20th Ohio Battery
Encyclopedia
20th Ohio Independent Battery was an artillery
battery
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
and mustered in October 29, 1862 for a three year enlistment under Captain Louis Smithwright.
The battery was attached to 2nd Division, XX Corps, Army of the Cumberland
, to October 1863. 1st Division, Artillery Reserve, Department of the Cumberland, to November 1863. Artillery, 3rd Division, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to December 1863. Garrison Artillery, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to November 1864. Garrison Artillery, at Nashville, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to February 1865. Garrison Artillery, at Chattanooga, Tennessee, until July 1865.
The 20th Ohio Battery mustered out of service on July 19, 1865.
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Service
The battery was organized at Camp Taylor in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and mustered in October 29, 1862 for a three year enlistment under Captain Louis Smithwright.
The battery was attached to 2nd Division, XX Corps, Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
, to October 1863. 1st Division, Artillery Reserve, Department of the Cumberland, to November 1863. Artillery, 3rd Division, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to December 1863. Garrison Artillery, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to November 1864. Garrison Artillery, at Nashville, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to February 1865. Garrison Artillery, at Chattanooga, Tennessee, until July 1865.
The 20th Ohio Battery mustered out of service on July 19, 1865.
Detailed service
Moved to Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 31, 1862, arriving there February 8, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro, Tenn., until June 1863. Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Liberty Gap June 24-27. Chickamauga Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Attached to Garrison Artillery at Chattanooga until June 1864. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27, 1863. Engaged in repelling attacks of rebel cavalry under Forrest and Wheeler on the flanks of Sherman's army during the Atlanta Campaign. Action at Dalton, Ga., August 14-16. Marched to Alpine, Ga., September 4-20, then marched to Pulaski, Tenn. Surrender of Dalton October 13 (one section). Nashville Campaign November-December. In front of Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Spring Hill and Thompson's Station November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., and garrison duty there until July 2, 1865.Casualties
The battery lost a total of 24 men during service; 1 officer and 5 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 17 enlisted men died due to disease.Commanders
- Captain Louis Smithwright
- Captain John F. Edward Grosskopff
- Captain William Backus
See also
- List of Ohio Civil War units
- Ohio in the Civil WarOhio in the Civil WarDuring the American Civil War, the State of Ohio played a key role in providing troops, military officers, and supplies to the Union army. Due to its central location in the Northern United States and burgeoning population, Ohio was both politically and logistically important to the war effort...