Infantry detachments to artillery batteries

[KPavia]

Hello, all.
I'm looking for info on why infantry were detached to artillery batteries.
My 3rd great uncle, Andrew Jackson Smith, was detached from Co. C, 77th NY Infantry, to the 1st New York Independent Battery for some months. This info is found in the company muster rolls of Co. C, 77th NY. Eventually, he was transfered to the 1st NY Independent Battery "due to consolidation" which, I assume, was the Army using the infantry detachment to reinforce the battery.

My research hasn't turned up any reason as to why infantry would be detached to an artillery batter, so I'm wondering if anyone here would know.
Thanks
Kenny Pavia

[Dan Kohli]

Something like that is not unheard of. The practice of assigning of infantry was use to maintain the strength of the battery. The logic being that there was a minimum amount of manpower required for a battery to stay combat effective.

Daniel Kohli

[KPavia]

Something like that is not unheard of. The practice of assigning of infantry was use to maintain the strength of the battery. The logic being that there was a minimum amount of manpower required for a battery to stay combat effective.

Daniel Kohli

Interesting. So you're saying that the Army would detach infantry to fill vacancies in batteries as part of the gun crews.
I assumed that they were some sort of security element in the rear with the gear and guarding supply or ammunition trains assigned to the battery, or at the most, they were infantry supporton stand-by should the battery need it.
But I've never actually read in any book of instances where infantry were detached from their command and reassigned to a different branch, especially in cases to fill vacancies to help the unit be combat effective.

[Dan Kohli]

I do believe that Battery A of the 4th U.S. Artillery was assigned 70 men from the 4th Ohio Infantry, when Battery A was unconsolidated from Battery C of the same in the fall of 1862.
As for permanent or semi-permanent security elements, it looks like there was a preference to arm the artillerymen. Supply and ammunition trains were guarded on a brigade, divisional, or even corps level.