Overview
The 2nd Indiana Light Battery was an artillery unit from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Organized at Indianapolis in August 1861, the battery participated in operations across Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory, and later in Tennessee. The unit was mustered in for Federal service on August 9, 1861, and served until July 3, 1865, with a brief period of reorganization in late 1864. The battery is noted for its extensive service in the Trans-Mississippi Theater and its participation in several significant engagements.
Organization & Service
The 2nd Indiana Light Battery was organized at Indianapolis and mustered into service on August 9, 1861, under the command of Capt. David G. Rabb. The battery departed for St. Louis, Missouri, on September 5, 1861, remaining in camp there for nearly three weeks before being ordered to Jefferson City. On October 24, it joined General Hunter’s division and marched to Springfield, Missouri, via Tipton and Mount View. The battery spent the winter of 1861–62 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
In the spring of 1862, the battery moved to Fort Scott, then to Iola, Baxter Springs, and Spring River. On June 5, a detachment with four pieces marched to Round Grove on Cowskin Prairie in the Cherokee Nation, engaging and routing Colonel Coffee’s forces. Later in June, the battery participated in an expedition against General Rains’s command at Round Grove. Throughout 1862, the battery was involved in several expeditions and saw action at Lone Jack and Newtonia, Missouri. It then moved into Arkansas, engaging at Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, and Van Buren.
Stationed at Springfield, Missouri, in July 1863, a large portion of the battery was detached for operations in Arkansas and Indian Territory, including actions at Perryville (Choctaw Nation), Cotton Gap (Arkansas), and Buffalo Mountain. The battery later moved to Waldron and Fort Smith, Arkansas. In January 1864, a small number of men reenlisted as veterans. The battery was subsequently engaged at Prairie d’Ane, Moscow, Poisoned Spring (where it lost two guns), Marks’ Mills, and Jenkins’ Ferry. Afterward, it returned to Fort Smith and participated in the defense of the post in July 1864.
The original organization was broken up in September 1864, with non-veterans mustered out at Indianapolis on September 5. The battery was reorganized at Indianapolis on September 18, 1864, under Capt. James S. Wicher, and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1864. It participated in the Battle of Nashville and remained there until June 1865. The battery returned to Indianapolis with 113 men and was mustered out on July 3, 1865.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Round Grove, Cowskin Prairie (Cherokee Nation), June 1862
- Lone Jack, Missouri
- Newtonia, Missouri
- Cane Hill, Arkansas
- Prairie Grove, Arkansas
- Van Buren, Arkansas
- Perryville (Choctaw Nation)
- Cotton Gap, Arkansas
- Buffalo Mountain
- Prairie d’Ane
- Moscow
- Poisoned Spring
- Marks’ Mills
- Jenkins’ Ferry
- Defense of Fort Smith, July 1864
- Battle of Nashville, December 1864
Casualties
- Original strength: 134
- Gained by recruits: 247
- Total served: 381
- Loss by death: 23
- Deserted: 15
- Unaccounted for: 85
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain David G. Rabb
- Captain John W. Rabb
- Captain Hugh Espy, Jr.
- Captain James S. Wicher (reorganized battery, 1864–65)
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 2nd Indiana Light Battery, including officers and enlisted men who served during its term, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official sources.
To view the complete roster, visit the 2nd Indiana Light Battery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
- Indiana Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
- The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Vol. 3