Overview
The 1st Ohio Light Artillery (Three Months’ Service) was a Union artillery regiment organized in Ohio at the outbreak of the Civil War. Mustered in shortly after the fall of Fort Sumter in April 1861, the regiment was composed of six batteries, with four originating from Cleveland and two from Brooklyn and Geneva. The unit served in the Western Virginia theater during its brief term of service, participating in some of the earliest Union operations of the war.
This unit is distinct from any later formations of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery with longer service terms.
Organization & Service
The 1st Ohio Light Artillery (Three Months’ Service) was organized in April 1861, with Col. James Barnett commanding. The regiment was ordered to Columbus, Ohio, six days after the fall of Fort Sumter. After assembling, it was sent to Marietta, Ohio, via Loveland, arriving and encamping on the fairgrounds to guard the city against potential Confederate incursion.
On May 24 and 25, the regiment was reinforced by the 14th and 18th Ohio Infantry. On May 29, Batteries D and F departed Marietta by boat for Parkersburg, West Virginia, reporting to Col. Steedman of the 14th Ohio Infantry. These batteries advanced along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, repairing bridges and moving to Clarksburg by May 31. The Confederates retreated to Philippi, and the batteries moved to Webster, then marched overnight to arrive before Philippi at 4 a.m. They participated in the action at Philippi, marking the first use of light artillery by Union forces in the war.
The remaining four companies moved from Camp Putnam to Benwood by boat on May 30, then proceeded to Grafton and marched to Philippi, arriving after the engagement. Throughout June, regimental headquarters was at Philippi, with companies detached for bridge guard duty. On July 6, the regiment received orders to advance and occupy Belington, threatening Confederate positions at Laurel Hill. On July 7, the artillery shelled Confederate outposts near Belington. The Confederates retreated from Belington and Laurel Hill on July 12, pursued by Union forces to Carrick’s Ford, where the 1st Ohio Light Artillery opened fire from a high bank, contributing to the Confederate rout and the death of Gen. Robert S. Garnett. A rifled artillery piece was captured and later displayed in Cleveland.
After the expiration of its three months’ term, the regiment returned to Belington, then moved to Columbus, Ohio, and was mustered out at Camp Chase on July 27, 1861.
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
- Guard duty at Marietta, Ohio (April–May 1861)
- Advance to Parkersburg and Clarksburg, West Virginia (May 1861)
- Philippi (June 3, 1861)
- Bridge guard and outpost duty near Philippi (June 1861)
- Advance and skirmishing near Belington and Laurel Hill (July 1861)
- Pursuit to Carrick’s Ford (July 13, 1861)
Casualties
Primary sources indicate that only a few men were wounded during the regiment’s term of service. No official records report fatalities in action or by disease for the 1st Ohio Light Artillery (Three Months’ Service).
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel James Barnett
- Lieutenant Colonel Stephen B. Sturges
- Major Clark S. Gates
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery (Three Months’ 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 1st Ohio Light Artillery (Three Months’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 2, 5, 12
- Ohio Roster Commission, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 7
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- The Union Army, Vol. 2 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)