

April 1862: Ransom's Brigade, Department of North Carolina

August-December 1862: Ransom's Brigade, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

February-March 1863: Artillery, French's Command, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

March 1863: Artillery, Pickett's Division, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

April-May 1863: Artillery, Department of Southern Virginia

May 1863: Artillery, French's Command, Department of North Carolina

May-June 1863: Artillery, Department of North Carolina

June-July 1863: Branch's Battalion, Artillery, Department of North Carolina

July-September 1863: Branch's Artillery Battalion, Ransom's Division, Department of Richmond

May-June 1864: Coit's Battalion, Artillery, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

June 1864-??: Artillery Battalion, Johnson's Division, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

June 1864: 1st Military District, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia [section]

June-October 1864: Branch's-Coit's Battalion, Artillery, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

October 1864-April 1865: Coit's Battalion, Artillery, 4th Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

Battles:

Suffolk Campaign

Siege of Petersburg

Mine Explosion

Appomattox

Roster:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 212 men.

Bibliography for Research:
Crute, Joseph Units of the Confederate States Army Midlothian, VA: Derwent Books, 1987. Concise summary of the units service.

Southern Historical Society The Southern Historical Society Papers. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998.

Brock, R. A. The Appomattox Roster. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998.
Originally published as Volume 15 of the Southern Historical Society Papers in 1887 by The Society, Richmond, VA. This book contains 56,000 names of men who surrendered at Appomattox. It shows the mans unit of service and some additional notes.
U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War Davenport, IA. Eastern Digital Resources.