Overview
The 4th Indiana Light Battery served as an artillery unit for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized primarily from Laporte, Porter, and Lake counties, the battery was mustered into service at Indianapolis on September 30, 1861. It operated mainly in the Western Theater, participating in significant campaigns and battles in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. The battery was known for its active service with the Army of the Ohio and later the Army of the Cumberland.
Organization & Service
The 4th Indiana Light Battery was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, and mustered in on September 30, 1861. Shortly after organization, it was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky, where it joined General Don Carlos Buell’s army. During the winter of 1861–1862, the battery was stationed near New Haven, Munfordville, and Bowling Green, Kentucky. In the spring of 1862, it moved with Buell’s forces to Nashville, Tennessee, and then marched to Savannah, Tennessee. The battery arrived too late to participate in the Battle of Shiloh, being unable to cross the river in time.
Following the siege of Corinth, the battery took part in the campaign through northern Alabama and middle Tennessee, reaching Nashville by late August 1862. During the Confederate invasion of Kentucky under General Bragg, the 4th Indiana Light Battery moved to Louisville and was attached to Rousseau’s division. It participated in the campaign that drove Bragg’s forces from Kentucky, including the Battle of Perryville, where its actions were credited with helping secure the Mackville road for the Union army.
After returning to Nashville, the battery was assigned to the 3rd Division of McCook’s Corps, under General Sheridan. At the Battle of Stones River, the battery was heavily engaged, suffering significant losses and losing two guns during the fighting. It remained encamped near Murfreesboro until June 1863, then participated in the Tullahoma Campaign and was engaged at Hoover’s Gap. The battery also saw action at Dug Gap and the Battle of Chickamauga, providing effective artillery support. It fought at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge during the Chattanooga Campaign and was then stationed at Chattanooga until September 21, 1864.
On that date, reenlisted veterans and recruits were transferred to the 7th Indiana Battery, with which they served until final muster-out. The non-veterans were mustered out at Indianapolis on October 6, 1864, under Captain Benjamin F. Johnson. The battery later joined the Army of the Cumberland at Nashville and, after the battle there, was assigned as the garrison of Fort Rosecrans at Murfreesboro, remaining until final muster-out on August 1, 1865.
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
- Campaign in Kentucky (1861–1862)
- Advance on Nashville (Spring 1862)
- Siege of Corinth
- Campaign in Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee
- Battle of Perryville
- Battle of Stones River
- Tullahoma Campaign
- Hoover’s Gap
- Dug Gap
- Battle of Chickamauga
- Battle of Lookout Mountain
- Battle of Missionary Ridge
- Battle of Nashville
- Garrison duty at Fort Rosecrans, Murfreesboro
Casualties
During the Battle of Stones River, the 4th Indiana Light Battery lost 6 killed and 17 wounded, with 2 paroled by the enemy and 1 missing. Additional losses occurred throughout its service, but complete casualty figures for the entire term are not consistently reported in primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Asahel K. Bush
- Captain David Flansburg
- Captain Benjamin F. Johnson
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 4th Indiana Light Battery, including officers and enlisted men who served during its term, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and additional service details valuable for genealogical research.
To view the complete roster, visit the 4th Indiana Light Battery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 10, 16, 20, 23, 30, 38 (reports and correspondence relating to the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland)
- Indiana Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
- The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Volume 3