The predessor to Hughey's Battery, was Shoup's Moutain Battery or Shoups Battery. This unit was commanded by Captain James C. Shoup. The organization of Shoups Battery apparently began on September 22, 1862 when Special Order No. 2 directed Col. Jno A. Dunnington, Chief of Ordnance, to turn over to Lieutenant J. C. Shoup the eight mountain howitzers, which were the Little Rock Arsenal, along with full equipment, ammunition etc. The guns were 12-lb mountain howitzers and up to four 2.25" Confederate Mountain Rifles. Only about 24 of the Confederate Mountain Rifles were made by Tredegar Iron Works in Virginia and four of them found their way to Arkansas. By the same order, Lieutenant Shoup was directed to proceed with the battery to Fort Smith Arkansas and there await further orders.[4]
James C. Shoup, was the brother of Francis A. Shoup. He had originally entered Confederate service as a 2nd Sergeant of the Jackson Light Artillery, a.k.a. Thrall's Battery, a.k.a. 3rd Arkansas Light Artillery. He was enlisted September 22, 1861 at Pitman's Ferry, Arkansas by his brother, Major F. A. Shoup for 8 months 23 days. He had been appointed 2nd Lieutenant on July 18, 1861 and assigned as an Assistant Quartermaster. He tendered his resignation on July 16, 1862 as a Senior First Lieutenant of Aucton's Battery to join his brother Major F. A. Shoup in Arkansas.[5][6]
On September 29, 1862, General Hindman issued Special Order No. 8 from Little Rock which directed F. A. Shoup, now a Colonel, to take charge of the organization of the artillery from North West Arkansas and assigning certain "suitable officers to duty in the company now unorganized, and recommend them for appointment." These suitable officers included Lieutenants Huey (sic) and Miller.
The Battery was engaged at Cane Hill and Prairie Grove. Infact I believe that Alan Thompson of the Prairie Grove Battle Field just recently found evidence that these guns were utilized at Prairie Grove, a fact that had been in question since the last report before Prairie Grove had them at Fort Smith having their carriages repaire after Cane Hill.
Utilmately a decision was made by General Hindman that the moutain howitzers of Shoup's battery were worthless for effective artillery support. He ordered the guns to be turned over to his Ordnance Officer. As of January 16, 1863, the guns themselves were at Dardanelle awaiting transportation. The battery personnel, which had been made up of men detailed from various infantry units were disbanded, the men sent back to their original commands and the officers relieved of duty. Copybook of Orders and Letters from Thomas Hindman's Command, 2 Jan. - 4 Mar. 1863. Peter Wellington Alexander Papers, Box 9, Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Columbia University in the City of New York. Accessed 8 February 2013, http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=%2Fmack&CISOPTR=10254&REC
After Prairie Grove James Shoup apparently accompanied his General Shoup brother on his move back east to become General Shoups aide. By March 1863, First Lieutenant William M. Hughey and Second Lieutenatn W. A. Miller had organized what I have always taked to be a new battery. I assumed the new battery had new guns, but it is possible that they retain the Moutain Rifles for a time. According to the final accounting, at the time of the surrender, the battery was armed with two x 3-in. rifles; and two x 12-pounder field howitzers. The final report lists the four guns as being near Camden, Arkansas at the Surrender. United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 48, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence, etc., Book, 1896; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139841/m1/963/?q=Zimmerman : accessed August 04, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas.
See Also Howerton, Bryan R., "Re: Trans-Mississippi artillery report" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 19 December 2012, Accessed 20 December 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=27566