15th Indiana Light Battery
in the American Civil War
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Online Books:
15th Indiana Light Battery Officer Roster - Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 3, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1866 15th Indiana Light Battery Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 7, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1867 Regimental History Fifteenth Indiana Light Battery. — Capts., John C. H. Von Schlen, Alonzo D. Harvey. This battery was organized at Indianapolis in the winter of 1861 and spring of 1862, and was on duty guarding prisoners in that city until July of that year. It was mustered in July 5, 1862, and left the state the same day for Harper's Ferry, Va. With the other forces at that point the battery was captured by Stonewall Jackson in September, the members being paroled and sent to Camp Douglas. Upon being exchanged they returned to Indianapolis, where they were fitted out with new guns. In March, 1863, the battery proceeded to Louisville and joined the pursuit of Morgan through Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, and after his capture moved into east Tennessee, being engaged with the enemy at Kingston, Calhoun, Philadelphia and Loudon in August and September. Evacuating Loudon the latter part of October, the battery was divided, one portion going to Kingston, 20 miles below, the other to Lenoir's station, 6 miles distant. At Kingston a sharp engagement occurred and at Lenoir's an equally lively skirmish ensued, the enemy there being driven. At Campbell's station the enemy made a desperate effort to stay the movement of the column, but was repulsed after a brisk engagement, in which the battery took an active part, and at Concord it was again engaged. Entering Knoxville with the army Nov. 17, it performed some efficient work in repulsing Longstreet's repeated assaults, then joined the pursuit of the fleeing forces, throwing shot and shell into the enemy's rear-guard, and having encounters at Blain's cross-roads and Rutledge. When the pursuit was discontinued the battery returned to Knoxville and on Jan. 19, 1864, proceeded to Red Clay, Ga., where it was assigned to the 3d division, 23d corps, with which it took part in the Atlanta campaign. It was engaged at Rocky Face ridge, Resaca, near Cartersville, at Dallas, Allatoona, Nose's creek, the assault on Kennesaw mountain and with the enemy's batteries at Fort Riley. At Atlanta on July 22 the battery was engaged in shelling the enemy to prevent the reinforcing of an important point, and in the siege was constantly employed in the skirmish work and artillery firing carried on with the besieged forces. Moving with its division upon the communications of Atlanta it was in the battle of Jonesboro, and at the close of the siege went into camp at Decatur. In October it joined in pursuit of Hood, but was detached from Sherman's army at Rome, moving with its corps to Chattanooga, thence to Columbia, being actively engaged in preventing the enemy's advance and in covering the passage of the army across Duck river. It was engaged at Franklin on Nov. 30, falling back with the army to Nashville, where it was engaged in a lively artillery duel with the enemy on Dec. 8, and in the battle a week later. Moving with its corps to Clifton, it embarked for Cincinnati, thence to Washington, and from there to the mouth of the Cape Fear river, landing upon the peninsula near Fort Fisher on Feb. 9, 1865. The enemy's pickets were driven in on the 11th. The army crossed Town creek on the 20th and entered Wilmington on the 22nd. On March 15 it left Wilmington and effected a junction with Sherman's army at Cox's bridge on the 22nd. On April 10 the battery moved with the army for Raleigh, where it arrived on the 13th. It then moved to Greensboro, where it remained until June. It was mustered out at Indianapolis June 30, 1865, with 2 officers and 122 men.Footnotes: Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3 |
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