Today in History:

650 Series I Volume XV- Serial 21 - Baton Rouge-Natchez

Page 650 W.FLA., S.ALA., S. MISS., LA., TEX., N. MEX. Chapter XXVII.

office to the commanders of batteries calling for an inventory of ordnance and ordnance stores on hand, and directing requisitions to be made out for all the articles necessary to place them in a perfect state of efficiency. These will be filled as rapidly as the Chief of Ordnance can meet the demands, and no exertion will be wanting on my part to have the artillery force ready for field service at the earliest possible moment.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHARD ARNOLD,

Captain, Fifth Artillery, Chief of Artillery.

NOTE. - I would add in reference to siege operations that there are no guns whatever here suitable for the purpose. They an probably be obtained at some of the forts along the coast, but the procuring and transporting them to this place and the organization of a siege train will require some weeks at least.

R. A.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ARTILLERY,


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, January 15, 1863.

Major General N. P. BANKS,

Commanding Department of the Gulf:

GENERAL: Agreeably to your request I have the honor to present the following statement, exhibiting the strength, distribution, and composition of the artillery force serving within this department, arranged under the following heads, viz:

LIST OF MOUNTED BATTERIES.

Commander's name, company, and Nature of ordnance and

station. caliber of each.

Captain R. C. Duryea, Company F, Six 12-pounder Napoleon guns,

1st U. S. Artillery, and one two 3-inch rifles; 4

section of Company A, 1st U. S. commissioned officers, 143

Artillery, Carrollton road. enlisted men.

First Lieutenant J. B. Rawles, Six 12-pounder Napoleon guns;

Company G, 5th U. S. Artillery, 2 commissioned officers, 127

Tivoli Circle, New Orleans. enlisted men.

Captain P. E. Holcomb, 2nd Vermont Two 6-pounder Sawyer guns,

Battery, Factors' Press, New two 12-pounder howitzers, two

Orleans. 3-inch guns;- commissioned

officers, - enlisted men.

Captain Mack, 18th New York Six 20-pounder Parrott rifles

Artillery, Annunciation Square,

New Orleans.

Captain Henry W. Closson, Company Four 12-pounder Napoleon

L, 1st U. S. Artillery, Baton guns, two 10-pounder Parrott

Rouge. rifles; 4 commissioned

officers, 122 enlisted men.

First Lieutenant John I. Rodgers, Four 12-pounder Napoleon

Company C, 2nd U. S. Artillery, guns, two 3-inch rifle guns;

Baton Rouge. - commissioned officers, -

enlisted men.

Captain O. F. Nims, 2nd Six 6-pounder rifle guns; 5

Massachusetts Battery, Baton commissioned officers, 122

Rouge. enlisted men.

Captain E. C. Bainbridge, Company Two 12-pounder Napoleon guns,

A, 1st U. S. Artillery, Berwick two 3-inch rifle guns; 6

Bay. commissioned officers, 131

enlisted men.

Captain Thompson, 1st Maine Four 6-pounder rifled bronze

Battery, Thibodeaux. guns, three 12-pounder

howitzers; 5 commissioned

officers, 138 enlisted men.

Captain W. W. Carruth, 6th Four 6-pounder Sawyer guns,

Massachusetts Battery, two 12-pounder howitzers; 5

Thibodeaux. commissioned officers, 144

enlisted men.

Besides the above there is a section of Captain Trull's Fourth Massachusetts Battery, mounted, with two 12-pounder rifle guns, and stationed at Berwick Bay; also the Twenty-first Indiana Battery, made


Page 650 W.FLA., S.ALA., S. MISS., LA., TEX., N. MEX. Chapter XXVII.