The History of the Peninsula Artillery

Originally organized as the Peninsula Artillery, this company was formed under the command of Captain Joseph B. Cosnahan in York County on May 18, 1861. Originally designated as Company I, 32nd Virginia Infantry, the company, upon reorganization was assigned as Company G of the 1st Regiment Virginia Artillery. Captain William B. Jones later succeeded Cosnahan as battery commander.

After valuable service on several battlefields, the Peninsula Artillery was caught in a reorganization of the artillery by the late summer and early fall of 1862. It was at this time when the Army of Northern Virginia's desperate need for a formal reorganization of artillery was finally properly addressed.  In a report by General William Nelson Pendleton dated October 2, 1862, the army's chief of artillery, then near Winchester, Virginia, presented the numerous problems in the service of the "long arm." In his overall evaluation of the batteries, the "reduced below the service standard" was the common reason for disbanding several of the batteries.  Pendleton's suggestion led to Army of Northern Virginia Special Orders Number 209 dated October 4, 1862. Within the orders were given the directions by which batteries were to be disbanded and consolidated. Though batteries from a few Confederate states were involved, Virginia batteries were the most affected. While most of the batteries had served gallantly or had at least one fleeting moment of service under fire, several batteries fell under the disbanding orders. Out of the number of Virginia batteries disbanded, the Peninsula Artillery was included and subsequently disbanded. The men and equipment were reassigned to other batteries in the 1st Regiment.