Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment

Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment
Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment
	Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery flag
Active	25 July 1862 – 20 July 1865
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union; Missouri
Branch	Union Army
Type	Artillery
Size	Artillery Battery
Nickname(s)	Battery A, Schofield's Light Artillery
Engagements	American Civil War Battle of Prairie Grove (1862); Battle of Van Buren (1862); ;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Frank Backof

Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment was an artillery battery unit from Missouri that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The original Battery L was formed 1 September 1861 but was disbanded in January 1862. The long-term service Battery L was created in October 1862 by reassigning Battery A, Schofield's Light Artillery. Battery L fought at the battles of Prairie Grove and Van Buren in December 1862. Thereafter, the battery performed guard duty at different locations in Missouri, with a foray into Arkansas. The unit was mustered out on 20 July 1865.

Short-service battery

1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment was organized at St. Louis, Mo., from 1st Missouri Infantry, September 1, 1861.

Schofield's Battery A Light Artillery

Organized at St. Louis, Mo., July 25, 1862. Attached to Dept. of Missouri to October, 1862. At St. Louis, Mo., until August, 1862. Ordered to Jefferson City, Mo., August 17; thence moved to Rolla, Mo., and duty there until October. Assigned to 1st Missouri Light Artillery as Battery "L," October, 1862, and for further history see that Battery.

History

Organization

Original Battery on duty at St. Louis, Mo., until January, 1862, when disbanded. Battery reorganized October, 1862, by assignment of Battery "A," Schofield's Light Artillery. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Frontier, Dept. of Missouri, to June, 1863. District of St. Louis, Mo., Dept. Missouri, June, 1863. District of Rolla, Dept. of Missouri, to December, 1863. District of Southwest Missouri, Dept. Missouri, to January, 1864. District of Central Missouri, Dept, Missouri, to April, 1865. District North Missouri, Dept. Missouri, to July, 1865.

Service

Ordered to Join Gen. Herron October 11, 1862. March to Cassville October 11–14. Expedition to Cross Hollows, Ark., over Boston Mountains October 17–24. March to Wilson's Creek November 4–22. Forced march to relief of Gen. Blount December 3–6. Battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., December 7. Expedition over Boston Mountains to Van Buren December 27–29. At various points in Missouri until March, 1863. At Lake Springs and Rolla, Mo., until July. Moved to Houston July 14. Scout from Houston to Spring River Mills and skirmish August 6–11. Duty in District of Rolla until December, 1863, and at Springfield, Mo., District of Southwest Missouri, until January, 1864. Operations in Northwest Arkansas January 16-February 15. Duty at Springfield, Mo., until June, and at Warrensburg, Mo., until August. At Springfield until June, 1865. Ordered to St. Louis, Mo., and mustered out July 20, 1865.

References

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Vol. 3. Secaucus, N.J.: Castle. 1987a [1883]. ISBN 0-89009-571-X.
Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion: Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery. Des Moines, Iowa: Dyer Publishing Co. p. 1316. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
Shea, William L. (2009). Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign. Chapel Hill, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-3315-5.
This article contains text from a text now in the public domain: Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.