Overview
The 20th Indiana Light Battery was an artillery unit organized in Indiana for Union service during the American Civil War. Mustered in at Indianapolis on September 19, 1862, the battery served in the Western Theater, participating in operations across Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The unit was notable for its varied service, including both garrison and field duties, and for its involvement in several key campaigns and battles in the latter half of the war.
Organization & Service
The 20th Indiana Light Battery was organized at Indianapolis in the summer of 1862 and mustered into service on September 19 of that year. The battery, initially under the command of Captain Frank A. Rose, departed Indiana on December 17, 1862, under Lieutenant Ludwig, moving first to Louisville, Kentucky, then to Henderson, and shortly thereafter to Nashville, Tennessee.
In February 1863, Captain Rose resigned, and Milton A. Osborne, formerly of the 24th Indiana Battery, was appointed captain. Early in 1863, the battery’s guns were turned over to the 11th Indiana Battery, and the men were assigned to man the siege guns in the fortifications of Nashville, where they remained until late summer. Through the efforts of Governor Oliver P. Morton and Captain Osborne, the battery received a new set of field guns and was reassigned to active field duty.
From October 1863, the battery was engaged in guarding the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad until March 1864, after which it moved into the Wauhatchie Valley with the XIV Army Corps. The unit then relocated to Bridgeport, Alabama, remaining there until the latter part of the Atlanta Campaign, when it joined its corps south of the Chattahoochee River. The battery participated in subsequent battles and skirmishes, including the Battle of Jonesboro, after which it entered Atlanta.
On November 5, 1864, the battery left Atlanta by rail for Chattanooga, where it was assigned to General Steedman’s command. It then moved with Steedman’s forces to Nashville, taking part in the Battle of Nashville in December 1864. Following the battle, the battery pursued Confederate forces under General Hood as far as Courtland, Alabama, before returning to Chattanooga. There, it was assigned to the reserve artillery and remained on garrison duty until ordered to Indianapolis in June 1865. The battery arrived in Indianapolis on June 23, 1865, with 125 officers and men, and was mustered out on June 28, 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
- Garrison duty at Nashville, Tennessee (early 1863–late summer 1863)
- Guarding Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad (October 1863–March 1864)
- Wauhatchie Valley operations (spring 1864)
- Bridgeport, Alabama (spring–summer 1864)
- Atlanta Campaign (late summer 1864), including actions south of the Chattahoochee River and the Battle of Jonesboro
- Occupation of Atlanta (September–November 1864)
- Battle of Nashville (December 1864)
- Pursuit of Hood to Courtland, Alabama (December 1864)
- Garrison duty at Chattanooga (1865)
Casualties
- 21 men died by death during service
- 23 men discharged
- 25 men deserted
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Frank A. Rose
- Captain Milton A. Osborne
- Captain John I. Morris
- Lieutenant Ludwig (commanded during initial movement to Kentucky)
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 20th Indiana Light Battery, including officers and enlisted men who served during its term, 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 20th Indiana Light Battery Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
- 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