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Richmond Orange Virginia Artillery (Fry’s VA Battery)

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Muster In: Organized in Richmond in May 1861.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Captain Charles W. Fry
Commander Image

Commander 2
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Carter’s Artillery Battalion | Carter’s Artillery Division | Artillery Defenses | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army3

  • Commander: Captain Charles W. Fry4
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Carter’s Artillery Battalion | Carter’s Artillery Division | Artillery Defenses | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army5

  • Commander: Captain Charles W. Fry6
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Carter’s Artillery Battalion | Carter’s Artillery Division | Artillery Defenses | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army7

  • Commander: Captain Charles W. Fry 8
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Cutshaw’s Artillery Battalion | Carter’s Artillery Division | Artillery Defenses | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army (August 1-7, 1864)9

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: Cutshaw’s Battalion left to join Early in the Shenandoah Valley on August 7, 1864.10

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not present at the Siege of Petersburg.

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not present at the Siege of Petersburg.

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Cutshaw’s Battalion | Second Corps Artillery | Second Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army11

  • Commander: None listed
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 2 x 12-lb. Howitzers (December 28, 1864)12
  • Note: The Second Corps, in the Shenandoah Valley since June 1864, was ordered to rejoin Lee at the Siege of Petersburg on December 9, 1864.  The Second Corps moved to Richmond and Petersburg over the next several days, remaining with Lee’s army through Appomattox.13

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Cutshaw’s Battalion | Second Corps Artillery | Second Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army14,15,16

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: The portion of Cutshaw’s Battalion which had stayed at Petersburg instead of accompanying Early to the Shenandoah Valley in June 1864 was ordered to Fort Clifton around February 3, 1865. These batteries were tasked with manning heavy artillery in Fort Clifton, with the promise of field guns being returned to them in time for the spring 1865 campaign.17,18

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Cutshaw’s Battalion | Second Corps Artillery | Second Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army19,20,21

  • Commander:
    • Captain Charles W. Fry (March 1865)22
    • None listed. (April 1-2, 1865)23
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: Cutshaw’s Battalion was at Fort Clifton manning heavy artillery pieces at least in February to early March and possibly to the end of the Siege. I am unsure if these units received field pieces later in March into April.  More research is needed.

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles24:

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 79-80
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 79-80
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 117
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 117
    5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 117
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 117
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 127
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 127
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 136
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 136
    11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 164
    12. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 79-80
    13. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 376
    14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177
    15. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1176: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General R. E. Lee, January 31, 1865”; This list contains many commanders who were not there.  They were the “official” commanders but may have been gone on leave.  I have used none of the leaders from this list as a result.
    16. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1184: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, January 31, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from January 26-31, 1865, and the leaders should be accurate for this time frame.
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177
    18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 189
    19. Greene, A. Wilson. The Final Battles of the Petersburg Campaign: Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion. Knoxville: U of Tennessee, 2008, p. 386
    20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 198
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 207
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 198
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 207
    24. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 79-80
    25.  Manarin, Louis H. Henrico County Field of Honor Volume II. Richmond: Carter Printing Company, 2007, p. 449
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