1st Tennessee Light Artillery Battalion

Also called 1st Tennessee Light Artillery Regiment

Organized November 1, 1863; mustered out at Nashville, July and August, 1865.

FIELD OFFICERS

• Lieutenant Colonels-Robert Clay Craw-ford, Albert F. Beach.
• Majors-Henry W. Wells, Joseph Grigsby.

CAPTAINS

• Ephraim C. Abbott, Co. “A”. Mustered in at Nashville, October 10, 1862. Men enrolled at Memphis, June 1862. Mustered out at Nashville, August 3, 1865.
• Robert Clay Crawford, William 0. Beebe, Co. “B”. Mustered in at Lexington, Kentucky, April 16, 1863, as an independent company called. 1st East Tennessee Battery. Men from Fentress County. Mustered out at Nashville, July 20, 1865.
• Vincent Meyers, Joseph Grigsby, Co. “C”. Mustered in at Knoxville, September 18, 1863; mustered out at Nashville, August 1, 1865.
• David K. Young, Samuel D. Leinart, Co. “D”. Mustered in at Knoxville, November 1, 1863. Men from Anderson County. Mustered out at Nashville, July 20, 1865.
• Henry C. Lloyd, Henry C. Kelly, William J. Patterson, Co. “E”. Mustered out at Nashville, August 1, 1865. Originally mustered as Battery “D”, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery.
• Co. “F”. Men enlisted for this company transferred to Co. “A” on April 13, 1864.
• Henry C. Kelly, Co. “C”. No muster roll. 1st Lieutenant Mason B. Austin was enrolled at Memphis, March 26, 1864, and mustered at Nashville, May 23, 1864, for this company. It was consolidated with Co. “E” in January, 1865.

This company, under Captain Ephraim C. Abbott, was first mentioned in the Official Records on October 8, 1862, as part of the Post Forces at Nashville. It moved to Clarksville February 9, 1863, and on June 30 was still reported at Clarksville. On June 13, 1863, when Major General Gordon Granger assumed command of the Reserve Corps, with Headquarters at Triune, he listed the 1st Tennessee Battery, which was Company “A”, as part of his forces. On July 31, armed with two bronze six-pounders and four James six-pounders, it was reported in Brigadier General R. S. Granger’s Division, Colonel Sanders Bruce’s Brigade. In September, 1863, it was in Brigadier General J. G. Spears’ 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, and on September 21, just after the battle of Chickamauga, was stationed at a cross roads on Chattanooga Creek, near Rossville, Georgia, with orders to check the Federal forces streaming into Chattanooga. On September 22, it moved into Chattanooga. On October 31, 1863 it was in Captain Josiah W. Church’s Artillery Brigade of General Thomas’ Army of the Cumberland. It remained in Church’s Brigade until December 31, 1863, but the report on the battle of Missionary Ridge stated the battery was not engaged in that action.

On December 31, 1863, it was placed in the Artillery Reserve, Army of the Cumberland, under Captain James H. Stokes. On April 1, 1864, with 1st Lieutenant A. F. Beach in command, it was reported at LaVergne, Tennessee, but on April 30 it was in Lieutenant Colonel Duff G. Thornburgh’s 1st Brigade, 4th Division, of Major General W. L. Elliott’s Cavalry Corps. By this time Lieutenant Beach had become Captain Beach.

On October 1 and 2, 1864, one section, under Lieutenant Tobin, was at Athens, Alabama, where it assisted in repelling an attack by Confederate General A. Buford. The report of the engagement said Lieutenant Tobin was entitled to much praise for his handling of the battery. On October 8, at Decatur, Alabama, it reported 115 effectives.

On October 26-28, 1864, as part of the garrison of Decatur, Alabama, it took part in Brigadier General Robert S. Granger’s defense of that post against Hood’s Army of Tennessee which was moving up for the invasion of Tennessee. General Granger reported “The fire of Beach’s Battery was very fine.” Captain Beach, in his report, commended Lieutenants Murphy and Kridler. On November 6, one section was sent from Decatur with Colonel Doolittle on a scout in the direction of Courtland, Alabama.

On January 16, 1865, the battery was ordered to Pulaski, to report to Brigadier General Richard W. Johnson, of the 6th Cavalry Division, Military Division of Mississippi. On February 28, 1865, with Lieuntenant Thomas J. Murphy in command, it was at Wauhatchie, Tennessee; on April 30, with Captain Beach in command, it was at Fayetteville, Tennessee. It remained in Middle Tennessee on duty on the line of railroad until July 1865, when it was mustered out of service.

This company was raised by Captain R. C. Crawford at Lexington, Kentucky, composed of refugees from East Tennessee, and was mustered into service April 16, 1863. It moved to Nicholasville, Kentucky, for drill and instruction where, on May 14, it reported 121 effectives. Later in May it moved to Camp Nelson, Kentucky, on July 19, 1863 to Somerset, Kentucky, and was attached to Brigadier General S. P. Carter’s Division. On July 29, Colonel W. P. Sanders, 5th Kentucky Cavalry, in command of all mounted troops near Lexington, Kentucky, with orders to drive the Confederates (under Colonel Scott) from the state, listed Crawford’s Tennessee Battery as part of his force.

