20th Indiana Light Artillery Battery is the sole support unit to provide Artillery support to the Midwest Brigade. 20th Indiana provides well trained Artillery and Officer Support to the Brigade and field 4 Gun Teams.
HISTORY OF THE 20th Indiana
The History of the 20th Indiana Light Artillery Battery The battery was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana and mustered in September 19, 1862, for a three-year enlistment Left Indiana for Henderson, Kentucky, December 17, 1862. Duty at Henderson, and in the District of Western Kentucky until May 1863. Ordered to Nashville, Tennessee, and duty there until October 5, 1863. Refitted and assigned to guard duty along Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad until March 5, 1864. Moved to Bridgeport, Alabama, March 5, and garrison duty there until July. Ordered to the field and joined XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, south of the Chattahoochee River, Georgia.
Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25–30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Pursuit of Hood into Alabama October 1–26. Action near Atlanta October 30. Moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 5, then to Nashville, Tennessee. Battles of Nashville December 15–16. Duty at Courtland, Alabama, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, until June 1865. The 20th Indiana Battery Light Artillery mustered out of service on June 28, 1865.
Casualties: The battery lost a total of 25 men during service; 7 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 24 enlisted men died of disease
Notes on Guard Duty: In addition to a higher headquarters' requirements for pickets (yes, artillery did provide pickets for their own front many times) all batteries had a minimum of two guards on duty at all times. One guard was posted at the battery ordnance park to protect the guns and caissons from theft of miscellaneous hardware and harness and to keep curious infantrymen from damaging the guns unknowingly. Another guard was placed over the horses, whether they were in stables or picketed, to protect them and their forage from theft. The most trying part of the horse duty was keeping the horses from becoming entangled with each other and/or getting 'spooked'.
