12th Independent Battery Light Artillery (Veteran)

Left state: January 14, 1862. 
Mustered out: June 14, 1865

The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 12th ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

This battery was organized at Albany, January 3, 1862, by the consolidation of the companies recruited by Capts. William H. Ellis and Walter Shaw, and mustered in the service of the United States for three years January 14, 1862. It was recruited principally at Albany, Troy, Newfane, Jordan, Kendall, Wilson, Lockport, Somerset, Amsterdam', Hart-land and Poestenkill. It received its numerical designation January 15, 1862, and at the expiration of its term of service the men entitled thereto were discharged and the battery retained in service. February 18, 1865, a number of men, originally recruited for the 2Oth Battery, at Jamaica, Elmira, Poughkeepsie, Tarrytown and Kingston were assigned to it. The battery, commanded by Captain Ellis, left the State on the I7th of January, 1862, and served at and near Washington, D. C., and in the Artillery Camp of Instruction from January, 1862; in the 22d Corps from February, 1863; in the Artillery Brigade, 3d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from July 7, 1863; in the 2d Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, from March, 1864; in the Artillery Brigade, 2d Corps, from May 18, 1864; and in the Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac, from September, 1864. Commanded by Capt. Charles A. Clark, it was honorably discharged and mustered out at Albany, June 14, 1865, having lost by death, killed in action, 1 officer, 4 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 14 enlisted men; total, 1 officer, 18 enlisted men; aggregate, 19; of whom 3 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.

The following is taken from The Union army: a history of military affairs in the loyal states, 1861-65 -- records of the regiments in the Union army -- cyclopedia of battles -- memoirs of commanders and soldiers, Volume II: New York, Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908.

Twelfth Independent Battery.—Capts., William H. Ellis, George F. McKnight, Charles A. Clark. This battery was organized at Albany and was there mustered into the U. S. service for three years on Jan. 14, 1862. It continued in service after the expiration of its term as a veteran organization. Commanded by Capt. Ellis, it left the state on Jan. 17, 1862, and was stationed at Washington until the summer of 1863, when it was assigned to the artillery brigade of the 3d corps, with which it participated in the pursuit of Lee's army, after the battle of Gettysburg, being engaged at Wapping heights; was active in the minor engagement at Kelly's ford; took part in the futile Mine Run campaign; and in the same brigade, but attached to the 2nd corps, it fought through the battles from the Wilderness to Petersburg, losing 3 men at Spottsylvania, 4 at the North Anna, i at Cold Harbor, 11 at the Weldon railroad and 11 at Reams' station. From Sept., 1864, it formed part of the artillery reserve. Army of the Potomac, and took part in the final assault on Petersburg, April 2, 1865. It was mustered out under command of Capt. Clark, at Albany, N. Y., June 14, 1865, having lost 19 killed and died of wounds, and by disease.Twelfth Independent Battery.—Capts., William H. Ellis, George F. McKnight, Charles A. Clark. This battery was organized at Albany and was there mustered into the U. S. service for three years on Jan. 14, 1862. It continued in service after the expiration of its term as a veteran organization. Commanded by Capt. Ellis, it left the state on Jan. 17, 1862, and was stationed at Washington until the summer of 1863, when it was assigned to the artillery brigade of the 3d corps, with which it participated in the pursuit of Lee's army, after the battle of Gettysburg, being engaged at Wapping heights; was active in the minor engagement at Kelly's ford; took part in the futile Mine Run campaign; and in the same brigade, but attached to the 2nd corps, it fought through the battles from the Wilderness to Petersburg, losing 3 men at Spottsylvania, 4 at the North Anna, i at Cold Harbor, 11 at the Weldon railroad and 11 at Reams' station. From Sept., 1864, it formed part of the artillery reserve. Army of the Potomac, and took part in the final assault on Petersburg, April 2, 1865. It was mustered out under command of Capt. Clark, at Albany, N. Y., June 14, 1865, having lost 19 killed and died of wounds, and by disease.

12thIndBatGuidon2004-33.jpg

12th Independent Battery, NY Volunteers | Guidon | Civil War

The NYS Battle Flag Collection includes one flag carried by the 12th Independent Battery, a silk, swallowtail guidon in the “stars and stripes”…

NYSMM Online Resources

Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (pdf)
Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (spreadsheet)

Muster Roll

Unit Roll

Civil War Newspaper clippings

Other Resources

This is meant to be a comprehensive list. If, however, you know of a resource that is not listed below, please send an email to ng.ny.nyarng.list.historians@army.mil with the name of the resource and where it is located. This can include photographs, letters, articles and other non-book materials. Also, if you have any materials in your possession that you would like to donate, the museum is always looking for items specific to New York's military heritage. Thank you.

Dauchy, George K. "The battle of Ream's station (read May 8, 1890)." Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States - Illinois III 125-40.

Wilkeson, Samuel; Matteson, Carl; Eaton, John B.; Knowles, Elizabeth; Stoddard, George N.; Hayward, John A.; Johnson, Charles E.; Brown, James Malcolm; Granger, Warren; Barney, L. L.; Buell, Madison; Potter, William Warren; Confederate States of America. Army. Civil War collection, 1840-1929 (bulk 1861-1865)
Abstract: Muster rolls, histories, diaries and other official and personal papers concerning various New York regiments and naval operations, including the 3rd, 20th, 21st, 49th, 94th, 100th, 116th and 179th Infantry; 11th and 12th Cavalry; 1st Light Artillery (Wiedrich's Battery), 12th Light Artillery, 27th Light Artillery (Eaton's Battery), and 16th Heavy Artillery, as well as some non-New York military units. Also included are passes used by Samuel Wilkeson for reporting for the New York Tribune, 1861; personal letters, 1840-1882; Confederate muster rolls and other records; documentation of war dead, particularly from Orleans County, N.Y.; muster and descriptive rolls of Erie County; W.T. Anderson collection of Civil War autographs, communications and maps; reminiscences by Madison Buell and W.W. Potter, M.D.; and other materials, including autographs, emblems, soldiers' ballots and excerpts from diaries and letters of Elizabeth Knowles.
General Info: Inventory/ available in the repository:/ folder level control. Organization: Organized into fourteen series: I. New York infantry regiments, 1861-1929. II. New York cavalry regiments, 1864-1865. III. New York artillery regiments, 1861-1908. IV. Sharpshooters and mounted rifles units, 1861-1864. V. Naval activities, 1861-1911. VI. Non-New York military regiments, 1861-1863. VII. Samuel Wilkeson papers, 1861. VIII. Personal letters, 1840-1882. IX. Confederate manuscripts, 1861-1865. X. Records of war dead. XI. Muster and descriptive rolls for Erie County, 1861-1865. XII. Reminiscences, 1887-1891. XIII. W.A. Anderson collection, 1861-1865. XIV. Diary excerpts, autographs, emblems, and papers concerning unidentified regiments and soldiers, ca. 1861-1865./ Series I-IV arranged consecutively by regiment number. Preferred citation: , C00-3, Civil War Collection. 
Located at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society Archives.

Items the museum owns are in bold.