Overview
The 22nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service) served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized primarily at Camp Chase, Ohio, the battery was mustered into service on July 14, 1863, and served in the Western Theater. The unit was notable for its involvement in operations at Cumberland Gap and for its service in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Maryland.
This artillery battery was initially formed from a section organized in April 1863, with the full battery completed and mustered in mid-July 1863. The 22nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery participated in several key operations, including the pursuit of Morgan’s Raiders and the campaign leading to the surrender of Cumberland Gap.
Organization & Service
A section of the 22nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was organized on April 1, 1863, and assigned to duty at Wheeling, West Virginia, and Holmes County, Ohio. This section returned to Camp Chase on June 19, 1863, where the battery was completed and mustered into federal service on July 14, 1863, under the supervision of Capt. J. L. Proctor of the 18th U.S. Infantry, for a term of three years.
After mustering, the battery was sent to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and then to Wheeling. From Wheeling, it moved to Hancock, Maryland, to support General Kelley, before returning to Parkersburg. During this period, detachments were sent out in pursuit of General John Hunt Morgan during his raid through Indiana and Ohio. Following Morgan’s capture, the battery returned to Camp Chase.
On August 12, 1863, the battery marched to Camp Nelson, Kentucky, and on September 1, advanced toward Cumberland Gap. The unit arrived in front of the gap on September 7 and participated in the operations that led to its surrender. On January 3, 1864, a detachment under Lieutenant Amos B. Alger, with 350 cavalry, was forced to surrender at Jonesville, Virginia, after a prolonged engagement and depletion of ammunition. The battery continued to serve in Kentucky and Tennessee, with notable incidents including the deaths of Lieutenant George W. Taylor (murdered near Barboursville, Kentucky, February 14, 1864) and Lieutenant Peter Cornell (killed by guerrillas near Cumberland Gap, June 21, 1864).
On June 27, 1864, the battery was ordered to Knoxville, Tennessee. It remained on duty in the region until July 5, 1865, when it was ordered back to Camp Chase, Ohio, and mustered out on July 13, 1865, in accordance with War Department orders.
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
- Pursuit of Morgan’s Raiders (July 1863)
- Operations at Cumberland Gap (September 1863)
- Reconnaissance at Jonesville, Virginia (January 1864)
- Duty in Kentucky and Tennessee (1864–1865)
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 22nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery are not fully detailed in available primary sources. Notable losses include Lieutenant George W. Taylor (killed February 14, 1864) and Lieutenant Peter Cornell (killed June 21, 1864).
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Henry M. Neil
- Captain Amos B. Alger
- First Lieutenant George W. Taylor
- First Lieutenant Peter Cornell
- First Lieutenant Harvey Burdell
- First Lieutenant Silas H. Towler
- Second Lieutenant Jacob M. Sharp
- Second Lieutenant William West
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 22nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, 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 22nd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and pages covering operations in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia (1863–1865).
- Ohio Roster Commission, “Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion,” Vol. VIII.
- Dyer, Frederick H., “A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion,” Vol. 3.
- Fox, William F., “Regimental Losses in the American Civil War.”
- “The Union Army,” Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Vol. 2.