Overview
The 21st Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was an artillery unit organized in Ohio for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Mustered in at Camp Dennison on April 29, 1863, the battery served primarily in the Western Theater. The unit is noted for its involvement in the pursuit of Morgan’s Raiders and for guard and garrison duties in Tennessee and Alabama.
This battery served the Union for a three-year term and participated in several notable operations, including the transfer of Clement Vallandigham, a prominent political prisoner, and actions in East Tennessee.
Organization & Service
The 21st Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was mustered into service on April 29, 1863, at Camp Dennison, Ohio, under the supervision of Capt. J. R. Paxton of the 15th U.S. Infantry. The initial officers included Capts. James W. Patterson and James H. Walley, with First Lieutenants Harrison L. Holloway and William H. H. Smith, and Second Lieutenants Morton J. Raymond and William D. Mann.
On May 8, 1863, Capt. Patterson led four of the battery’s guns to West Virginia for a brief campaign before returning to Camp Dennison. On May 20, the battery was detailed as a guard aboard the gunboat Exchange, escorting Clement Vallandigham, who had been banished to the Confederacy. The battery accompanied the prisoner as far as Louisville, Kentucky, before returning to Camp Dennison.
Subsequently, the battery participated in the pursuit of Morgan’s Raiders through Indiana and Ohio during the summer of 1863. On September 23, 1863, the unit moved to Camp Nelson, Kentucky, and then advanced to Greeneville, Tennessee. The battery was engaged at Walker’s Ford and continued to serve on guard and garrison duty in Tennessee and Alabama for the remainder of the war. The 21st Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was mustered out on July 21, 1865, at Camp Cleveland, Ohio, by order of the War Department.
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
- West Virginia campaign (May 1863)
- Guard duty on the gunboat Exchange (May 1863)
- Pursuit of Morgan’s Raiders through Indiana and Ohio (Summer 1863)
- Movement to Camp Nelson, Kentucky, and Greeneville, Tennessee (September 1863)
- Engagement at Walker’s Ford
- Guard and garrison duty in Tennessee and Alabama (1863–1865)
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 21st Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery are not detailed in available primary sources. The battery’s service was primarily in guard and garrison roles, with limited combat losses reported.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain James W. Patterson
- Captain James H. Walley
- First Lieutenant Harrison L. Holloway
- First Lieutenant William H. H. Smith
- Second Lieutenant Morton J. Raymond
- Second Lieutenant William D. Mann
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 21st Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery, including officers and enlisted men who served during its three-year term, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides details on enlistments, ranks, and service records.
To view the complete roster, visit the 21st Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
- 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)