Maury Light Artillery

This Confederate unit was formed here on the square and on October 30, 1861 marched to war. Maury Co. farmboys with no military or artillery experience , they were led by Capt. J.M. Sparkman. With little training, they manned the heavy guns of the river batteries at Ft. Donelson. Two days later, on Feb. 14, 1862 they fired upon the Union iconclads moving up the Cumberland River and repulsed and disabled them in a two-hour battle. With the fall of the fort to the Union forces, they were sent to Camp Douglas POW Camp, were exchanged and went to Port Hudson, La. It was here on March 14, 1863 that the unit, firing 24-pounder “hot shot” rounds burned and sank the U.S.S. Mississippi. On May 27, 1863 the MLA helped to defeat an attack from the landward side, where Capt. Sparkman was killed. The fort surrendered on July 8, 1863 and the unit disbanded, some going to other units and some recaptured. Of the unit's 170 men, 47 died in service and many were crippled for life.