Organization
The Twelfth Wisconsin Light Artillery Battery (12th Wisconsin Light Artillery Battery) was enlisted and mustered into the service of the United States in February and March 1862 as a company for the 1st Missouri Light Artillery where they were known as the 12th Wisconsin Battery.
Active Duty
To begin their active duty, they moved in squads to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. A part of the battery traveled to New Madrid, Missouri, and assisted in the siege and reduction of Island No. 10.
Two sections left Jefferson Barracks on the 6th of May and traveled to Hamburg, Tennessee. From there, these sections advanced to Corinth, Mississippi. In Corinth, they participated in the siege of Corinth from May 8 to May 30, 1862. In the following months, the battery actively engaged with the Union forces in northern Mississippi and southern Tennessee. From January 4th to February 8th, they engaged in duty at Germantown, Tennessee.
Following their duty, they took part in many engagements in Tennessee. These engagements included being assigned a position in Grant's army and battles at Raymond on May 12. Further, they participated in the whole of the siege of Vicksburg from May 18 to July 4, 1863. They stayed in the area until September. Then, the battery was transferred to Arkansas to reinforce the troops under General Steele.
They returned to Memphis and Chattanooga, Tennessee in November. This time, they were placed in position to protect the transfer of the Union troops across the Tennessee who were about to engage in the battle of Missionary Ridge. After that, the Twelfth moved along the railway in northern Alabama from point to point until June, when they transferred to Kingston, Georgia.
On July 14th, they were assigned as a part of the garrison at Allatoona Pass, where they would later have duty. They also participated in the repulse of French's attack on October 6th, 1864. They rejoined Sherman’s army at Atlanta on November 15th. Next, they participated in the march to the sea and in the siege of Savannah from December 10th to 21st, 1864.
In January, they moved with the army into the Carolinas until the surrender of the Confederates under General Johnston on April 26, 1865. They participated in the Grand Review at Washington on May 24th and then transferred to Madison, WI. They mustered out of the service of the United States on June 26, 1865.
Casualties of the 12th Wisconsin Independent Battery Light Artillery
The Twelfth Light Artillery lost 1 officer and 10 soldiers to mortal wounds and 23 soldiers to disease during their active duty.
For Further Research
Search our collections for photos and artifacts from Wisconsin in the Civil War. Read about other Wisconsin Civil War regiments. For detailed regimental histories of the U.S. Civil War, consult the Frederick H. Dyer, Compendium of the War of the Rebellion: Regimental Histories.
The histories above, unless otherwise noted, are adopted from Charles E. Estabrook, ed., Records and Sketches of Military Organizations, (Madison, 1914).