Cobb's Company, Kentucky Light Artillery

Historical Notes:
Lyon's-Cobb's Battery [often called the Orphan Battery] was organized during the summer of 1861 as Lyon's Battery. Not reaching full strength, it merged with Captain Cobb's company which was being formed. It was armed with four (4) 6lb. smoothbores and two (2) 12lb howitzers when it went into action at Shiloh, Tennessee on April 6th 1862. It suffered the highest losses of any Artillery Battery, on either side, at the Battle of Shiloh. It was part of the (also famous) 1st Kentucky Brigade known as the "Orphan Brigade". After fighting at Shiloh the unit served in Hanson's and Helm's Brigade, then Cobb's Battalion of Artillery. It fought at Baton Rouge before taking part in the campaigns of the Army of Tennessee from Murfreesboro to Atlanta. The company lost 37 killed or wounded at Shiloh, reported 12 casualties in the fight at Chickamauga, and totalled 95 effectives in December, 1863. During the winter of 1864-1865 it disbanded.

Green's Kentucky Battery, Humphrey's Arkansas Battery, and Co. B, 2nd Alabama Light Artillery Battalion were merged into Cobb's Battery in January, 1864. The Battery was officially surrendered by Lieutenant General Richard Taylor, Commanding the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, at Citronelle, Alabama on May 4, 1865.

Some of the men served previously with Hart's Arkansas Battery. Officers:

Captain Robert Cobb

Captain H.L. Lyon

Assignments:

Hanson's and Helm's Brigade

Cobb's Battalion of Artillery

Battles:

Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862)

Vicksburg (May 18-Jul 27, 1862)

Baton Rouge (Aug 5, 1862)

Hartsville (Dec 7, 1862)

Murfreesboro (D 31,62-J 3,1863)

Jackson Siege (July 1863)

Chickamauga (Sept 19-20, 1863)

Chattanooga (Nov 23-25, 1863)

Atlanta Campaign (May-Sept, 1864)

Atlanta Siege (Jul-Sept, 1864)

Roster:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 273 men.

Bibliography for Research:
U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War Davenport, IA. Eastern Digital Resources.

U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War - Naval Subset Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.

Rigdon, John C. - Editor Civil War Soldiers Service Records - Kentucky. 2012. Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.

Rigdon, John C. - Editor Kentucky Civil War Soldiers Index. 1996. Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.