A artillery battalion was formed early in 1863 which was commanded by Lt Col Charles E. Lightfoot for service in the outer line of the Richmond Defences. This battalion had the Caroline Light Artillery of Virginia commanded by Capt. Thomas R. Thornton of 6 guns, the Surrey Light Artillery of Virginia commanded by Capt. James D. Hankins of 4 guns, the Nelson #2 Light Artillery of Virginia commanded by Capt. James Henry Rives of 4 guns. There was a fourth battery assigned to the battalion for a short period, the Alexandria Artillery of Virginia commanded by Capt. David C. Smoot. This battery remained with the battalion in the Richmond Defences until about November 1863, when it left to be converted to a heavy artillery battery. It would become part of the 18th Virginia Heavy Artillery Battalion still serving in the Richmond defences. The battery referred to as the Nelson Light Artillery, Company B was actually known as the Nelson Artillery #2 formed in 1861.
It was proposed by General Pendleton in November 1863,to send Lt. Col. Lightfoot to Lee's Army to command the artillery battalion commanded by Colonel Henry Cabell. Col. Cabell was to command Lightfoot's Battalion. This exchange of officers never was acted on.
Lightfoot's Battalion went through most of the war in the Richmond Defences and the final campaigns, Petersburg and Appomattox. The Battalion had a strength of 319 men in May, 1864 and in April 1865, surrendered at Appomattox with only 31 men present commanded by the Assistant Surgeon J. B. Coakley.