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12th Wisconsin Light Battery
in the American Civil War

Regimental History

Twelfth Wisconsin Light Battery. — Capts., William A. Pile, William Zickerick; First Lieuts., William Zickerick, Edward G. Harlow, William Miles, Lorenzo D. Immel, Marcus Amsden, Sylvester C. Cheney, Philander H. Cody; Second Lieuts., William H. Hamilton, Marcus Amsden, Samuel E. Jones, Philander H. Cody, Henry Marks, Sylvester C. Cheney, Henry Turner. This battery was organized in the winter of 1862 and was mustered in by squads during March, 1863. It was sent to Jefferson barracks, Mo., as mustered, with the understanding that it was to be attached to the 1st Mo. artillery as the 12th Wis. battery. Capt. Pile, a Missourian, who had been given special authority by Gov. Harvey to recruit the battery, refused to acknowledge Gov. Harvey's authority after leaving the state and proceeded to distribute the men according to his own pleasure. On July 18 the governor revoked his commission with the approval of the war department, William Zickerick succeeding him. A number of the recruits were temporarily attached to a Missouri battery in March, pending the completion of the battery's organization, and were engaged in the siege of Island No. 10. In May two sections of the battery joined Halleck's forces before Corinth, whither the other section had preceded them, and on the 29th one section, under Lieut. Zickerick, destroyed a redoubt commanding a railroad. The battery joined in pursuit of the enemy, then camped at Clear creek and remained in that vicinity until August. It was then at Jacinto, Miss., until Oct. 1, though it took part in the battle of Iuka in September, and in the meantime was reinforced by 71 recruits. It was engaged at Corinth in October and was on garrison duty there until Nov. 8. It was then in the movement through Mississippi and Tennessee until Jan. 4, 1863, when it was assigned to guard duty near Germantown. It was in camp at Memphis from Feb. 8 to March 1, then moved toward Vicksburg and took part in the "Yazoo Pass" expedition. In the campaign in the rear of Vicksburg it was in action at Port Gibson, Raymond and Champion's hill, and was then engaged in the siege of Vicksburg until the surrender. It then engaged in various movements through Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama until Jan. 9, 1864, when it was placed on garrison duty at Huntsville. In June it was then ordered to Kingston, Ga., thence to Allatoona on garrison duty, and was active in the celebrated defense of Allatoona in October. It was with Sherman on the march to the sea and on Jan. 14, 1865, moved to Beaufort, S. C, thence to Columbia, and on to Goldsboro. In April it went into camp, 4 miles from Raleigh, and left there on the 29th for Washington, where it participated in the grand review. It was mustered out at Madison, June 26, 1865. Its original strength was 99. Gain by recruits, 209; substitutes, 3; reenlistments, 31; total, 342. Loss by death, 30; missing, 1 ; desertion, 2; transfer, 81 ; discharge, 105; mustered out, 123.

Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 4

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