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Brief History of the Troup Artillery By William S. Smedlund
The company organized in Athens, Clarke County, GA in 1858 as the National Artillery with A. A. Franklin Hill being elected Captain. The company's future Captain, Henry Hull Carlton, was elected their 2nd Lieutenant. In 1859 they purchased their first gun, a Type 1 James rifle, manufactured by Ames Manufacturing Company; and they received two bronze 6-pounder guns, made by Ames Mfg. Co. from the State of Georgia in Dec. 1860. On January 2, 1861 they changed their name to the Troup Artillery in honor of Georgia's former Governor, George M. Troup. Shortly after, Capt. Frank Hill was appointed as 2nd Lt. of the First Regiment Georgia Regular Army and Marcellus Stanley was elected Captain. On April 24, 1861 the company left Athens for Savannah. They drilled in Savannah for two months and were attached to the 2nd Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry for less than one month. They obtained their fourth gun, a 12-pounder howitzer, donated by the citizens of Athens before leaving Savannah for Richmond. They arrived in Richmond July 5, and July 11 the members named their guns in honor of patriotic citizens of Athens. They were then assigned to service in western Virginia and served in the Cheat Mountain and Sewell Mountain campaigns under Gens. Wm. W. Loring & Robert E. Lee. In November 1861 they were attached to Cobb's Legion on the Virginia peninsula near Yorktown. On April 16 they fought at Dam No. 1, and reorganized April 29, 1862, electing Dr. H. H. Carlton, Captain. They were involved at Savage's Sta. and Malvern Hill during the Seven Days Campaign. Later in 1862 they were involved at Crampton's Gap and Maryland Heights on September 14, Sharpsburg September 17, and then the battle of Fredericksburg December 13 ended their fighting in 1862. The artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia was reorganized in April 1863 and the Troup Artillery became a part of Cabell's Artillery Battalion, fought at Fredericksburg again during the Chancellorsville Campaign May 3, and at Gettysburg July the 2nd & 3rd. July 2 they faced the 3rd Army Corps at the peach orchard and on the 3rd they were on the extreme left flank of Pickett's charge. In early 1864 they were involved in heavy skirmishes at Morton's Ford & Raccoon Ford, later battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Totopotomy Creek & Cold Harbor, and finally the siege at Petersburg. Their final battle was at Appomattox Station the evening of April 8, 1865, withdrew with the other artillery, disbanded the 9th and made their way home. A few of the men, who were either detached or scattered after the battle of the 8th, surrendered with Gen. Robert E. Lee at Appomattox or were captured. A total of 288 men served in the company with forty deaths from disease and only nine deaths from wounds.
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