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8th Indiana
Light Battery
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
8th
Indiana Light Battery Officer Roster - Report of the Adjutant General
of the State of Indiana, Volume 3, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1866 View Entire Book
8th
Indiana Light Battery Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant General
of the State of Indiana, Volume 7, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1867 View Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Eighth Indiana Light Battery. — Capts., George T. Cochran, George
Estep. The 8th battery was organized at Indianapolis in Dec, 1861, and left the state on
Jan. 24, 1862, for Louisville, Ky., where it was attached to Gen. Nelson's division, with
which it reached Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 26, being the first Union artillery to enter the
city. Here it was assigned to Wood's division and made a forced march to Pittsburg
landing, but reached there too late to take part in the battle of Shiloh. It took an
active part in the siege of Corinth and moved from there through northern Alabama to
Tuscumbia; being in several skirmishes en route. It was in a sharp engagement with the
enemy at McMinnville, Tenn., in August, cutting the opposing force in two and utterly
routing it, with the aid of the other artillery. It then joined in pursuit of Bragg,
reached Munfordville after its surrender, and engaged in driving the enemy from the place,
taking position to hold the town while the column moved to Louisville. It was soon ordered
to Louisville, fought at Perryville, took part in several skirmishes, and returned to
Nashville. Moving from camp Dec. 26, with Hascall's brigade the enemy was met near
Lavergne and driven from his position. In the advance the next morning the enemy was
driven across Stewart's creek and on the 28th the battery was placed to hold the bridge.
It arrived at Murfreesboro on the 30th and took part in the battle of Stone's river. On
the first day, with its brigade, it held and drove back the enemy while the army recrossed
the river and took up a new line of battle, its work being of the highest order during all
the fierce fighting of that day. The battery lost so heavily that it became necessary to
detail men from the infantry to serve the guns, and after the battle it took position in
the fortifications. In April, 1863, Lieut. Estep was promoted captain. In June the battery
moved with Rosecrans' army in the campaign which resulted in the driving of the enemy from
middle Tennessee, and then went into camp at Hillsboro. In August it moved to Sequatchie
valley and from there to Chattanooga, being the first Federal battery to pass through that
city. It next moved to Ringgold, Ga., thence to Gordon's mill, constantly skirmishing with
the enemy's rear-guard. It was severely engaged at Chickamauga, where it lost 2 killed, 9
wounded, 7 captured, and 43 horses killed or disabled. A desperate charge of the enemy
captured the battery, but it was soon recaptured by Bradley's brigade. Falling back to
Chattanooga, it was stationed in the fortifications of that place until the battle of
Missionary ridge, afterwards returning to Chattanooga. In the movement upon Atlanta in
1864, Capt. Estep was detached and accompanied the 14th corps as acting assistant ordnance
officer. A 4-gun battery of the 1st Ga. artillery, having been captured at Resaca, Lieut.
Winsor, who had been left at Chattanooga in command of the 8th battery, was detached and
detailed to the command of these guns in redoubts at Resaca, being engaged in garrison
duty at that point during the summer and fall of 1864, having a lively encounter with
Hood's forces in October, destroying the works at Resaca after the evacuation of the
Dalton railroad, and returning to the battery at Chattanooga, which had been in command of
Lieut. Stokes during his absence. A number of the members re-enlisted as veterans in
April, 1864, and after the muster-out of the battery in Jan., 1865, they were consolidated
with the 7th battery, Lieut. Stokes being appointed captain of the reorganized 7th. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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