The 3rd Arkansas Field Battery (1860–1865) was a Confederate Army artillery battery from Pulaski County, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. The battery is also known as the Totten Light Artillery, Pulaski Light Artillery, the Weaver Light Artillery, Woodruff's Battery, and Marshall's Battery. The battery originated as a pre-war Militia company, initially enrolled in state service. After the Battle of Wilson's Creek, the battery was released from state service and eventually reorganized for Confederate Service. The battery provided the initial training for the leaders of numerous other Arkansas artillery batteries during the Civil War. The battery spent its entire service in the Department of the Trans-Mississippi.
Organization The Pulaski Light Artillery was organized at Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, in December 1860. This was a time when sectional strife between the Deep South and the northern states caused the young men in many southern cities to form military companies in preparation for what was looking like the inevitability of armed conflict between the North and the South. Little Rock was no different from other southern cities in this respect. In addition to the regular militia, The Militia Law of Arkansas allowed each county to raise up to four Volunteer Companies: one each of infantry, rifles, horse, and artillery. Col. C. Peyton, the commander of the 13th Regiment Arkansas Militia Regiment of Pulaski County certified the election of the officers of Totten's battery.
The company was initially called the Totten Light Artillery, in honor of the popular commander of the United States Arsenal at Little Rock from 1839 to 1860, William Totten. When Totten's son, Captain James Totten, then commanding a U.S. Army artillery battery at the arsenal, cast his lot with the Union, following the seizure of the Little Rock Arsenal, the battery promptly changed its name to the Pulaski Light Artillery. Little did they know that in a few short months they would be facing Totten's guns in battle.
The first mention of the Pulaski Light Artillery came in an article published in the Arkansas State Gazette, on Saturday, December 22, 1860, announcing that, The young men of this city favorably disposed toward a Military organization which may do the 'State some service,' have formed under the title of the 'Pulaski Artillery,' and have elected Rob't C. Newton, Captain; Wm. E. Woodruff, Jr., 1st Lieut.; L. B. Brown, 2d Lieut. and Wm. H. Causin, 3d Lieut. Robert Crittenden Newton, a Little Rock lawyer, resigned in early 1861 and went into the cavalry service, eventually becoming colonel of the 5th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, CSA. William Edward Woodruff, Jr., the son of the owner and publisher of the Arkansas State Gazette, succeeded Newton as captain.
The Pulaski Light Artillery maintained an armory over the Market House in downtown Little Rock, where they drilled every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon at 3:30, and continued to recruit. There were several volunteer companies organizing in Little Rock in the fall of 1860. Many of the young men from the wealthier families seemed to be attracted to the cavalry service, and the Pulaski Lancers (actually equipped with lances decorated with pennants) attracted its share. The young mechanics and tradesmen of the city seemed to be particularly drawn to the artillery service, and the roster of the Pulaski Light Artillery shows a high percentage of skilled artisans of various trades among its ranks. Apparently the businesses that employed these young men began frowning on their frequent absence from their jobs, causing the following appeal to be printed in the local paper:
... [I]t is desirable that merchants, head mechanics, and others having young men in their employ, belonging to military companies, should grant them leave of absence on the days designated for drills. Business is not so brisk as to require the whole of their time, and it is important that every man in the land who is capable of doing a soldier's duty, should be instructed properly, and hold himself in readiness to respond to the call of his country.
The Battery was armed with two 6 pound smooth bore cannon and two 12 pound smooth bore cannon.
Service
Militia service The first military action for the Pulaski Light Artillery came in late April 1861. In order to force the surrender of the United States Army post at Fort Smith, Arkansas, the State of Arkansas organized four of Little Rock's volunteer military companies – Woodruff's "Pulaski Light Artillery," Capt. Thomas James Churchill's "Pulaski Lancers," Capt. Daniel W. Ringo's "Peyton Rifles," and Capt. George W. King's "Little Rock Grays" – along with a nine-member band under Chief Musician Joseph A. Schaer – into a battalion under Colonel Solon Borland. Since Arkansas had not yet seceded from the Union, the expedition to Fort Smith was authorized under the State militia law. The battalion traveled up the Arkansas River by steamer to Fort Smith, made a display of force which achieved the desired objective, and returned to Little Rock, all in ten days, from April 20 to April 30, 1861.
State service Arkansas seceded the next month and joined the Confederacy. The Pulaski Light Artillery immediately offered its services to the State, and new recruits rushed to join the battery. Its effective strength was doubled within a couple of weeks. Woodruff's battery was first ordered back to Fort Smith, leaving Little Rock on May 23, 1861, on the steamer "Tahlequah." The men were presented with a flag from the young ladies of Little Rock before their departure, with Miss Juliet Langtree making the presentation, and Lieutenant James W. Finley accepting on behalf of the battery. Miss Langtree closed her presentation speech with these stirring words: Take then this flag and let your determination be like that of the Spartan mother's advice when she presented her son with his shield: 'Come home with it or come home on it'. Prophetic words indeed for Lieutenant Finley, who would be dead a month later.
