The church bell of the small college town of Lexington, Virginia, rang out the news of Lincoln's call for troops from Virginia to subdue the seceded States. The peaceful county seat of Rockbridge, whose citizens were in the main staunchly pro-union before the President's action, became the center of secessionist activity. Militia companies organized and marched off to war. Most of the cadets at the Virginia Military Institute were ordered to Richmond as drillmasters for the new Confederate army. The enrollment of the Rockbridge Artillery began April 19, 1861, and by the 21st the company numbered about seventy men, and was organized by the election of the following officers: Captain, John McClausland; Lieutenants, J. Bowyer Brockenbrough, Wm. Mclaughlin, and Wm. T. Poague. Captain McCLausland soon after was made Lieutenant Colonel and ordered to the Western part of the state. On the 29th of April the company unanimously elected Rev. Wm. N. Pendleton Captain.

   The company left Lexington for the seat of war May 10, 1861, with two small, brass six-pounders, obtained at the Virginia Military Institute. It was mustered into the Confederate service at Staunton, Virginia, on May 11, and was at once ordered to Harper's Ferry where it received two more guns. After the First Brigade was organized, under Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, the Rockbridge Artillery was assigned to it and continued as a component part of the Stonewall Brigade, in touch with and occupying the same positions with it in all its battles and skirmishes up to Sharpsburg.

    Upon the reorganization of the artillery in October, 1862, the battery was assigned to the First Regiment of Virginia Artillery, under the command of Col. J. Thompson Brown, and continued with it until the close of the war. The first fight it was engaged in, and which made a part of its history, occurred July 2nd near Hainesville, when Union General Patterson crossed the Potomac and advanced on Winchester.  But one piece was engaged, and this fired the first shot from a Confederate gun in the Shenandoah Valley.

The Rockbridge Artillery had the reputation of being one of the finest companies in the service. So high was the intellectual quality of the men that forty-five were commissioned as officers and assigned to other companies in the service. Many of them reached high distinction. At no time during the war did this company want for recruits; it was so popular that it always had a list from which it could fill its ranks, which were sometimes depleted by its heavy casualties and numerous promotions from its roster.