History of 2nd Illinois Lt. Artillery Battery 2nd Lt. Artillery Battery Regiment History Adjutant General's Report BATTERY A Battery A was organized at Peoria, by Captain Davidson, and was mustered into State service, May 23, 1861. Moved to Alton, in July, 1861. Thence moved to St. Charles, Mo., with General Pope, and, thence to Mexico, Mo. From this place, sections were sent to different parts of North Missouri, which were again united at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., at which place the Battery was mustered in United States service, August 17, 1861. Moved to Jefferson City, Mo., and, October 1, to Booneville, Mo., and thence, to Otterville. Thence marched, in Kelton's Brigade, Pope's Division of Freemont's Army, to Springfield, Mo., and returned to Otterville. January 25, 1862, in Colonel Julius White's Brigade, Brigadier Jeff. C. Davis' Division, moved to Lebanon, and, with Curtis' Army, to Northwest Arkansas. Was engaged in the battle of Pea Ridge, March 7 and 8, where it did faithful and brilliant service. A section of the Battery did good service at Neosho and Fayetteville. Moved to Helena, Ark., with General Curtis' Army. Battery A was mustered out of service at Camp Butler, July 27, 1865. [Note: The Adjutant General's Report contains no information for a Battery B or C] BATTERY D Battery D, Second Illinois Artillery, was organized at Cairo, Ill., and mustered into service of the United States in December, 1861. Equipped with six James' Brass Rifle Cannon. The officers were: Jasper M. Dresser Captain, James P. Timmony First Lieutenant, Harrison C. Berger First Lieutenant, George Dunlap Second Lieutenant and Charles S. Cooper Second Lieutenant. Captain Dresser resigned soon after the battle of Donelson, and was appointed Colonel of an Indiana Regiment. Lieutenant Timmony then commanded, until his resignation in the spring of 1862, when Charles S. Cooper was commissioned as Captain, and remained in command until November, 1864, when the Battery was mustered out of service. The first active service for this Battery was in February, 1862, at the battle of Fort Donelson, where it served in the Division under General J.A. McClernand; went through the entire siege, doing effective work and suffering severely from exposure to the weather and the enemy's firs. The weather being intensely cold, bivoucking on the bare ground and almost without food or shelter was quite severe for fresh troops. The Battery then proceeded up the Tennessee River, to Pittsburg Landing, and took an active part in the battle Shiloh,--not surprised as some were at the attack by the Confederates under command of Johnson and Beauregard, as the Battery was ordered out on the Friday night previous to the battle and kept in position ready for battle at any moment from early sundown until daylight the next morning. On the Sunday morning following, the Battery was on the ground ready for battle, long before the first picket shots were heard or the drum sounded the alarm to fall into ranks. Our commanders were certainly looking for an attack from the enemy and had for at least a week before it was made.--Still serving in McClernand's Division, with Major Schwartz as chief of artillery, the Battery was placed in commanding position near General Oglesby's headquarters about half mile from the Church. Major Schwartz being wounded and carried from the field, Battery D was at once ordered to the front and placed in position within 100 yards of the famous Shiloh Church. The enemy were advancing rapidly. The fighting commenced at once; the shot and shell from the Battery mowed swaths in the rebel ranks. The word "close up" would be given and in a second the ranks would be filled and forward was the movement. Volley after volley was poured into the Battery, killing and wounding many. The struggle was a desperate one. The Battery lost 18 men killed, (one man, Sergeant rom Nashville and Huntsville and the Post, with its large supply of Commissary and Quartermaster stores, was saved. The Battery remained here until ordered to Louisville, Ky., and was mustered out of the service on the 21st day of November, 1864. BATTERY E Battery E was organized at St. Louis, Mo., in August, 1861, by Captain Adolph Schwartz, and was mustered into service August 29th at St. Louis Arsenal. One section of the Battery, Lieutenant Hanger commanding, moved September 6th, to North Missouri, and had an engagement with the enemy at Liberty, September 17th, and returned to cairo, December 29, 1861. The Battery, Lieutenant Gumbart commanding, moved to Cairo, September 14th; moved to Fort Holt and Jefferson, Ky., and then returned to Cairo. On November 1st, Lieutenant Gumbart's section went on an expedition to Bloomfield, Mo., and January 9, 1862, to Columbus, Ky., and returned. On February 1, 1862, the Battery, Lieutenant Gumbart