Organization
The Sixth Wisconsin Light Artillery Battery (6th Wisconsin Light Artillery Battery), also referred to as the Buena Vista Artillery, organized at Camp Utley, Racine, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on October 2, 1861. The battery left the state March 15th before traveling to Missouri where it was placed in charge of a siege battery and reported to General Pope.
Active Duty
After the surrender of Island No. 10, the Sixth transferred to Corinth, Mississippi, arriving there in the latter part of May, and participating in the siege and battle of Corinth on October 3rd and 4th, 1862. They stayed on duty in Corinth until their transfer to Grand Junction, and later to Memphis, Tennessee.
Early March 1863, the battery embarked down the river with the forces advancing on Vicksburg. The unit crossed the Mississippi River on May 1st and took part in the movements of the army under General Grant. In this capacity, the Sixth Battery participated in the battle of Champions Hill on the May 16th and on the May 19th took a position in the trenches in the rear of Vicksburg, continuing in this service until the surrender July 4, 1863.
After the surrender, the battery participated in various movements in northern Mississippi and southern Tennessee, reaching Chattanooga, Tennessee on November 24. In Chattanooga, they took part in the battle of Missionary Ridge November 25, 1863, and in the pursuit of the Confederates.
After this, the Sixth Battery stationed at various points in northern Alabama, including Bridgeport and Huntsville as a part of the Alabama Campaign. The battery joined Sherman's Army at Kingston, Georgia, and largely engaged in garrison duty in that army until the later part of November 1864. Afterwards the unit transferred to Nashville, Tennessee. Here the battery remained on duty during the battle of Nashville from December 15th to 16th, 1864.
In February, November transferred to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and assigned to a permanent camp. They remained at that camp until they mustered out of the service of the United States. The Sixth Battery reached Madison, WI, on July 3, 1865, and was disbanded July 18, 1865.
Casualties of 6th Wisconsin Independent Battery Light Artillery
The sixth Light Artillery lost 1 officer and 6 soldiers to mortal wounds, and 22 soldiers to disease.
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).