1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A
Cotter's Battery

compiled by Larry Stevens

References for this Unit

Wilbur F. Goodspeed Capt. & Major
Battery A 1st OVLA
Courtesy of and Copyright © L.M. Strayer Collection

History

Organized as early as 1860, under the Ohio Militia laws, under Colonel James Barnett, it was ready for service when the war broke out. It consisted of twelve batteries, and after serving three months in West Virginia was mustered for three years September 3, 1861. Each Battery has a separate history, having served almost independently on different fields. Batteries A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and M followed the Army of the Cumberland under Buell to Shiloh, and took part in the battles of Stone River, Perryville, Chickamauga and Mission Ridge. They engaged in the many battles in Sherman's Atlanta campaign, and part joined Thomas in his hard fought battles about Franklin and Nashville. The others marched to the sea and through the Carolinas with Sherman. Batteries H and L fought all through the sanguinary battles of the Army of the Potomac, and Batteries I and K fought both east and west, having been transferred with Hooker's Corps to the west in 1863. This Regiment of Light Artillery has inscribed upon its banners nearly all of the great battles of the war, and part of it embraced a period of service of over five years.

From Dyer's Compendium

Battery "A," 1st Regiment Light Artillery. Organized at Camp Chase, Ohio, and mustered in September 6, 1861. Moved to Louisville, Ky., September 25, thence to Camp Nevin, Ky., October 22. Attached to Thomas' Command, Camp Nevin, Ky., to November, 1861. Negley's Brigade, McCook's Command, at Nolin, Ky., to December, 1861. 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, Army Ohio, to September, 1862. Artillery, 2nd Division, 1st Corps, Army Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Right Wing, 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. Artillery, 2nd Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 1st Division, Artillery Reserve, Dept. of the Cumberland, to March, 1864. 2nd Division, Artillery Reserve, Dept. of the Cumberland, to April, 1864. Artillery, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, Dept. of the Cumberland, to July, 1864. Artillery Brigade, 4th Army Corps, to November, 1864. District of Nashville, Tenn., Dept. Cumberland, to March, 1865. 4th Sub-District, Middle Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberland, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.--Duty on Green River, Ky., December 10, 1861, to February 13, 1862. Advance on Bowling Green and Nashville, Tenn., February 13-March 3. March to Duck River March 16-21, and to Savannah, Tenn., March 31-April 6. Battle of Shiloh April 7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. March to Battle Creek, Ala., June 10-July 18, and duty there till August 20. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 20-September 26. Siege of Munfordsville, Ky., September 14-17. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-16. Lawrenceburg October 8. Dog Walk October 9. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 19-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. At Murfreesboro till June. Reconnoissance from Murfreesboro March 6-7. Duck River Island April 26. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Liberty Gap June 24-27. Manchester July 1. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-October 18. Joined Gen. Spear at Sale Creek October 18. Action at Blythe's Ferry November 13. March through East Tennessee to Strawberry Plains November 28, 1863, to January 30, 1864. Duty in East Tennessee till April, 1864. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May to September. Demonstration on Rocky Face Ridge May 8-11. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Adairsville May 17. Near Kingston May 18-19. Near Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Buckhead, Nancy's Creek, July 18. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesborg August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Operations against Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. Nashville, Tenn., Campaign November-December. In front of Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Moved captured cannon off the field December 17. Duty at Nashville and Gallatin, Tenn., and in District of Middle Tennessee till July. Mustered out July 31, 1865. Battery lost during service 15 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 33 Enlisted men by disease. Total 48.

Thanks to Dr. Richard A. Sauers for the initial research and indexing of the National Tribune articles.

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Copyright © 1995 Larry Stevens

Last updated August 23 2021