≡ Menu

Crenshaw Virginia Artillery (Ellett’s VA Battery)

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this unit’s role at the Siege of Petersburg?  Please contact us using the Contact button in the menu at the top of the screen.  We are happy to exchange information with other researchers.

Muster In: Organized on March 14, 1862.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Captain Thomas Ellett
Commander Image

Lieutenant Edward G. Hollis
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army4

  • Commander: Captain Thomas Ellett (June 30, 1864)5
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: at least 1 x 10 lb. Parrott Rifle and 1 x 3-inch Ordnance Rifle (June 30, 1864)6,7

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army8

  • Commander: Captain Thomas Ellett9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army10

  • Commander: Captain Thomas Ellett11
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army12,13

  • Commander:
    • Lieutenant Edward G. Hollis (at least October 1, 1864)14
    • Captain Thomas Ellett (portions of October 2-9, 1864)15
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army16

  • Commander: Lieutenant Edward G. Hollis (at least October 27, 1864)17
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army18,19

  • Commander: Captain Thomas Ellett (November & December 1864)20,21
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (December 28, 1864)22

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army23,24,25

  • Commander: None listed. (January & February 1865)26,27
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Pegram’s Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army28,29

  • Commander:
    • Captain Thomas Ellett (March & April 1-2, 1865)30,31
    • Lieutenant Edward G. Hollis (section only)(April 1-2, 1865)32
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles33:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Reams’ Station (June 29, 1864)
  • The Crater (July 30, 1864)
  • Archer’s Farm (August 18, 1864)
  • Davis’ Farm (August 21, 1864)
  • Reams’ Station (August 25, 1864)
  • Squirrel Level Road (September 30, 1864)
  • Jones’ Farm (September 30, 1864)
  • Pegram’s Farm (October 1, 1864)
  • Squirrel Level Road (October 8, 1864)
  • Burgess’ Mill (October 27, 1864)
  • Hatcher’s Run (February 5-7, 1865)
  • Fort Stedman (March 25, 1865)
  • Five Forks (April 1, 1865)
  • Petersburg Final Assault (April 2, 1865)
  • Appomattox Station (April 8, 1865)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

      Sources:

      1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 67-68
      2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 67-68
      3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113
      4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113
      5. Compiled Service Records of Confederate General and Staff Officers, and Nonregimental Enlisted Men, National Archives, Roll 168 (William Gordon McCabe, Ordnance Officer Pegram’s Arty Bn., Fold3.com Page 89): Invoice of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores turned over by Lt. W. Gordon McCabe to Capt. Thomas Ellett, June 30, 1864: Indicates Ellett was present and in command on June 30, 1864.
      6. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 67-68: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from July 1, 1863 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both July 1, 1863 and December 28, 1864.  Based on the ordnance return from June 30, 1864, it appears Sifakis is clearly mistaken about the makeup of this battery in early 1864.  More research is needed.
      7. Compiled Service Records of Confederate General and Staff Officers, and Nonregimental Enlisted Men,
      8. National Archives, Roll 168 (William Gordon McCabe, Ordnance Officer Pegram’s Arty Bn., Fold3.com Page 89): Invoice of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores turned over by Lt. W. Gordon McCabe to Capt. Thomas Ellett, June 30, 1864: Invoice of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores turned over by Lt. W. Gordon McCabe to Capt. Thomas Ellett, June 30, 1864: Indicates materials to serve one or more 10-lb. Parrott Rifles and one or more 3-inch Ordnance Rifles.
      9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122
      10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122
      11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 131
      12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 131
      13. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140
      14. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1313.
      15. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149
      16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149: Ellett was absent from October 9-November 6, 1864
      17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149
      18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149
      19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157
      20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166
      21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157
      22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166
      23. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 67-68: Sifakis lists this battery as having 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons from July 1, 1863 to December 28, 1864.  The unit had this setup on both July 1, 1863 and December 28, 1864.  Based on the ordnance return from June 30, 1864, it appears Sifakis is clearly mistaken about the makeup of this battery in early 1864.  More research is needed.
      24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175
      25. 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 1177: “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.
      26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185
      27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175
      28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185
      29. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 194
      30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 204
      31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 194
      32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 204
      33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 204
      34. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 67-68
      { 0 comments… add one }

      Leave a Reply