been
thoroughly known or understood as it deserves to be. Only once has its
history appeared in print,--upon the occasion of a reunion of the
command held in New Orleans, May 12, 1884. With great pride I transfer
to these pages part of an article which then appeared in the
_Times-Democrat_ of that date:

"As the term of service (twelve months) of the corps began to approach
its end, Captain Charles E. Fenner, commanding the company of
Louisiana Guards, conceived the idea of raising a battery of
artillery. He had no difficulty in getting the men, a sufficient
number volunteering at once from the battalion, but he encountered
other most disheartening obstacles. The War Department had not the
means of equipping the artillery companies already in service, and
authorized to be raised, and he could only obtain the authority to
raise this battery on condition of furnishing his own armament of
guns. He succeeded, however, in making arrangements with his friends
in New Orleans to furnish the guns, and the battery had been made and
was ready for him in New Orleans, when the city fell, and it was
captured.

"Upon the discharge of the battalion, however, he changed his
rendezvous to Jackson, Mississippi, and proceeded there to try and
accomplish his object. Many of those who intended to join him looked
upon his enterprise as so hopeless that they abandoned it and joined
other commands. A sufficient number, however, rallied around him at
Jackson, Mississippi, and, on the 4th of May, 1862, his company was
organized by the election of officers, and on the 16th was mustered
into service. Meantime, the chance of getting an armament was hopeless
indeed. At last, however, Captain Fenner found, lying abandoned by the
railroad, the ruins of a battery, which had been destroyed on the eve
of evacuating New Orleans, under the apprehension that it would have
to be left, but was subsequently brought off. The guns were spiked and
rammed with wads and balls, the spokes and felloes of the wheels were
cut, the trails hacked to pieces, and all the ordinary means of
disabling a battery had been resorted to. The task of reconstructing
this ruined battery was undertaken, and, after much difficulty,
successfully accomplished.

"Then came the trouble of obtaining horses, harness, and other
equipments, which had to be wrested from reluctant and ill-supplied
quartermasters and ordnance-officers. At last, however, all
difficulties were overcome. A few