James B Walton

Home State: Louisiana
Command Billet: Chief of Corps Artillery
Branch of Service: Artillery
Unit: 1st Battalion, Longstreet's Corps Artillery

see his Battle Report

Before the Antietam Campaign:
Originally from New Jersey, he attended college in Louisiana and later owned a grocery store in New Orleans

He served with the Washington Artillery in the Mexican War (1856 -57) as Major, and by 1857 was Colonel Commanding the battalion. He was commander of the Washington Artillery (New Orleans, LA) at 1st Manassas.

In correspondence well after the war (on the subject of blame at Gettysburg), Waltion insisted that ... "on the 20th June, 1862, General Order No. 28, right wing Army Northern Virginia, it was announced as follows:

"Colonel J. B. Walton, of the battalion Washington Artillery, having reported for duty with this command, he is announced as Chief of Artillery. He will be obeyed and respected accordingly."
"By command of Major-General Longstreet."

He [appears to have] remained in personal command of the 1st Battalion of Longstreet's Artillery, and makes no mention of any responsibility for Longstreet's remaining artillery units in his post-battle report.

The remainder of the War:
He also commanded the artillery on Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg in December 1862 (see article). Apparently subsequently recommended by Generals Beauregard and Longstreet for promotion to Brigadier General of Artillery (appointed?); resigned in July 1864.

References, Sources, and other notes:
Good references for the Washington Artillery and Colonel Walton are the Washington Artillery (reenactors) website and an article about the battalion from War for States' Rights site.

See a formal portrait of the Colonel from the Louisiana Digital Library, source of the image above. Note: His son, James B, Jr., was a cadet at VMI (Class of '65), resigning for war service in May 1861. Junior registered the birth of his daughter Annie A. (b 6/21/1876) in 1879; he was then residing in New Orleans (Louisiana State Archives v73, p329).

Birth State: NJ

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