1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment was a

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

unit from

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The unit began its service as the 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment, but converted to an artillery regiment in September 1861 and was brought up to a strength of 12 companies. Thereafter, each company served as an individual artillery battery, often separated from the other companies in the regiment. The individual batteries served in many actions in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and several batteries served together at key battles such as

Fort Donelson Fort Donelson was a fortress built early in 1862 by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River, which led to the heart of Tennessee, and thereby the Confederacy. The fort was named after Confederate general Da ...

, Shiloh,

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...

, Prairie Grove, and Vicksburg.

Formation

The regiment's parent unit was formed on 10–12 June 1861 in

St Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and Boonville, Missouri, as the

1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry The 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment evolved from one of several unofficial pro-Unionist Home Guards militia formed in St. Louis in the early months of 1861 by Congressman Francis Preston Blair, Jr. and other Unionist activists. The militia that ...

, to serve three years. On 1 September 1861, the unit was re-designated the 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment. Soldiers enlisted in United States regular army units in 1860 and 1861 were transferred into the regiment as Battery L and Battery M. Batteries L and M brought the regiment up to the strength of 12 companies, with batteries named A through M, excluding J. Battery C was immediately disbanded in September 1861. Battery I and Battery L were disbanded in January 1862 and Battery B was disbanded in April 1862. The soldiers in Batteries B, C, I, and L were transferred to the other companies.

Officers

Field officers

The original

field officers A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

were

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Francis Preston Blair Jr., Lieutenant Colonel

James Totten James Totten (September 11, 1818 – October 1, 1871) was a career American soldier who served in the United States Army and retired from active service in 1870 as the Assistant Inspector General. He served as an officer in the Union Army and Miss ...

, and Major

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later served ...

. Schofield was promoted

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

on 21 November 1861, Totten was appointed brigadier general of Missouri state

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

on 19 February 1862, and Blair was promoted brigadier general on 7 August 1862. G. W. Cutler was adjutant, T. D. Witt was

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In ...

, William Hill was surgeon, and Joseph Brooks was chaplain. John V. Dubois was appointed colonel to rank from 1 September 1862, but he quickly resigned on 14 October 1862. Warren L. Lothrop was promoted lieutenant colonel on 19 February 1862 and became colonel on 1 October 1862. A. M. Powell became major on 1 September 1861 and became lieutenant colonel on 21 October 1862. G. Harry Stone was promoted major on 19 February 1862. Thomas D. Maurice became major on 21 November 1862. David Murphy became major on 19 March 1863 and resigned on 10 July 1863. Nelson D. Cole was elevated to the rank of major on 10 August 1863 and promoted colonel of the

2nd Missouri Light Artillery Regiment The 2nd Missouri Light Artillery Regiment was an artillery regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Organized at St. Louis, Mo., as 1st Regiment, Missouri Artillery, U. S. Reserve Corps, September 16 to Novemb ...

on 2 October 1863. Charles Mann became major on 21 October 1863. Frederick Welker was promoted major on 3 November 1864.

Company commanders

Service

Mann's Independent Missouri Battery, formed 4 November 1861, was renamed Battery C, 1st Missouri Light Artillery in August 1862. Buel's Independent Battery, formed 12 July 1861, was reassigned as Battery I in August 1862. Battery A, Schofield's Light Artillery, formed 25 July 1862, was renamed Battery L in October 1862. Battery A, Missouri Artillery Battalion, formed 25 September 1861, was assigned as Battery B in December 1862. Battery E was mustered out at the end of its three-year term of service in June 1864. Company C, Segebarth's Pennsylvania Artillery was then reassigned as Battery E on 14 September 1864. Battery I was mustered out on 30 June 1864 at the end of its term of service. When Battery D reached the end of its term of service, its members mustered out except recruits and re-enlisted veterans. Battery D consolidated with Battery C on 11 April 1865. The remaining companies mustered out between 16 June and 23 August 1865.

Casualties

The regiment suffered losses in the following list of actions. Actions are not listed if no losses were reported.

Armament

According to the 4th Quarter 1862 report, the batteries were armed with the artillery pieces shown in the table below, except where otherwise noted. By the time of the 4th Quarter 1863 report, several batteries were armed with different weapons. Battery A was rearmed with two M1841 6-pounder field guns, three

M1841 12-pounder howitzer The M1841 12-pounder howitzer was a bronze smoothbore muzzle-loading artillery piece that was adopted by the United States Army in 1841 and employed during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. It fired a shell up to a distance ...

s, and one

12-pounder Napoleon The M1857 12-pounder Napoleon or Light 12-pounder gun or 12-pounder gun-howitzer was a bronze smoothbore muzzleloading artillery piece that was adopted by the United States Army in 1857 and extensively employed in the American Civil War. The gun ...

. Battery C was equipped with four M1841 12-pounder howitzers. Battery D was rearmed with three M1841 6-pounder field guns, two M1841 12-pounder howitzers, one M1841 24-pounder howitzer, and two 3-inch Ordnance rifles. Battery E had only two 10-pounder Parrott rifles and two 3.5-inch Blakely rifles. Batteries G and H were each rearmed with six 12-pounder Napoleons. Battery I was equipped with two M1841 6-pounder field guns, one M1841 12-pounder howitzer, two 10-pounder Parrott rifles, and one rifled M1841 12-pounder field gun. Battery L had only two 6-pounder rifles (3.67-inch) and two M1841 12-pounder howitzers.

Notes

References

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