Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Fifteenth Battery Ohio Light Artillery

This information comes from History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Williams Brothers, Philadelphia, 1878 page 55 and 47.

Roster of Soldiers from Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio

Mustered into the United States service, at Camp Dennison, Ohio, January 1, 1862; mustered out, June 20, 1865.

Corporal Charles Van Epps, promoted February 20, 1865.
Corporal Jerome Wellman, promoted March 1, 1865.

Discharged
Walter G. Hunt, by reason of exp.of term of service,Dec. 18, 1864.
Corp. Lewis Keener, by reason of exp. of term of service, Nov. 10, 1864.
Corp. Dwight Barber, by reason of exp. of term of service, Nov. 10, 1864.
J.E. Cale, by reason of expiration of term of service, Dec. 18, 1864.
B.F. Dow, by reason of expiration of term of service, Dec. 18, 1864.
James Eddy, for disability, date unknown.
H.L. Knight, for disability, July 7, 1862.
Joy Q. Smith, for disability, July 7, 1862.
C.A. Turney, by reason of expiration of term of service, Dec. 18, 1864.
T.T. Ware, for disability, August 15, 1862.
W.R. Ware, for disability, August 15, 1862.
S.C. Warner, for disability, June 8, 1862.
E. Winchester, for disability, October 23, 1862.
J. Williams
A. Olds
M. Miller
Geo. Wood
D.L. Arnold
L. Warner
D. Vrooman
A.W. Vrooman
J.P. Sanford.

Fifteenth Ohio Independent Battery

[Ed. note: This may not be the same unit as above.]

Fifteenth Ohio Independent Battery was recruited by Captain J.B. Burrows and First Lieutenant Edward Spear, Jr. This battery was mustered into the service on the first day of February, 1862, and was immediately ordered to Cincinnati, where it embarked February 16, under orders for Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, but on reaching Paducah, Kentucky, was disembarked by order of General Sherman. Horses were drawn here, and the battery embarked under orders to report to General Grant, at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. While proceeding up the Tennessee, and when near Whitehall Landing, the boat was fired into by guerrillas from the shore. The fire was returned with shell, under cover of which the men of the battery landed, drove the guerrillas from their cover, and captured some prisoners and horses. In this expedition the battery lost one man wounded. It reported to General Grant on the 20th , and was assigned to the Fourth Division, Army of the Tennessee. This battery was on the front line during the siege of Vicksburg, having position on the Hall's Ferry road, southeast of the city and within two hundred yards of the enemy's works, and enfilading several hundred yards of their line. In this, as in all the engagements in which this battery figured, most excellent service was performed, eliciting on every occasion the commendations of the commanding officers. It expended two thousand three hundred and one rounds of ammunition during the siege. The Fifteenth was with General Sherman principally, and participated in his famous "march to the sea." An incident is related that at the battle of Chattahoochee River a bird flew upon the shoulder of Private Seth Bowers, who was acting No. 1 on one of the guns, where it remained during the engagement. At every discharge of the piece the bird would thrust its head in the man's hair. After the recoil it would again take its position on the man's shoulder and watch the operations of loading. After the battle the bird remained around the men's quarters, but after a few days disappeared.

The Fifteenth Battery was mustered out June 20, 1865, at Columbus, Ohio.