commanding, moved to Fort Henry, and, on the 13th, arrived before Fort Donelson. On the 14th, held position on the right with Colonel Oglesby's Brigade. On the morning of the 15th, Lieutenant Gumbart was severely wounded, and Lieutenant Nispel took command. The enemy charged upon the hill upon which the Battery was stationed, three times, but were repulsed. The Battery was engaged during the battle of Shiloh, April 6th and 7th, taking 6 different positions. Was engaged in the siege of Corinth, and in June marched to Purdy, Bethel and Jackson, Tenn. On July 28th, Lieutenant Dengel's section marched from Bolivar, with Colonel Lawler's Brigade, and had an engagement at Britton's Lane, on September 1st, in which the section was captured, together with Lieutenant Dengel and ten men. On November 3, 1862, the remaining section, First Sergeant Martin Mann commanding, was attached to Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, Brigadier General Lauman commanding, and went on the Yocona expedition. On 24th December, marched to Moscow, Tenn., arriving January 12, 1863. Battery E was consolidated with Battery A. BATTERY F Battery F was organized at Cape Girardeau, Mo., by Captain John W. Powell, and was mustered in December 11, 1861. On March 14, 1862, moved to Pittsburg Landing, with six 6-pdr. guns, and was assigned to Brigadier General W.H.L. Wallace's Brigade, Sixth Division. On the morning of April 6, engaged the enemy near Shiloh Church. Lieutenant Bliss was injured at 9 A.M. by falling from his horse; Captain Powell lost an arm at 3 P.M., and the Battery fired its last shot at 6 P.M., having lost 2 guns and 27 horses. Engaged in the siege of Corinth, June, 1862. One section, Lieutenant J.W. Mitchell commanding, was engaged in the battle of Corinth. October 3rd and 4th, 1862. The Battery was engaged in the siege of Vicksburg: in a scout from Natchez to Liberty, La., in the Meridian Campaign; one section in the fight on the Hatchie. Moved with Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, via Cairo, to Clifton, Tenn. Marched thence to Allatoona. The Battery was engaged at Kenesaw Mountain. Was heavily engaged July 22, before Atlanta, losing 1 Lieutenant and 32 men, killed, wounded and missing. Engaged during the siege of Atlanta and Jonesboro, and was in the fight at Nashville, Tenn., December 15th and 16th, 1864. Was in the Fourth Division, Seventeenth Corps, from the organization of that Division. Ordered to Springfield for muster-out, July 9, 1865, and was mustered out July 27, 1865. BATTERY H Battery H was organized at Camp Butler, December, 1861, by Captain Andrew Stenbeck, and was mustered in December 31, 1861. February 6, 1862, moved to Cairo, and was stationed at Fort Holt. One section was engaged in the siege of Fort Donelson. One section moved to siege of Fort Pillow, and returned to Columbus, Ky. Moved to Henderson, Ky., and went in pursuit of Morgan, August 1. One section moved to Smithland, Ky., September 4, one moved to Clarksville, and engaged the enemy under Woodward, and returned to Fort Heiman, December 20. February 3, 1863, Battery moved to the relief of Fort Donelson. August 26, the Battery moved to Clarkesville, Tenn. January 1, 1864, 65 men re- enlisted as veterans and were furloughed. During the summer of 1864 the men of the Battery were mounted and armed as cavalry, and were used in scouting, etc. August 8, engaged the enemy at Canton and Rockcastle Ford, Ky., and subsequently were in garrison at Clarkville, until June 15. Was mustered out at Springfield, July 29, 1865. BATTERY I Battery I was recruited in Will county, and was mustered into the United States service at Camp Butler, December 31, 1861. The Battery remained at Camp Butler until February 7, 1862, when it was ordered to Cairo. It took part in the siege of Island Number 10, under General Pope. Upon the surrender of the Island General Pop's command was ordered to Harrisburg Landing, Tenn. Upon its arrival there it took an active part in the advance upon Corinth and was in several engagements prior to the evacuation of the place, among which was Blackland and Farmington. After the evacuation of Corinth the Battery went into Camp at Rienzi, Miss., for the summer, in General Asboth's command. September 6th, the Battery moved with General Gordon Granger's command to Cincinnati, arriving there September 12th. From thence it proceeded to Louisville and was assigned to General Sheridan's Division and started in pursuit of General Bragg, about October 1st. October 7th we went into action at daybreak at Perryville, Ky., and was under fire until dark. The Battery had four men wounded in that fight. From Perryville we moved to Nashville. On the 10th of December the Brigade to which the battery was attached (Colonel Dan McCook's) was relieved from duty under Sheridan and ordered to garrison, Nashville. June 