Overview
The 19th Indiana Light Battery was an artillery unit organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, and mustered into United States service on August 5, 1862. Serving on the Union side, the battery participated in major campaigns in the Western Theater, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The unit is noted for its active engagement in several significant battles and its long service through the end of the Civil War.
Organization & Service
The 19th Indiana Light Battery was organized at Indianapolis and mustered in on August 5, 1862. Shortly after organization, the battery moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where it was assigned to the 33rd Brigade, 10th Division, Army of the Ohio. Its first combat occurred at the Battle of Perryville, where it was posted on a high ridge and maintained a steady fire for nearly four hours. During this engagement, four of its guns were temporarily lost but were recovered the following morning.
Following Perryville, the battery moved through Danville, Crab Orchard, and Lebanon to Woodsonville, remaining in camp until December 1862. It then marched to Glasgow and on to Murfreesboro, arriving after the Battle of Stone’s River. The battery was assigned to Reynolds’ Division, 14th Army Corps, and remained in camp until the Tullahoma Campaign began in June 1863. The unit advanced through Hoover’s Gap, Manchester, and Tullahoma, then marched to University and Chattanooga, arriving at Chickamauga on September 18, 1863. The battery was heavily engaged at Chickamauga and received commendations for its conduct, though it suffered significant losses.
After the dissolution of Reynolds’ Division, the battery was attached to the 3rd Division, 14th Army Corps. It participated in the storming of Missionary Ridge and the pursuit to Ringgold, Georgia. In February 1864, the battery joined the expedition against Dalton and skirmished at Buzzard Roost, remaining at Ringgold until May. It then joined General Sherman for the Atlanta Campaign, taking part in actions at Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Utoy Creek, and Jonesboro. After the fall of Atlanta, the battery joined the pursuit of Hood’s forces to Gaylesville, Alabama, then returned to Atlanta and marched with Sherman to Savannah, participating in the siege and the capture of Fort McAllister.
In early 1865, the battery moved through the Carolinas, fighting at Columbia and Bentonville. After the Confederate surrender, the unit moved to New Berne, North Carolina, then embarked for Washington, D.C., where it participated in the Grand Review. The battery returned to Indianapolis and was mustered out on June 10, 1865. Captain Samuel J. Harris was compelled to retire due to wounds in June 1864, and Lieutenant William F. Stackhouse was promoted to captain.
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
- Perryville (October 1862)
- Tullahoma Campaign (June–July 1863)
- Hoover’s Gap
- Chickamauga (September 1863)
- Missionary Ridge (November 1863)
- Ringgold
- Expedition against Dalton (February 1864)
- Buzzard Roost
- Atlanta Campaign (May–September 1864): Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Utoy Creek, Jonesboro
- Pursuit of Hood to Gaylesville, Alabama
- March to the Sea: Siege of Savannah, Capture of Fort McAllister (December 1864)
- Carolinas Campaign (1865): Columbia, Bentonville
- Grand Review, Washington, D.C. (May 1865)
Casualties
At Perryville, the battery lost 2 killed, 13 wounded, and 13 missing. Additional detailed casualty figures for the remainder of the service are not specified in available primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Samuel J. Harris
- Captain William F. Stackhouse
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 19th 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 state and federal records.
To view the complete roster, visit the 19th Indiana Light Battery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (Army of the Ohio, Army of the Cumberland, Army of the Tennessee)
- 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, Volume 3