Recruitment and Training
The Third Wisconsin Light Artillery Battery (3rd Wisconsin Light Artillery Battery ) was organized at Camp Utley, Racine, WI, and mustered into the service of the United States on October 10, 1861. The battery left the state for Louisville, Kentucky, on January 23, 1862.
Active Service
In the early part of March, they moved around Tennessee, first to Nashville, Tennessee, and then to Savannah, Tennessee. During the summer of that year the battery moved from place to place with the Union forces in the active movements of that year and participated in the Battle of Perryville (also referred to as the Battle of Chaplin Hills) in October 1862. In late December, they participated in the Battle of Stones River until Jan. 3, 1863.
Next, they underwent duty at Murfreesboro, Tennessee until July 5, also participating in the Tullahoma Campaign June 23 to July 7, 1863, and in the advance upon Chattanooga that followed. Afterwards they returned to Murfreesboro where they guarded a position in the fortifications until the close of the war. In July of 1865, the Third Battery returned to Madison, mustered out of the service, and disbanded on July 20, 1865.
Casualties of the 3rd Wisconsin Independent Battery Light Artillery
The Third Light Artillery lost 6 men to mortal wounds and 21 men to disease, 27 men lost in total.
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).