18th Indiana Battery

At Hoover's Gap, Tennessee, on June 24, 1863, the 18th Indiana Battery, commanded by Capt. Eli Lilly, dislodged one Confederate artillery piece and forced the Confederate batteries to change position. Along with Wilder's Brigade, the battery did considerable damage to advancing Confederate infantry with double rounds of canister. This battle opened middle Tennessee to Union forces, resulting in the advance of the Union Army to Chattanooga and Georgia. The battery was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1862 by Capt. Eli Lilly. It was the largest battery in the Army of the Cumberland, comprised of six 3 inch ordnance rifles and 4 mountain howitzers. The battery served in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.

Tennessee · United States