30, 1863, the Brigade was ordered to Murfreesboro and was stationed there one month and was then ordered back to Nashville. August 30th we left Nashville with the Second Brigade, Second Division, and marched by way of Columbia, Tennessee, Athens and Huntsville to Bridgeport, Alabama. September 13th, we went into camp at Rossville, Ga., and took an active part in the battle of Chickamauga. Fell back to Chattanooga and went into camp at the mouth of North Chickamauga Creek with Dan McCook's Brigade. Took part in Lookout Mountain fight, Mission Ridge and Chattanooga. January 1, 1864, all of the old members were mustered out and re- mustered in as veterans, and arrived at Springfield, Ill., Jan 16, where they were given thirty days' furlough and ordered to report for duty at Joliet, Ill. The roster of the Battery was as follows: Captain...........................................Chas M. Barnett Senior First Lieutenant...........................Henry B. Platt Junior First Lieutenant...........................Alonzo M. Coe Senior Second Lieutenant..........................Judson Rich Junior Second Lieutenant..........................Chas. McDonald Lieutenants Hayward and Haight having resigned while we were in camp at Nashville, Tenn. The Battery left Joliet March 4, 1864, for Chattanooga, Tenn. Shortly after its arrival at Chattanooga, it was assigned to its old Division (Second) in the Fourteenth Army Corps, General Jeff. C. Davis commanding, Captain Barnett being appointed Chief of Artillery of the Division. May 6, 1864, started on Georgia campaign, and took a prominent part up to the taking of Atlanta, the last battle being Jonesboro. November 7, 1864, Captain Barnett resigned, and the command fell to Lieutenant Coe. The Battery marched from Atlanta to Savannah, Ga., and while shelling a rebel battery some fifteen miles from Savannah, Lieutenant Coe was killed by a shell from the rebel battery. From Savannah it proceeded with Sherman's Army through South and North Carolina, and was in every engagement that the Fourteenth Army Corps was in. Upon the surrender of General Johnston's Army, it proceeded to Washington, and took part in the grand review, and from there was ordered to Springfield, Ill., to be mustered out of service. Upon it being mustered out the roster of the Battery was as follows: Captain..........................................Judson Rich First Lieutenant.................................George I Ward Second Lieutenant................................Chas. McDonald BATTERY K Battery K was organized at Camp Butler, in December, 1861, by Captain Benjamin F. Rodgers, and was mustered in December 31. On February 7, 1862, moved to Cairo, and in March moved to Columbus, Ky. In June, 1862, one section was sent to Fort Pillow, during the bombardment. The Battery was then ordered to Memphis, Tenn., and in August returned to Columbus. In October, moved with force under command of Captain Rodgers, to Clarkston, Mo., which was occupied by 300 rebels. Attacked and destroyed the place. In November, moved to Memphis, and was assigned to Fourth Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, and moved, with the Division, to Yocona Creek. Returned north to Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and remained on duty until February, 1863, when it moved with the Division to Memphis. On May 20, moved to Vicksburg. Took part in the siege of Vicksburg. August 20, moved to Natchez, Miss. Remained in this place, engaged in various expeditions and raids, until December 11, 1864, when it moved to Memphis, and went on garrison duty. July 9 moved from Memphis to Chicago, arriving July 11, and was mustered out July 14, 1865. BATTERY L Battery L was organized at Camp Douglas, by Captain William H. Bolton, and mustered in February 28, 1862. On March 11, 1863, moved to Benton Barracks, Mo., and on April 8, rings, and had a sharp engagement with the enemy. On 10th, the whole Battery was in action, all day, at Blue Springs. On 13th October, came up with enemy at Blountsville, and engaged him. Pursued the enemy through Carter Station, Zollicoffer and Bristol, and to near Abington, Virginia. On the 16th, fell back to Bristol. Colonel Carter's Brigade was ordered to Rogersville, where it arrived on the 19th. On November 5th, Captain Phillips was ordered to Nashville, leaving Lieutenant Stevenson in command. On the morning of the 6th, the camp was attacked by the rebel General Jones, with 4,000 men. After a sharp engagement, in which the Battery lost 4 men killed, and 35 captured, the guns were spiked and abandoned. 86 men and 50 horses and wquipments were saved. The detachment went into camp at Camp Nelson, Ky. Consolidated with other batteries of the Regiment. --------------------------------------------------------------------- UGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Pat Hageman