Danville Artillery

Formed originally in Danville, Pittsylvania County, Virginia under command of Captain Lindsay M. Shumaker, the Danville Artillery came into service April 22, 1861. Receiving their baptism of fire in the unsuccessful West Virginia Campaign and dealing with an embarrassing internal conflict of their own. Reorganized on April 21, 1862 with Captain George W. Wooding as captain, the battery trudged on to brighter days of victory with Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. From the Valley, the battery followed Jackson to through another year of battles. Following the action at Sharpsburg, the ranks of the battery were revitalized when the men and equipment of the disbanded Eighth Star New Market Artillery, joined the ranks. Following the reorganization, the battery was in action again at Fredericksburg, where Captain Wooding was killed, and up to Jackson's last great tactical feat at Chancellorsville. Now under the command of Robert S. Rice, the battery continued to suffer heavier casualties with each battle. Serving in Shumaker's and McIntosh's Battalions of Artillery, the battery closed out its days under the command of Captain Berryman Z. Price. A few men were on the rolls of those who surrendered at Appomattox in April 1865.

Dixie Artillery

Under the initial command of Captain John Kaylor Booton, the Dixie Artillery was formed on June 21, 1861 in Page County, Virginia. Due to lack of supplies and horses, the battery did not join Joseph E. Johnston's army until August 30. Within three months of their arrival, Captain Booton was elected to the Virginia State Legislature and turned over the command to the spearhead behind the battery's original formation, William Henry Chapman.

Brigaded initially with the famous Washington (Louisiana) Artillery, the Page County battery was soon in the field, late in the following spring. Under fire first at the Battle of Gaines Mill, the Dixie Artillery received its first true baptism under fire and took their first losses at the Battle of Frazier's Farm on June 30, 1862. Following the Seven Days battles, the Dixie Artillery was brigaded with General Winfield Scott Featherston's Mississippians and continued to serve with them for the duration of the battery's existence.

From Richmond, the Page County battery followed with its brigade, later being exposed to fire again at the Battle of Rappahannock Station on August 23. In command of a section of the battery's guns, Captain Chapman's brother, 1st Lieutenant Samuel Forrer Chapman commanded the battery's three-inch rifle and twelve-pound Napoleon in the artillery duel that ensued.

In the days that followed, the battery continued on with the Army of Northern Virginia to the plains of Manassas where the battery was heavily engaged and played a significant role in the repulse of the Federal advance upon the "Stonewall" Jackson's lines in the railroad grade.

From Manassas, the Dixie Artillery followed the army again in its move into Maryland but was not engaged in the following battle at Sharpsburg (Antietam) on September 17. In the retreat that followed, the battery was engaged however at action near Boteler's Ford on September 9.

Under permission to recruit new members in Page County, Captain Chapman left the battery for a few days. However, upon his return, the young captain was surprised to find that his Dixie Artillery had been disbanded as a part of the Army of Northern Virginia's artillery reorganization.

While a majority of the men were reassigned to the Purcell Artillery, several others made their way into the ranks of various other units including the the 10th, 22nd, 33rd, and 53rd Virginia Infantry, the 6th, 7th, 12th, 14th, 23rd and 39th Battalion Virginia Cavalry.

Eighth Star New Market Artillery

Originally enlisted as the 8th Star Artillery, in honor of Virginia being the 8th state to secede, the 8th Star New Market Artillery came into existence under the leadership of Captain William H. Rice. Men were recruited from the area of New Market, Shenandoah County and the two surrounding counties of Page and Rockingham. Proving effective in battle, and losing their captain to a severe wound in 1861, the battery continued noteworthy service under the leadership of Lt. Edward Gaynor and later Captain Robert S. Rice when the order for disbanding came in October 1862. The company, in fact, did not lose its "soul" of existence when it was merged with the Danville Artillery. In fact, by the end, the former officer staff of the New Market Battery proved to play a vital role after Captain George Wooding's mortal wounding at Fredericksburg. With the issuing of paroles at Appomattox, the Eighth Star New Market men held a higher percentage of artillerists left with the battery that still carried the Danville name.

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