Overview
The 23rd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Originally organized as Company E, 1st Kentucky Infantry, and also known as the 1st Independent Kentucky or Simmonds’ Battery, this unit was reorganized and mustered into service as an Ohio battery. The battery was organized at Camp Clay, Pendleton, Ohio, and served as part of the artillery branch for the Union side.
This battery was mustered in for three years’ service on June 3, 1861, and remained active until the end of the war. It is distinct from any other Ohio artillery batteries and should not be confused with similarly named units from Kentucky.
Organization & Service
The 23rd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery was originally formed as Company E, 1st Kentucky Infantry, and was also referred to as Simmonds’ Battery. The unit was organized at Camp Clay, Pendleton, Ohio, on May 10, 1861, for three months’ service. It was subsequently reorganized and mustered into federal service on June 3, 1861, at Camp Clay for a three-year term.
Due to incomplete records in the office of the Adjutant General of Ohio, detailed information regarding the movements, attachments, and operations of this battery is unavailable. The battery was mustered out of service on July 10, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky, in accordance with orders from the War Department.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
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
Specific campaigns and battles involving the 23rd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery are not detailed in the available official records or state reports.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Casualties
Official records do not provide detailed casualty figures for the 23rd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery. Total losses by cause are not specified in the available sources.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Seth J. Simmonds
- Captain Daniel W. Glassie
- First Lieutenant Leonard Magness
- First Lieutenant Arthur Erenburgh
- First Lieutenant James W. Conine
- First Lieutenant Robert C. Steen
- First Lieutenant George Hattersley
- First Lieutenant James M. Kerr
- Second Lieutenant Hamilton B. White
- Second Lieutenant Robert Johnston
- Second Lieutenant Frederick A. Dame
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 23rd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery, 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 unit.
To view the complete roster, visit the 23rd Ohio Independent Battery Light Artillery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
- Ohio Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H. Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- The Union Army, Vol. 2, Federal Publishing Company, 1908