OHIO TWENTIETH LIGHT ARTILLERY (TWENTIETH INDEPENDENT BATTERY, "SMITHNIGHT'S") (Three Years)

Twentieth Independent Battery Light Artillery. Capts. Louis Smithnight, John T. Edward Grosskopff, William Backus; First Lieuts., Francis O. Robbins, Henry Roth, Oscar W. Hancock, Charles F. Nitschelm, John S. Burdick, Harlan P. Josselyn, Henry Horn; Second Lieuts., Matthias Adams, William Neracher, Henry Hoehn. This battery was mustered into service on Oct.29, 1862, at Camp Cleveland, to serve for three years, numbering 156 officers and men. Under orders from headquarters it left in December to join the Army of the Cumberland, then at Murfreesboro, Tenn., under command of Gen. Rosecrans, and arrived at that place in February. The battery participated in the affair at Liberty gap and lost 1 man killed and 2 slightly wounded. Its next engagement was the battle of Chickamauga, in which it performed good service, losing 3 men wounded and 2 taken prisoners. The Federal army falling back on Chattanooga, the battery went into camp at that place, but on the inauguration of the Atlanta campaign it moved with Gen. Sherman's forces and was in active service during the whole of that eventful and arduous march. It took part in the battle of Franklin, Tenn, with a loss of 14 men killed and wounded, and was also engaged in the battle of Nashville, but without casualty. The battery was mustered out on July 13, 1865, at Camp Cleveland, Ohio, in accordance with orders from the war department, and on that day there were present 116 rank and file, only 71 of whom were original members of the battery. Source: The Union Army, vol. 2 Chickamagua after battle report: Report of Capt. Edward Grosskopff, Twentieth Ohio Battery. CAMP OF 20TH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY, Near Chattanooga, Tenn., October 11, 1863 CAPT.: I have the honor to report the part which the Twentieth Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery took in the late fight at or near Crawfish Spring., September 19 and 20. The Twentieth Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery was ordered, September 19, in the afternoon, to take up position on a hill in the rear of Second Brigade, Second division, Twentieth Army Corps, near Crawfish Spring. I did remain there until 5 p. m., when I was ordered forward to a clearing. This position I was ordered to change soon after, and took up another one more to the left, near the Seventy-seventh Regt. Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry., and opened fire on the enemy. After this, as night had set in, I fell back to the aforementioned clearing, but was ordered to again change my position still farther to the rear. In the act of carrying out this order I received a cross-fire from the enemy, whereby one of my men and several of the horses were wounded. Soon after I joined the Fifth Battery Indiana Volunteer Artillery, commanded by Capt. Simonson, and took up camp after the firing had ceased in an open field, near the headquarters of the Second Division, Twentieth Army Corps. On the 20th of September, in the morning at 5 o'clock, Received orders form Col. Dodge, commanding Second Brigade, Second Division, Twentieth Army Corps, to remain with my battery where I was until further orders. I waited for orders until ( a. m., when a division of the Fourteenth Army Corps was ordered to take up a position where I stood, and there fore I had to move the battery and station myself on the right of Battery A, First Ohio Volunteer Artillery, and in the rear of Second Division, Twentieth Army Corp; s. Here I remained and held out an attack on our left flank until about 11 or 11.30 a. m., when I was ordered by a staff officer to take a position more to the right; but I had hardly moved toward that place and not yet imposition when the troops stationed there gave way, a and, being without any support, I fell back about 500 yards and took up a position near an open field. There I reported to Lieut. Sidney Smith, acting assistant adjutant-general Second Division, Twentieth Army Corps, and received orders from him to remain there. I did so until the army in general fell back; then I took up a position on a hill near the gap, to protect, in case of need, the retreat. This position I held until about 4 p. m., when I was ordered by Col. Barnett, chief of artillery of the Army of the Cumberland, to report at the cross-road which Gen. Sheridan held with his infantry and where my battery could be supported by them. Here I remained until the whole army commenced moving; then I fell in, as ordered by the adjutant of Gen. McCook's staff, and marched to a field where the different corps had assembled, and reported to Second division, Twentieth Army Corps, when Capt. Bartlett, inspector-general of Second Division, ordered me to move the battery to Rossville. I lost 2 men wounded, 2 men missing, 11 horses (9 dead and 2 wounded). I shot away 85 rounds of ammunition and lost 1 caisson. In general my men behaved very well, excepting 2, who behaved very cowardly-John Hutchins, detailed from the Twenty-ninth Regt. Indiana Volunteers Infantry, and Charles White, detailed from the Seventy-seventh Regt. Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, who left their posts. I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,] E. GROSSKOPFF Capt., Comdg. 20th Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery. Capt. PETER SIMONSON, Chief of Artillery.

Source: Official Records CHAP. XLII.] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 562-50 [Series I. Vol. 30. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 50.]

Ohio 20th Volunteer Independent Light Artillery (Union)

Related Records