Byrne ' s Artillery Battery Byrne ' s Battery was a light artillery battery in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War . It fought exclusively in the Western Theater and suffered among the highest casualties of Confederate batteries at the Battle of Stones River . The unit was formed by Edward P . Byrne , a native Kentuckian living in Washington County , Mississippi . After South Carolina ' s secession , Byrne was determined to raise a battery of artillery for service in the Confederate Army . With help from donations from the citizens of Washington County and his own substantial wealth , he raised his company and obtained many horses . He also ordered six guns from a firm in Memphis , Tennessee . He began recruiting in Mississippi and later in his native Kentucky . He went to Louisville , Kentucky , to recruit volunteers , which he helped to secretly move to Camp Boone , where several other pro - Confederacy Kentucky regiments were forming , despite the state ' s official policy of neutrality . Armament . Bryne armed his men with the finest cannon s available at the time . He acquired four six - pound field gun s and two twelve - pound howitzer s from the firm in Memphis . He also captured several more field pieces during the push into Bowling Green . He also mounted his men on the finest horses ( horses were in such abundance that he gave 30 of them to unmounted men of now famous Captain ( later General ) John Hunt Morgan ' s cavalry squadron ) and gave them fine well - crafted carriages , caissons , limbers and other accoutrements he had special - ordered from another firm in Memphis . Service . Byrne first offered his services to P . G . T . Beauregard in South Carolina , but upon learning that Fort Sumter had already fallen , he decided to attach his battery to the organization now forming at Camp Boone that would later become famous as the Orphan Brigade . The battery saw its first minor action on the advance into Kentucky led by General Simon B . Buckner . Byrne ' s Battery , along with the 2nd Kentucky Infantry , led the advance into Kentucky late in 1861 and captured guns and men along the way , along with many of the pro - Union Homeguard of Kentucky and some of regular and volunteer troops . This advance led to the capture of Bowling Green and the subsequent set - up of the later exiled Confederate Government of Kentucky . After the withdrawal from Kentucky , they saw heavy action at the Battle of Shiloh , where the battery was completely overrun despite the men ' s best efforts to save the guns . Confederate infantry soon recovered the guns and the battery later supported Daniel Ruggles ' assault on the " Hornet ' s Nest " as part of Ruggles ' Grand Battery . Even after the bloody fight at Shiloh and the loss of many men , Byrne ' s Battery continued to serve heroically and effectively in the Orphan Brigade . They participated in every battle of the Orphan Brigade up to Stones River , where they gallantly and defiantly stood to their guns despite overwhelming enemy fire . One gunner lost his hand to an enemy round , but still stayed at his post . Because of its tremendous losses at Stones River , Byrne ' s Battery was forced to disband and disperse itself amongst the other Kentucky units and even units outside the Orhan Brigade , although though most were simply directly transferred to Lyon ' s ( Cobb ' s ) Battery . After their disbandment , Edward Byrne was commissioned a colonel and placed in command of all Kentucky cavalry companies not already organized into regiment s . Byrne was ordered to report to General Morgan after the organization of these companies . But , this did not satisfiy Byrne , and he requested permission to form another battery and be made Chief of Artillery of Morgan ' s cavalry . His request was granted , but his commission was amended by Confederate Congress to that of a Major . He began forming this new battery from elements of his old battery and from new recruits from Kentucky . Byrne went on to serve with distinction under Morgan and commanded the artillery on several of his raids until he was court - martial ed for his involvement in a bank robbery on one of those raids . The men not transferred back to his new unit continued to serve in various units , especially Cobb ' s Battery of the Orphan Brigade , until they were surrendered by Joseph E . Johnston on April 26 , 1865 , at Bennett Place . The remnants of Byrne ' s Battery were paroled on May 10 .