1st Independent Battery Kansas Light Artillery 1st Independent Battery Kansas Light Artillery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Service . The battery was organized at Mound City , Kansas and mustered in for a three years on July 24 , 1861 under the command of Captain Thomas Moonlight . This unit was formed from artillery companies that were raised for the 3rd Kansas Infantry and 4th Kansas Infantry . Because both regiments did not complete organization , recruits to the artillery were reassigned and consolidated by authority of Special Orders No . 42 , District of Kansas , dated April 24 , 1862 . The 1st Kansas Battery ' s organization was effected about June l , 1862 . A previous attempt had been made to transfer Captain Bickerton ' s Artillery Company of the 3rd Kansas Infantry to the 1st Kansas Infantry as an artillery organization , and to break up Captain Thomas Moonlight ' s Artillery Company of the 4th Kansas Infantry and distribute it among the companies of the same regiment as infantry . However , the recruits were unhappy with this idea and on advice from Brigadier General Samuel D . Sturgis the order was modified and the consolidation was made in accordance with Special Orders No . 42 . The battery was attached to Department of Kansas to August 1862 . 2nd Brigade , Department of Kansas , to October 1862 . 1st Brigade , 1st Division , Army of the Frontier , Department of the Missouri , to February 1863 . District of Rolla , Department of the Missouri , to June 1863 . District of Columbus , Kentucky , 6th Division , XVI Corps , Department of the Tennessee , to November 1863 . Defenses of the Nashville & Northwestern Railroad , District of Nashville , Department of the Cumberland , and 2nd Brigade , 4th Division , XX Corps , Department of the Cumberland , to November 1864 . 2nd Colored Brigade , District of the Etowah , Department of the Cumberland , to January 1865 . Reserve Artillery , District of Nashville , Department of the Cumberland , to July 1865 . The 1st Kansas Battery mustered out of service on July 17 , 1865 . Detailed service . Attached to Lane ' s Kansas Brigade and operations about Fort Scott and on line of the Marmiton August and September 1861 . Actions at Ball ' s Mills August 28 . Morse ' s Mill August 29 . Dogwood Creek near Fort Scott September 2 . Morristown September 17 . Osceola September 21 – 22 . Duty at Fort Scott until May 1862 . Expedition into Indian Territory May 25 - August 15 . Action at Grand River June 6 . Locust Grove July 3 . Bayou Bernard July 27 . Blunt ' s Campaign in Missouri and Arkansas September 17 - December 3 . Expedition to Sarcoxie September 28 – 30 . Action at Newtonia September 29 – 30 . Occupation of Newtonia October 4 . Old Fort Wayne or Beattie ' s Prairie near Maysville October 22 . Cane Hill November 28 . Battle of Prairie Grove , Ark . , December 7 . Expedition over Boston Mountains to Van Buren December 27 – 31 . Moved to Springfield , Mo . , January 1863 , and duty there until February 17 . Moved to Forsyth , Mo . , then to Fort Scott , Kansas . Duty in Missouri and Kansas , District of Rolla , until July 1863 . Ordered to St . Louis , Mo . , July 5 , then to Cairo , Ill . , July 18 . Duty in District of Columbus , Ky . , until November . Ordered to Nashville , Tenn . , and assigned to duty on line of the Nashville & Northwestern Railroad until November 1864 . Moved to Nashville , Tenn . Battle of Nashville December 15 – 16 . Post duty at Nashville until January 1865 , and at Chattanooga , Tenn . , until July .