1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery L

compiled by Larry Stevens

References for this Unit

• see also Bibliography of State-Wide References
• Ohio In The War-Volume II. Whitelaw Reid. Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin. Cincinnati 1868
• James Barnett Papers. James Barnett. Army officer. Cleveland, Ohio. Concerns Barnett's service with the 1st Ohio Light Artillery in the Civil War. 4 boxes. Western Reserve Historical Society. History Library. Cleveland. Ohio
• National Tribune. A Useful Prisoner. How an Arrested "Suspect" Provided Goods with Toothsome Viands. Anonymous. January 7, 1886
• National Tribune. Whose Flag? Henry Wishon. 1st OVLA Bat L. December 13, 1894. Cedar Creek
• National Tribune. Demands Double Honors. James Gildea. 1st OVLA Bat L. April 14, 1904
• National Tribune. Insists on a Piglet as Interest. E.H. Wilson. 1st OVLA Bat L. September 9, 1909
• Unit Bibliography. U.S. Army Military History Institute. Carlisle Barracks. PA. 1995
• Narrow Escape Story #7. Some Exciting War Experiences. by Ben Butterfield. Battery L. 1st Ohio Light Artillery. Ironton Register. Thursday December 30 1886. Transcribed by Sharon M. Kouns. 1998
• Narrow Escape Story #40. Some Exciting War Experiences. by James & Frank Brammer. Battery L. 1st Ohio Light Artillery. Ironton Register. Thursday August 18 1887. Transcribed by Sharon M. Kouns. 1998
• A Magnificent Irishman From Appalachia. The Letters of Lt. James Gildea, First Ohio Light Artillery Battery L. James Gildea Lt.. 1st OVLA Battery L. Written by Julian Mohr. Edited by Gary Piatt. 85 pgs. Published by Western Slope Round Table. 3850 Pleasant Avenue. Portsmouth. Ohio. 2002
  Reprint: A Magnificent Irishman From Appalachia The Letters of Lt. James Gildea First Ohio Light Artillery, Battery L. 111 pgs. Little Miami Publishing Co. Milford. Ohio. 2003.
• Buckeye Blood: Ohio at Gettysburg. by Richard A. Baumgartner. 254 pgs. Blue Acorn Press. Huntington. West Virginia. 2003

1st Lt. Herbert Guthrie
Battery L 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 "L" 1st Regiment Light Artillery. Organized at Portsmouth, Ohio, and mustered in at Camp Dennison, Ohio, October 8, 1861, to January 20, 1862. Moved to Patterson's Creek, Va., January 20-27, 1862. Attached to Landers' Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. Artillery, Shields' 2nd Division, Banks' 5th Army Corps and Dept. of the Shenandoah to May, 1862. Artillery, Shields' Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. Alexandria, Va., Military District of Washington, D.C., to September, 1862. Artillery, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to October, 1862. Artillery, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, to May, 1863. Artillery Brigade, 5th Army Corps, to April, 1864. Camp Barry, Defences of Washington, D.C.. 22nd Army Corps, to May, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Hardin's Division, 22nd Army Corps, to July, 1864. Artillery, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps, Middle Military Division, to August, 1864. Reserve Division, Dept. of West Virginia, to September, 1864. Artillery Brigade, Dept. of West Virginia, to January, 1865. 1st Separate Brigade. 3rd Division, West Virginia, to April, 1865. Artillery, 2nd Division, Dept. of West Virginia, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.--Advance on Winchester, Va., March 7-15, 1862. Reconnoissance to Strasburg March 19-20. Battle of Winchester March 23. Occupation of Mt. Jackson April 17. March to Fredericksburg May 12-21, and return to Front Royal May 25-30. Moved to Alexandria June 29, and duty in the Defences of Washington till September. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October-November. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. At Falmouth till April. 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan till October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Duty at Camp Barry and at Forts Sumner and Kearney, Defences of Washington, till July, 1864. Repulse of Early's attack on Washington July 11-12. Expedition to Snicker's Gap July 14-23. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Berryville September 3. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty at Winchester till December 28, and at New Creek till June 30, 1865. Ordered to Columbus, Ohio, June 30. Mustered out July 4, 1865. Battery lost during service 1 Officer and 7 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 15 Enlisted men by disease. Total 24.

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

More about the Civil War in Ohio.

Copyright © 1995 Larry Stevens

Last updated December 13 2010