Sparkman's Company, Tennessee Light Artillery (Maury Artillery)

Brief History
"Also called Captain Robert P. Griffith's Company - Captain R. R. Ross's Company - Maury Artillery - Maury Light Artillery - Company "C", Monsarrat's Battalion in November, 1861. Although this compnay was organized as light artillery, it spent its entire active service in manning batteries of heavy artillery, first at Fort Donelson, and later at Port Hudson.  The company was recruited in Maury County in September, 1861 by Jesse M. Sparkman, who discouraged any attempt to elect him captain because of his lack of military experience.  It assembed at Sante Fe, Maury County, on October 3, 1861 left for Camp Weakley, near Nashville.  Here it was mustered into Confederate service on October 26 by Captain Monsarrat.  Monsarrat's Battalion was a sort of informal organization, which lasted only a short time.  Robert P. Griffith became the first captain of the company with R.R. Ross as drillmaster."

"Units of the Confederate States Army" by Joseph H. Crute, Jr. contains no history for this unit.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Tennessee in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Tennessee in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Tennessee, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Lindsley, John B. The Military Annals of Tennessee: Confederate, First Series; Embracing a Review of Military Operations, with Regimental Histories and Memorial Rolls, Compiled from Original and Official Sources. 1886. Reprint. Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Co., 1974. (FS Library book 976.8 M2L.) Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive.  Memorial rolls for Maury's Artillery found on page 873 and 877.


 * Tennesseans in the Civil War, Captain J.M. Sparkman's Tennessee Light Artillery Company, (accessed 31 Dec 2011).


 * Tennesseans in the Civil War, Monsarrat's Company Tennessee Light Artillery Battalion, (accessed 25 Apr 2012). Company "C", Monsarrat's Battalion in November, 1861.