On August 31, the battery was listed in Brigadier General James M. Shackelford’s Brigade and was engaged at London, Tennessee, on September 2, 1863. It then moved to Cumberland Gap, and took part in the siege of that place resulting in its surrender on September 9, 1863. It then moved to Knoxville, and remained in East Tennessee for the balance of the war. On October 15, it was at Jonesboro, with Colonel W. A. Hoskins’ Brigade, and moved to Cumberland Gap November 18, 1863. On December 31, Lieutenant James A. Childress was reported in command; on January 31, 1864, Lieutenant Isaac P. Knight was in command; on April 30, Captain William O. Beebe; on May 31, Lieutenant David M. Nelson; on August 31, Lieutenant Isaac P. Knight; on September 30, Lieutenant Peter J. Doremas; on October 31, Captain William O. Beebe; on December 31, Lieutenant William G. Bewley; on February 28, 1865, Captain William O. Beebe; on March 31; Captain Beebe. During all this time it was at Cumberland Gap, and was still reported there on April 30, 1865. It remained in East Tennessee until June 26, 1865, when it was ordered to Nashville, to be mustered out of service.

The first mention of this company in the Official Records was on January 31, 1864, when, under Lieutenant Henry C. Kelly, it was reported at Fort Pickering, Defenses of Memphis. It remained at Fort Pickering until March, 1864, when it moved to Nashville, where on May 31, under Lieutenant Joseph Grigsby, it was reported as part of the garrison artillery, in Major Josiah W. Church’s Artillery Brigade. At this time Henry C. Kelly was shown as Captain of Company “G”. It remained on garrison duty at Nashville until March 22, 1865. During this time it was reported as under the command of Captain Vincent Meyers on August 31; of Lieutenant Joseph Grigsby from October 31 to February 28, 1865. On March 22, 1865, still under Lieutenant Grigsby, it was ordered to Johnsonville, where on April 30, 1865, still under Lieutenant Grigsby, it was part of Major John W. Rabb’s Artillery Command, District of Middle Tennessee. It remained in this command until mustered out of service in July, 1865.

On March 23, 1864, Company “D”, East Tennessee Artillery was ordered to report to Brigadier General Robert S. Granger for duty with the artillery at Nashville. On April 1, 1864, at Nashville, with Captain David K. Young in command, it reported four officers and 90 men as effectives. It remained on garrison duty at Nashville until April, 1865. During this time the following officers were reported in command: on April 30, Lieutenant Solomon Strombough; on May 31, Captain David K. Young; from September 30 to December 31, Captain Samuel D. Leinart; on February 28, 1865, Lieutenant James H. Kyle. On April 2, 1865, the battery was ordered to report to the 4th Division, District of East Tennessee, and on April 30, under Captain Leinart, it was reported in Gibson’s Brigade, Brigadier General Davis Tillson’s Division. Here it remained until June 26, 1865, when it was ordered to Nashville to be mustered out of service.

Originally mustered as Battery “D”, 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery. This battery served in the District of North Central Kentucky from October 1863 until April, 1864. On December 31, 1863, under Captain Henry C. Lloyd, it was reported in Brigadier General Speed S. Fry’s command, at Camp Nelson, Kentucky. On January 1, 1864, General Fry was appointed to command the troops to march to Knoxville, and in the troops under his command was listed the 1st East Tennessee Heavy Artillery, under Colonel Crawford, of which Battery “E” must have been a part, as Crawford was really lieutenant colonel of the 1st Battalion Tennessee Light Artillery.

Dyer’s Compendium shows service at Nashville from April to August, 1864, although no mention of the battery was found in the Official Records for this period. On August 1, 1864, Governor Andrew Johnson assigned Brigadier General Alvan C. Gillem to the command of troops known as the “Governor’s Guard,” to which batteries “E” and were assigned, with orders to proceed to East Tennessee, “to kill or drive out all bands of lawless persons, or bands which now infest that portion of the state.” On August 3, Battery “E”, under Lieutenant William J. Patterson, was reported as part of the “Governor’s Guard” at Bull’s Gap. On September 3, one section of the battery, under Captain William J. Patterson, was reported with Gillem in the fighting with Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, near Greeneville, which resulted in Morgan’s death. On October 28, the battery was reported near Morristown, and on November 12 was back at Bull’s Gap. The muster rolls of the battery indicate that Companies “E” and “G” were consolidated January 26, 1865.

On March 31, 1865, under Lieutenant James M. Regan, the battery was reported as still in Gillem’s Cavalry Division, and moved with him under Brigadier General W. M. Gardner into North Carolina, and was engaged in the fighting which culminated in the capture of Salisbury, on April 12, 1865. It remained in Gillem’s Cavalry Division until June 26, 1865, when it was ordered to Nashville, to be mustered out of service.

The only record of this battery found in the Official Records was on April 10, 1864, when it was reported in Brigadier General Theophilus T. Garrard’s Brigade, Department of the Ohio, with Headquarters at Knoxville. Adjutant General Brownlow’s reports state that on April 13, 1864 the men enlisted for Battery “F” were transferred to Battery “A” by order of the Military Governor of Tennessee, Andrew Johnson.

Battery “G” first appeared in the Official Records on April 30, 1864, when, under Captain Henry Kelly, it was reported as part of the Garrison Artillery at Nashville, under Major Josiah W. Church. It remained on garrison duty at Nashville until August, 1864, when it was assigned to the “Governor 5 Guard” under Brigadier General Gillem, and moved with him to East Tennessee. On August 3, 1864, under Lieutenant Jeremiah H. Crane, it was reported at BulUs Gap. It was consolidated with Battery “E” on January 26, 1865, and remained in Gillem’s Division until June 26, 1865, when, as part of Battery “E”, it was ordered to Nashville to be mustered out of service.

The only record of Battery “K” shows that on March 22, 1865, it was ordered from Nashville to Knoxville. Dyer’s Compendium states that it remained on garrison duty at Knoxville until July, 1865, when it was mustered out of service.