French's Stafford (VA) Battery

From General Walker's Report:

At daylight on the 14th [of September 1862], I sent Captain French, with three Parrott guns and two rifled pieces of [J. R.] Branch's battery, under Lieutenant [M. A.] Martin, to Loudoun Heights, where I immediately proceeded and placed them in position. I informed Major-General Jackson of this, by signal, and awaited his instructions. In the mean time we had attracted the notice of the enemy, who opened their batteries upon us, and it became necessary either to reply or withdraw our pieces. About 1 p.m. I therefore gave orders to open fire upon the enemy's batteries and the troops upon Bolivar Heights, beyond Harper's Ferry. Our guns were served admirably and with great rapidity, and in two hours we had silenced an eight-gun battery near the Barbour House, except one gun, which was so close under the mountain that we could not see it. What other effect our fire had we could not tell, but it evidently produced great consternation and commotion among the enemy's troops, especially the cavalry.

During the engagement, one of the enemy's caissons was blown up by a well-directed shot from French's battery. On our side, we lost Lieutenant [Patton] Robertson, of French's battery, killed; Major [F. L.] Wiatt, Forty-eighth North Carolina Troops, and two privates, of French's battery, wounded. Our guns and horses sustained no injury ...

in the battle of Sharpsburg, Md., September 17, last:

The division, composed of Ransom's and Walker's brigades (the latter commanded by Col. Van H. Manning, to which was attached French's and Branch's light batteries), after participating in the capture of the Federal forces at Harper's Ferry, crossed the Blue Ridge, the Shenandoah, and the Potomac, the latter at Shepherdstown, and reached the neighborhood of Sharpsburg, Md., on the 16th ultimo, where I reported to General Lee ...

The Forty-eighth North Carolina Regiment, Col. R. C. Hill commanding, after reforming, was sent by me, with French's and Branch's light batteries, to re-enforce General Stuart, on the extreme left, who was specially charged by General Jackson with the task of turning the enemy's right ... light batteries of Captains French and Branch, the latter under the command of Lieut. R. G. Pegram, at different times during the day were engaged with the enemy and did good service --- specially French's, posted on the extreme left, and under the immediate orders of General Stuart.

Tablet #360: Walker's Division, Longstreet's Command - 15 Sep, 6 PM to 18 Sep, 9 PM
Tablet #367: Manning's Brigade, Walker's Division - 16 Sep, 3 PM to 17 Sep, 12 PM
Tablet #374: Walker's Division, Longstreet's Command - 17 Sep, 5 AM to 17 Sep, 9 AM