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Richmond Otey Virginia Artillery (Walker’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 March 14, 1862.1
Muster Out: Captured as part of Walker’s artillery column on April 8, 1865.  Part of the battery surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865.2

Commander(s):
Captain David N. Walker
Commander Image

Commander 2
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: 13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: 4 x bronze 12-lb. Napoleons (April 14, 1864)4

Second Offensive Order of Battle: 13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army5

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: 13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army6

  • Commander: Captain David N. Walker (commanded the Battalion on July 30, 1864 after Major Gibbes was wounded)(at least July 30, 1864)7
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: A temporary mortar battery during the Battle of the Crater consisted of men from Cos. A and B, 13th VA Arty Bn. and was commanded by Lieutenant John B. Langhorne.8

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: 13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army9

  • Commander: Captain David N. Walker10
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: A temporary mortar battery of five mortars consisted of men from Cos. A, B, and C, 13th VA Arty Bn. and was commanded by Lieutenant John B. Langhorne during this time.11

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: 13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army12,13

  • Commander: Captain David N. Walker14
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: A temporary mortar battery consisted of men from Cos. A, B, and C, 13th VA Arty Bn. and was commanded by Lieutenant John B. Langhorne during this time.15
  • Note: This battery’s battalion was stationed at Petersburg throughout the Fifth Offensive.16

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: 13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army17

  • Commander: Captain David N. Walker18
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: A temporary mortar battery consisted of men from Cos. A, B, and C, 13th VA Arty Bn. and was commanded by Lieutenant John B. Langhorne during this time.19

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle:

13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | First Corps Artillery | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (November 1-3, 1864)20

13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | Fourth Corps Artillery | Fourth Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (November 3-16, 1864)21

13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (November 16-30, 1864)(December 1864)22,23

  • Commander:
    • Captain David N. Walker (went on leave at some point in December)(November & December 1864)24,25
    • ? (in Captain Wakker’s absence)(December 1864) 26
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
    • 4 x 12-lb. Napoleons (December 28, 1864)27
    • 3 Coehorn Mortars (December 30, 1864)28

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: 13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army29,30,31

  • Commander: Captain David N. Walker (January & February 1865)32,33
  • Unit Strength: 82 officers and men PFD (January 31, 1865)34
  • Weapons: 4 guns (January 31, 1865)35

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle:

13th Virginia Artillery Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (March 1-25, 1865)36

King’s Battalion | Department of Richmond | Confederate Army (Light Guns Taken and Manning Heavy Artillery)(March 25-April 1, 1865)37

McIntosh’s Battalion | Third Corps Artillery | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (April 1-2, 1865)38

  • Commander:
    • Captain David N. Walker (March 1865)39
    • None listed. (April 1-2, 1865)40
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: At least 2 x guns (April 3, 1865)41
  • Note: On March 25, 1865, the 13th VA Heavy Artillery Battalion was broken up.  Company A had its light field pieces taken away and was sent to man heavy artillery with King’s Battalion. One source at least, Wise’s Long Arm of Lee, shows this unit with McIntosh’s Battalion in early April.  I am not positive this actually happened.  Served as infantry during the Appomattox Campaign. Guns turned over on March 25, 1865. More research is needed.42,43,44

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles45:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Battle of the Crater (July 30, 1864)46
  • Stony Creek Raid (December 7-12, 1864)47
  • Hatcher’s Run (February 5, 1865)48
  • 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, p. 80
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 6-7
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 111
    4.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 46
    5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 111
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 120
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 120
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 120
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130
    11.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 63
    12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 138
    13. 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. 1311.
    14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 138
    15.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 64
    16. 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. 1311.
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 148
    18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 148
    19.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 64
    20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 156
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 156
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 158
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 156
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166
    27. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 6-7
    28. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 6-7: Sifakis’ exact text reads “also served three Coehorn Mortars on December 30, 1864.”  I need to determine if the Otey Artillery gave up their Napoleons to permanently serve as a mortar battery in late December 1864 or if this was in addition to their Napoleons.  More research is needed.
    29. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175
    30. 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.
    31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185
    32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175
    33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185
    34.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 66
    35.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 66
    36. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 194
    37. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., pages 197, 401
    38. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 204
    39. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., pages 194, 197
    40. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 204
    41. Driver, Robert J, Jr. The 1st and 2nd Rockbridge Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1987), p. 53: The 1st Rockbridge Artillery was forced to leave two of its four guns with the Otey VA Artillery on the night of April 2/3, 1865.  Driver did not  specifically state which guns or if the four guns were the same or different tube types.  More research is needed.
    42. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 401
    43. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 6-7
    44.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 67
    45. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 6-7
    46.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 59
    47.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 65
    48.  Cavanaugh, Michael A. The Otey, Ringgold and Davidson Virginia Artillery (H.E. Howard: 1993), p. 66
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