Overview
The 2nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service) served as a Union artillery unit during the American Civil War. Organized at Camp Chase, Ohio, the battery was mustered into federal service on August 7, 1861, for a three-year term. The unit served primarily in the Western Theater, participating in several major campaigns and engagements, and was noted for its active service in both the Army of the Southwest and later in operations along the Mississippi and in the Department of the Gulf.
Organization & Service
The 2nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was organized at Camp Chase, Ohio, and mustered in on August 7, 1861. The battery departed Ohio on August 15, 1861, under orders to report to Major General John C. Fremont at St. Louis, Missouri. During the winter of 1861–1862, the battery was stationed at Rolla, Missouri. In early 1862, it participated in the campaign against Confederate forces under General Sterling Price, culminating in the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, where the battery was heavily engaged.
Following its service in Missouri and Arkansas, the battery was later attached to Grant’s army during the Vicksburg Campaign in 1863. It took part in the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, and Champion’s Hill, and remained on duty through the surrender of Vicksburg. Subsequently, the battery was ordered to New Orleans to report to General Nathaniel P. Banks, commander of the Department of the Gulf, and participated in the Red River Campaign. Upon the expiration of its original term, non-veteran members were mustered out, while veterans and recruits continued service until final muster out at Columbus, Ohio, on August 10, 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
- Campaign against Price in Missouri (Winter 1861–1862)
- Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas (March 1862)
- Vicksburg Campaign (Spring–Summer 1863)
- Battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, and Champion’s Hill (May 1863)
- Siege and surrender of Vicksburg (May–July 1863)
- Red River Campaign (Spring 1864)
Casualties
At the Battle of Pea Ridge, the battery lost 1 man killed and 12 wounded. Additional detailed casualty figures for the entire service period are not fully reported in available primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Thomas J. Carlin
- Captain William B. Chapman
- Captain Newton J. Smith
- Captain Augustus Beach
- First Lieutenant Conrad Gansevoort
- First Lieutenant Orlando L. Huston
- First Lieutenant Harvey B. Guthrie
- First Lieutenant William H. Harper
- First Lieutenant Samuel S. Eaton
- Second Lieutenant Isaac W. Wheaton
- Second Lieutenant Homer A. Andrews
- Second Lieutenant Thaddeus S. Young
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 2nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and additional service details for those who served in the battery.
To view the complete roster, visit the 2nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 8, 13, 24, 34
- Ohio Roster Commission, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- The Union Army, Vol. 2 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)