1st Independent Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery

Brief History
The 1st Independent Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery was organized at Fort Snellng, Minnesota on November 21, 1861. It mustered out on July 1, 1865 at St. Paul, Minnesota.

For more information on this regiment see the following:


 * Wikipedia,(accessed 9 Dec 2010) article on the 1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery.


 * Civil War Archive. (accessed 9 Dec 2010) Brief history of the 1st Independent Battery Light Artillery.
 * The Civil War Archive, 1st Independent Battery Light Artillery, accessed 28 March 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

The following counties of origin are taken from the Adjutant General's Report, found on the Internet Archives web site. The rosters show the men who served in each regiment, their residences, dates of enlistment and mustering out, and other remarks. Also see the Dalby Database, a site from Minnesota, searchable by men, counties, regiments and companies.

Men of the 1st Independent Battery were not divided into seperate companies.

Company First Battery - made of men from many different counties. See Dalby Database. (Enter Company's name as FIRST, Regiment's name as LIGHT ARTILLERY to bring up the roster.

Adjutant General's Report Roster information is found on pages 782 to 790.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 406 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Minnesota in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Minnesota in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Minnesota, and how to find them. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Minnesota Historical Society. (accessed 9 Dec 2010) Brief history of the Light Artillery in the Civil War. Has good links to primary and secondary sources.


 * Research OnLine. (accessed 9 Dec 2010) A brief history and biblography of books about the 1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery.


 * Rootsweb.(accessed 9 Dec 2010) First Battery Light Artillery history and a roster of the men from Wabasha County.


 * Carley, Kenneth, and Richard Moe. Minnesota in the Civil War: An Illustrated History. (Minnesota Historical Society Press, c2000). Book of battle histories, photographs, short biographies and a roster of the different regiments with their officers, beginning on page 204. Google book (Not all pages are shown). WorldCat book.


 * Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion Compiled and Arranged from Official Records of the Federal and Confederate Armies : [Minnesota]. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993). . FHL US/CAN Fiche 6084700. Other libraries with this book.


 * Minnesota. Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars 1861-1865. (St. Paul, Minn: Electrotyped and printed for the State by the Pioneer Press Company, 1890).. FHL US/CAN Book 977.6 H2bc. Other libraries with this book. Click on the FHL Collection link to view this book online. It contains detailed histories and rosters of each Minnesota Military Unit.


 * Minnesota Historical Society Press.Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars 1861-1865 (Pioneer Press) vol. 1, pp. 640-649; "Narrative of the First Battery of Light Artillery," by Lieutenant Henry S. Hurter,  followed by "Roster of the First Battery," pp. 650-653  Internet Archives. Other libraries with this book.


 * United States. War Department. Record and Pension Office. Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations. (Washington, District of Columbia : The National Archives, c1964). FHL US/CAN Film 1488542. Other libraries with this microfilm. View online at Internet Archives.


 * Warming, Linda B. Minnesotans in the Civil and Indian wars : an index to the rosters in Minnesota in the Civil and Indian wars, 1861-1865. (Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Co., c1994). Other libraries with this book.