Alabama State Militia Artillery

Also known as the Continental State Artillery, the Alabama State Artillery organized at Mobile, Alabama, May 18, 1836. The Continentals had adopted the uniform of General Washington's regulars -- indigo blue, trimmed with red, and brown gaiters and wore them when they entered state service on April 20, 1861. Presenting a gallant appearance as they marched through the street with their four field pieces, 155 members went into camp at Magnolia Racecourse, Mobile, Alabama, May 2, 1861. Here they dressed in more conventional uniforms, drilled and trained with their horses. Captain William H. Ketchum purchased at least part of the enlisted men's accouterments, which included enameled haversacks, knapsacks and covers.The company entered Confederate service for twelve months on May 4, 1861. Its initial roll included five officers, eight sergeants, twelve corporals, six artificers and one hundred twenty-three privates. Many of these had been associated with the Continentals for some time.On the morning of May 7, 1861, the company assembled before Captain Ketchum's home at the corner of Franklin and Government streets. Here Captain Charles P. Gage uncased the battery flag."The flag, which is the banner of the Confederacy, with two cannons crossed on the white field, and the name of the 'State Artillery of Alabama' on the streamers was received by Capt. Ketchum who promised that it should never trail in the dust, or if it did, no Artilleryman, he said, would return as a messenger of the dishonor, but every one would be found stretched in death by the side of the guns." Escorted by the State Artillery Reserve Corps and a "dense throng" of well wishers, officers and men then marched to Dauphin Street wharf. Three cannons and forty horses were loaded aboard the steamer Saint Charles, which departed with great fanfare about 9:00am. The company sailed up the Alabama River to its appointed rendezvous with the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment at Montgomery, Alabama. After taking on the balance of its horses and cannons, the command moved by rail to Pensacola, Florida, where Captain W. H. Forney mustered members into Confederate service on May 11, 1861. Battery armament at this time included three six-pounder smoothbores, one twelve-pounder howitzer, and two six-pounder James rifles.

The Battery lost 7 killed and wounded, and several horses at Shiloh. Attached to Ruggles' brigade, it was engaged at Farmington without loss. Moving into Kentucky as part of Chalmers' brigade, its loss was light at Mumfordville. At Perryville and Wildcat-Gap the battery fought, with a few casualties at the latter place. At Murfreesboro its loss was 27 men killed and wounded, and 30 horses. The battery was more fortunate at Chicamauga, but lost several men and two guns at Mission Ridge. The battery was in Sherman's way day and night as he moved on Atlanta, and suffered very considerably. It fought at Franklin and Nashville, with small loss, and endured the siege of Spanish Fort with only two men killed. The battery surrendered at Meridian.

By early 1863 we begin to see news ads for Companies "C" and "D" of the Alabama State Artillery. These two were probably among the nineteen companies that had organized for local defense service at Mobile by August 24, 1863. They appear to have been part of the 1st Mobile Regiment until February 1864, when passage of the law establishing junior and senior reserves mandated reorganization. The two artillery companies then entered Confederate service as senior reserves, while other companies exempt from conscription became the Mobile City Battalion.