Fenner's Louisiana Battery was mostly comprised of men from the 1st Louisiana Battalion (Colonel Dreux commanding, and later Major N. H. Rightor after Dreux was killed). Most of the men's enlistments expired during the Peninsula Campaign but Rightor agreed to stay on the line. When Johnston abandoned Yorktown in May 1862, Rightor felt like he was released from his promise and disbanded the battalion. One company who still had time on their enlistments stayed in Virginia and the discharged men returned home to form Fenner's Battery.