McLain's Independent Battery Colorado Light Artillery
Encyclopedia
McLain's Independent Battery Colorado Light Artillery was an artillery
battery
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. It was sometimes misspelled as "McLane's Battery".
on December 15, 1862 and mustered in under the command of Captain William D. McLain.
The battery was attached to the District of Colorado to July 1864. District of Upper Arkansas to December 1864. District of South Kansas to April 1865. District of North Kansas to August 1865.
McLain's Independent Battery Colorado Light Artillery mustered out of service on August 31, 1865.
, Colorado Territory, operating against Indians, December 1862 to July 1863. At Camp Weld until December 1863. Scout from Fort Garland
, Colorado Territory, October 12–16, 1863. At Denver December 1863 to June 1864. Expedition from Denver to Republican River
, Kansas, April 8–23, 1864. Action at Big Bushes, Smoky Hill, Kansas, April 16. Ordered to District of Kansas June 1864. At Fort Larned
, District of South Kansas, until August 1864. (A detachment was at Lawrence, Kansas.) Ordered to Lawrence August 9, and duty in District of Upper Arkansas. Stationed at Paola, Kansas until October. Operations against Price's Invasion October-November. Actions at Little Blue October 21. Big Blue October 22. Westport October 23. Pursuit of Price October 24-December 2. Mine Creek, Marias Des Cygnes, Charlot, October 25. Newtonia October 28. Cane Hill, November 6. At Paola until May 1865. Ordered to Fort Scott
and Fort Gibson
, and duty in District of North Kansas until August.
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It was sometimes misspelled as "McLane's Battery".
Service
The battery was organized at Denver, Colorado TerritoryDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
on December 15, 1862 and mustered in under the command of Captain William D. McLain.
The battery was attached to the District of Colorado to July 1864. District of Upper Arkansas to December 1864. District of South Kansas to April 1865. District of North Kansas to August 1865.
McLain's Independent Battery Colorado Light Artillery mustered out of service on August 31, 1865.
Detailed service
Duty at Fort LyonFort Lyon
Fort Lyon, first named Fort Wise, was operated on the Colorado eastern plains until 1867. That year a new fort called Fort Lyon, and later Las Animas, Colorado, U.S. Naval Hospital and 5BN117, was built near the present-day town of Las Animas, Colorado. First named after Virginia governor Henry...
, Colorado Territory, operating against Indians, December 1862 to July 1863. At Camp Weld until December 1863. Scout from Fort Garland
Fort Garland
Fort Garland , Colorado, USA, was designed to house two companies of soldiers to protect settlers in the San Luis Valley, which was the Territory of New Mexico...
, Colorado Territory, October 12–16, 1863. At Denver December 1863 to June 1864. Expedition from Denver to Republican River
Republican River
The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, flowing through the U.S. states of Nebraska and Kansas.-Geography:...
, Kansas, April 8–23, 1864. Action at Big Bushes, Smoky Hill, Kansas, April 16. Ordered to District of Kansas June 1864. At Fort Larned
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Fort Larned National Historic Site, located six miles west of Larned, Kansas, United States, preserves Fort Larned, which operated from 1859 to 1878...
, District of South Kansas, until August 1864. (A detachment was at Lawrence, Kansas.) Ordered to Lawrence August 9, and duty in District of Upper Arkansas. Stationed at Paola, Kansas until October. Operations against Price's Invasion October-November. Actions at Little Blue October 21. Big Blue October 22. Westport October 23. Pursuit of Price October 24-December 2. Mine Creek, Marias Des Cygnes, Charlot, October 25. Newtonia October 28. Cane Hill, November 6. At Paola until May 1865. Ordered to Fort Scott
Fort Scott National Historic Site
Fort Scott National Historic Site is a historical area under the control of the United States National Park Service in Bourbon County, Kansas, United States. Named after Mexican-American War General Winfield Scott, during the middle of the 19th century it served as a military base for army action...
and Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson, now located in Oklahoma and designated Fort Gibson Historical Site, guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 until 1890...
, and duty in District of North Kansas until August.
See also
- List of Colorado Civil War units
- Colorado in the Civil WarColorado in the Civil WarThe Colorado Territory was formally created in 1861 shortly before the bombardment of Fort Sumter sparked the American Civil War. Although sentiments were somewhat divided in the early days of the war, Colorado was only marginally a pro-Union territory...