Landis' Missouri Battery

Captain John C. Landis, formerly an officer in the Missouri State Guard, was authorized in December 1861 to recruit an artillery unit for official service in the Confederate States Army. Landis's recruiting operations were centered near Osceola, Missouri, and the men recruited were former members of the Missouri State Guard. Despite not being able to enlist enough men to bring the regiment to full-strength, the unit traveled to Des Arc, Arkansas in January 1862 to be equipped with cannons; the battery was assigned two 12-pounder Napoleons and two howitzers. The unit missed the Battle of Pea Ridge, but joined the Army of the West in March 1862. The battery was assigned to the command of Brigadier General Daniel M. Frost, and followed the rest of the Army of the West across the Mississippi River in mid-April.[2] As of May, there were 62 men in the battery.[1] The battery fought in a skirmish near Corinth, Mississippi on May 28, and spent the next several months stationed at various points in Mississippi.[3] At the Battle of Iuka on September 19, the regiment was part of Brigadier General Martin E. Green's brigade of Brigadier General Henry Little's division of the Army of the West.[4] Although the battery came under hostile fire at Iuka, it did not fire its cannons.[3]

A 12-pounder Napoleon cannon, similar to those issued to Landis's Battery

By the Second Battle of Corinth on October 3 and 4, the battery had become part of Major General Earl Van Dorn's Army of West Tennessee. The battery was assigned to Green's brigade of Brigadier General Louis Hébert's division of Major General Sterling Price's corps.[5] On the first day at Corinth, Landis's Battery, as well as Guibor's Battery, participated in an artillery duel with the Union Battery I, 1st Missouri Light Artillery and Battery K, 1st Missouri Light Artillery. Two more Confederate artillery batteries joined the fighting, and the Union artillery was forced to withdraw, allowing the infantry of Green's brigade to attack the Union line.[6] Later that day, while the Confederate infantry was still fighting along the Union main line, Union infantry approached the Confederate flank, and advanced towards Landis's and Guibor's batteries. Artillery fire from the two batteries stopped the progress of the Union advance, and the Union infantry withdrew as darkness began to fall.[7] Landis's Battery lost 10 men at Corinth.[1] After the Confederates withdrew from Corinth late on the 4th, the battery formed part of the Confederate rear guard, avoiding capture at the Battle of Davis Bridge. The equipment of the battery had been damaged during the Corinth campaign, so the battery was detached to Jackson, Mississippi for repairs.[3]

On January 27, 1863, the battery was transferred to Grand Gulf, Mississippi.[3][8] On May 1, a portion of the battery, which was part of the division of Brigadier General John S. Bowen, was engaged at the Battle of Port Gibson, providing artillery support during the fighting. At Port Gibson, the battery fired at men of Major General John McClernand's corps and engaged in an artillery duel with the 8th Michigan Light Artillery.[9] The battery suffered three casualties at Port Gibson.[3] After Port Gibson, the Confederates were forced to abandon their position at Grand Gulf on May 3; Landis's Battery was part of the rear guard.[10][11] At the Battle of Champion Hill on May 16th, the battery provided artillery support for the Confederate center.[12][13] The infantrymen of Bowen's division made a strong attack against the Union line, and some of the Confederate artillery, including Landis's Battery, moved forward to support the charge.[14][15] When the attack was forced backwards, Landis's Battery provided covering fire,[15] expending all of its ammunition. At one point, Landis ordered the men to fire a shell behind a retreating Confederate regiment in an attempt to force the men to rally.[14] At Champion Hill, Landis's Battery lost nine men, and the two 12-pounder Napoleons were damaged and knocked out of action.[3]

The next day, the battery was present at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge.[3] A portion of the battery was assigned to the Confederate front line. When the Confederate line was broken by a Union assault, that portion of the battery lost its cannons, as the battery's horses had been sent to the other side of the Big Black River.[16] The battery's remaining two cannons helped cover the Confederate retreat, and entered the fortifications of Vicksburg.[3][16] The battery took part in the Siege of Vicksburg, where it suffered 13 casualties over a 47-day span of mostly continuous fighting.[3][lower-alpha 1] During the siege, Lieutenant John M. Langan also commanded the battery,[17] as Landis was serving as the commander of the artillery of Bowen's division.[18] The Confederates surrendered Vicksburg on July 4, and Landis's Battery was captured at this time. The 37 men left in the battery were paroled, exchanged, and ordered to Demopolis, Alabama. On October 1, the members of the battery were consolidated with Guibor's Battery and Wade's Battery; Landis's Battery ceased to exist as an independent unit.[19]