NINTH BATTALION.

FRONT OF WILMINGTON N.C., (FIRST HEAVY ARTILLERY. )
in February,1865. zi

—— Union
LMINGTON PEGE MONS By T. A. McNEILL, Serceanr Company D.

1] ee

Shortly after the outbreak of the war in 1861, the Legis-
lature of North Carolina, co-operating with the Confederate
Government in defending the entrance to the Cape Fear river
and the harbor of Wilmington, passed an act authorizing the
formation of a battalion of heavy artillery, to be composed of
three companies, to man the defences then being and after-
wards that might be, constructed for the protection of the
coast and shores close to the Cape Fear bar at either the Fort
Caswell or New Inlet entrance.

One of the companies was raised by Captain, afterwards
Major Alexander McRae, of Wilmington, composed largely
of men from New Hanover, Columbus, Bladen and Robeson
counties; and its officers, at its organization, were Alexander
McRae, Captain; W. H. Brown, —. —. Ryan, A. S. Harts-
field, and afterwards John A. Gilchrist, John J. Bright and
R. P. Allen, Lieutenants. This became Company ©. The
second company was organized by Captain Charles D, Ellis,
and its members were mainly from Brunswick, Duplin and
other counties near New Hanover. _ Its officers were Charles
D. Ellis, Captain, who resigned 2 October, 1862, and Jacob
W. Taylor, promoted to be Captain in the same month, with
Z. Ellis, B. C. Bourden and Henry C. Evans, Lieutenants,
and was Company B. The other company was raised by
Captain Robert G. Rankin, of Wilmington, was recruited
mainly in New Hanover, Duplin, Cumberland and Robeson

Nore.—This Battalion was known officially as the First’ Battalion
Heavy Artillery. It is here numbered as the Ninth merely as a conven-
ience. There was a battalion which was officially known as the Ninth
(Reserves), commanded by Major D. T. Millard but when the other bat-
talions of Juniors were organized into regiments it became the First
Battalion of Reserves whose story is told herein under the head of
“Twentieth Battalion.’’