Fourteenth Battalion, Georgia Light Artillery

The Fourteenth (Montgomery's) Battalion, Georgia Light Artillery was organized May 9, 1862 with four companies, A, B, C & D. In October, 1862, two additional companies appear to have been organized by transfers from other companies of the battalion and reported as Companies F & G. Captain Wiggins' Battery of Arkansas Light Artillery was temporarily attached to this battalion as Company E. The battalion appears to have been disbanded during the latter part of 1862, or the early part of 1863, and the companies afterward recognized as independent batteries.

Company A, Southern Rights (Palmer's, then Havis's) Battery

Mustered in to Confederate service by Captain Joseph T. Montgomery at Perry, Georgia on April 26, 1862. A detail history of the Southern Rights Battery can be found at Southern Rights / Havis's Battery. In recent years, the living history of Company A has been presented by the company's reenactors.

Company B, (Dawson's, later Anderson's Battery)

Information on this company can be found at this site, Anderson's Battery.

Company C, (Ferrell's Battery)

The company was mustered into Confederate service by Maj. Montgomery on May 31, 1862. Captain C. B. Ferrell was Battery “C” commander, giving his age as 33 and having volunteered May 6, 1862 in LaGrange, Georgia. The entire company roster lists one Adjutant, three 1st Lieutenants, one Surgeon, one 1st Sergeant, two 2nd (Master) Sergeants, five Sergeants, five Corporals, two Farriers, one Bugler and 154 Privates.

All seven companies of the 14th Georgia served the Army of Tennessee during the year 1862, after which the companies were scattered and the Battalion was not preserved as a unit. Ferrell’s Battery was attached to General Roddey in Mississippi and later retreated by way of Selma, Alabama. One part of the company was sent to Columbus, Georgia; the other was engaged in the battle of West Point on April 16, 1865, where Private Robert Hamlin was killed.

Civil War artillery batteries were normally armed with four or six guns. These were divided into two-gun “sections” under the command of a Lieutenant. Battery “C” was armed with two 6-lb. Smoothbores and two 12-lb. Howitzers on November 11, 1864. It was armed with two 3” Rifles, two Smoothbores and two 12-lb. Howitzers on April 1, 1864.

At war’s end, it was surrendered by Lieutenant General Richard Taylor, commanding the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana, at Citronelle, Alabama on May 4, 1865. At various times during the war, It was assigned to Forrest’s Cavalry, Roddey’s Brigade, Wheeler’s Cavalry Corps and Robertson’s Artillery Battalion.

Battles in which the company participated include:

Cherokee Station, Dec. 12, 1862
Town Creek, April 28, 1863
Chickamauga, Sept. 19-20, 1863
Chattanooga Siege, Sept.-Nov. 1863
Atlanta Campaign (one section) July-Sept. 1864
Tupelo (two sections) July 14, 1864
Forrest’s Middle Tennessee Raid, Sept.-Oct.1864
Wilson’s Raid (two sections) March 22-April 24, 1865
Brice‘s Crossroads.

Company C is represented in living history reenactments by Ferrell's Battery Reenactors.

Company D, (King's Battery, Mountaineers)

About the later part of 1862 this company was consolidated with Company F, same battalion, and the consolidated company became Captain King's Battery Georgia Light Artillery. No further record after December, 1862.

Company E, (Wiggins' Arkansas Battery, Clarke County Artillery)

Temporarily assigned to the Fourteenth Battalion. Served as horse artillery in Wheeler's Cavalry for most of the war.

Company F

This company was organized about October 7, 1862, by transfer from Companies B & D of this battalion. About the latter part of 1862 it was consolidated with Company D of this battalion and the consolidated company became known as Captain King's Battery Georgia Light Artillery.

Company G, (Moses' Battery)

This company was organized about October 4, 1862, by transfers from Companies A & C of this battalion. It served with Brown's Brigade of Breckinridge's Division at Murfreesboro. In the spring of 1863 it was consolidated with Company B of this battalion, and the consolidated company subsequently became Captain Anderson's Battery Georgia Light Artillery

The War Between The States