Overview
The 17th Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service) served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Dayton, Ohio, the battery was mustered into service on August 21, 1862, for a three-year term. As an artillery unit, it participated in several major campaigns in the Western Theater and was attached to various corps and divisions throughout its service. The battery is noted for its involvement in key operations such as the Vicksburg Campaign and the expedition against Mobile.
Organization & Service
The 17th Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was organized at Dayton, Ohio, and mustered into federal service on August 21, 1862. Shortly after organization, the battery moved into the field in September 1862, taking a defensive position near Fort Wallace in the rear of Covington, Kentucky, to help repel a potential attack by Confederate forces under General Kirby Smith.
In December 1862, the battery was sent to Memphis, Tennessee, and participated with General Burbridge’s forces in the destruction of the O. & S. Railroad. The battery was present at the five days’ fighting at Chickasaw Bayou and Chickasaw Bluffs. It then marched with General McClernand’s forces against Arkansas Post and, after the capture of that position, encamped at Young’s Point, Louisiana.
In March 1863, the battery went into camp at Milliken’s Bend. In April, it moved with the XIII Corps on the campaign against Vicksburg, participating in the battles of Port Gibson, Champion’s Hill, Black River, and the 47-day siege of Vicksburg. Following the fall of Vicksburg, the battery took part in the demonstration against Jackson, Mississippi, and contributed to the reduction and capture of that city.
During the fall of 1863, the battery joined General Burbridge on the Teche expedition and was heavily engaged at Grand Coteau, Louisiana, where it suffered significant losses, including 25 men, 21 horses, one gun, and one caisson. The battery remained stationed at New Orleans until the spring of 1865, when it was ordered to join the XVI Corps in the expedition against Mobile, Alabama. The 17th Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was mustered out of service on August 16, 1865, at Camp Chase, Ohio.
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
- Defense of Covington, Kentucky (September 1862)
- Destruction of O. & S. Railroad (December 1862)
- Chickasaw Bayou and Chickasaw Bluffs (December 1862)
- Arkansas Post (January 1863)
- Milliken’s Bend (March 1863)
- Vicksburg Campaign, including Port Gibson, Champion’s Hill, Black River, and Siege of Vicksburg (April–July 1863)
- Jackson, Mississippi (July 1863)
- Teche Expedition (Fall 1863)
- Grand Coteau, Louisiana (November 1863)
- Expedition against Mobile, Alabama (Spring 1865)
Casualties
The battery entered service with 156 men. Over the course of its service, 284 names were added to its rolls. At muster-out, the battery had 158 men. The battery lost 40 or more men by death. More specific breakdowns of killed, wounded, or died of disease are not detailed in available primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Ambrose A. Blount
- Captain Charles S. Rice
- First Lieutenant George A. Ege
- First Lieutenant William Hunt, Jr.
- First Lieutenant Absalom H. Mattox
- Second Lieutenant Jeremiah Yeazel
- Second Lieutenant William C. Howard
- Second Lieutenant Abner Tuttle
- Second Lieutenant Frank H. Houghton
- Second Lieutenant Saul R. Strayer
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 17th Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men who served during the Civil War, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and additional service details for those interested in genealogical or historical research.
To view the complete roster, visit the 17th Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see Western Theater operations, Vicksburg Campaign, and Department of the Gulf reports)
- 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
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
- The Union Army, Vol. 2, Federal Publishing Company, 1908