The Pulaski Light Artillery garrisoned the abandoned U.S. Army post at Fort Smith for several weeks, before being ordered to join the Arkansas State forces commanded by Brigadier General Nicholas Bartlett Pearce at Camp Walker, near Harmony Springs, in Benton County, Arkansas. Joining with Brigadier General Ben McCulloch's Confederate brigade, the troops marched north into Missouri and linked up with Major General Sterling Price's Missouri State Guard (roughly equivalent to the Arkansas State Troops). Proceeding to just south of Springfield, Missouri, the Pulaski Light Artillery arrived at Wilson's Creek and took part in its first pitched battle.
From the official after-action reports for the Battle of Wilson's Creek (Oak Hills), the Pulaski Light Artillery performed like veterans, coolly and professionally. In fact, at least one regimental commander remarked that Woodruff's battery was key to the Southern victory. Captain Woodruff had had the foresight to have his battery limbered up, with horses standing in trace, at dawn on August 10. Thus, when the Union batteries opened on the Southern forces, the Pulaski Light Artillery was the first Confederate battery to be able to move into position, unlimber and open fire. Initially firing counter-battery salvoes to silence the Union guns, Woodruff's battery was then moved to a position to support an assault by Arkansas and Louisiana infantry on the Federal lines.
In this engagement, the Pulaski Light Artillery suffered two killed and one seriously wounded. During the counter-battery duel with a Union battery, First Lieutenant Omer Weaver was hit in the chest by solid shot while commanding his section of the battery, and soon died. Private Hugh Byler was hit above the knee with solid shot, which shot away his leg. Later, during the infantry support phase, Private Richard Byrd was shot in the leg by a Minié ball.
Following the battle at Wilson's Creek, the Arkansas State Troops, which had signed three-month State service enlistments, returned to Arkansas and were mustered out of service. The Pulaski Light Artillery turned their guns and equipment over to a Confederate ordnance officer and mustered out on September 2, 1861.
Confederate Service Immediately upon their return to Little Rock, they began organizing a company for regular Confederate service. About the 1st day of November, 1861, Captain Woodruff received authority from General Albert Pike, commanding the Indian Department, the same to recruit a light battery for the Confederate service. On December 27, 1861, the "Weaver Light Artillery," named in honor of Lieutenant Omer Rose Weaver, was enlisted in Confederate service, with William E. Woodruff, Jr., as captain. The majority of the original members of the Pulaski Light Artillery remained in the artillery service. Approximately thirty enlisted in the Weaver Light Artillery and served throughout the war in either Marshall's or Blocher's batteries. A few went into cavalry or infantry units, and one, Private Allen Rufus Witt, would go on to become colonel of the 10th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. Several former members would go on to lead their own artillery batteries. John T. Trigg served as a private in the Pulaski Light Artillery before organizing Trigg's Arkansas Battery. Lieutenant Louis W. Brown would become Captain of Brown's Arkansas Battery.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: Brown's battery", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 30 March 2005, Accessed 21 December 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?read=9964 Lieutenant Henry Clay West would serve as commander of 4th Arkansas Field Battery and Sergeant William Durbin Blocher would eventually become Captain of the 7th Arkansas Field Battery. Corporal Anderson Mills would serve as the First Lieutenant and Acting Commander of the 9th Arkansas Field BatteryWoodruff, W.E. With the Light Guns in '61-'65: Reminiscences of Eleven Arkansas, Missouri and Texas Batteries in the Civil War. (Little Rock, AR: Central Printing Co., 1903), page 99-102 Private William Pratt "Buck" Parks would serve first as a lieutenant in and later as the captain commanding Hoadley's Heavy Artillery Battery.Rector, Charles "William Pratt "Buck" Parks (1843–1907)", The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, The Central Arkansas Library System, Accessed 26 September 2013, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1733"Deaths and Funerals: Capt. W. P. Parks." Arkansas Gazette. June 14, 1907, p. 7.
The reorganized battery was originally intended for service in the Indian Territory under General Albert Pike. General Pike had arranged for the shipment of two light batteries of six bronze guns each from Richmond for used in the Indian Territory. After taking a detachment to Devals Bluff to pick up the guns, Woodruff moved the battery west to Van Buren and was at that location when news arrived of the Confederate defeat at the Battle of Pea Ridge. The battery's caissons were utilized to transport the bodies of General McCulloh and General McIntosh from Van Buren to the government cemetery in Fort Smith for burial with full military honors. Major General Van Dorn at first considered taking Woodruff's battery with him as he moved his army first to Eastern Arkansas and then across the Mississippi River to Northern Mississippi. Captain Woodruff showed General Van Dorn a copy of the battery's orders assigning them to General Pike and General Van Dorn agreed to allow them to proceed to Indian Territory.Woodruff, W.E. With the Light Guns in '61-'65: Reminiscences of Eleven Arkansas, Missouri and Texas Batteries in the Civil War. (Little Rock, AR: Central Printing Co., 1903), page 66.