Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Hickenlooper's Ohio Battery

Ohio 5th Battery Light Artillery
Commanded by Captain Andrew Hickenlooper


On back of monument:
This battery went into action at 7.30 a.m., April 6, 1862, in Spain field. At 9 a.m. it retired to this place with four guns and was hotly engaged until 4 p.m., when it retired with 3 guns to McArthur's headquarters, where it was engaged in in last encounter of the day. Its loss was 1 man killed; 1 officer and 18 men wounded; total 20. It had 2 guns captured and 1 disabled.


Hickenlooper ended up becoming the chief of staff for the XVII Corps. His promotions ended at colonel because he was in the artillery service. His mentor, General James B. McPherson wrote to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton during the Vicksburg campaign to request some extra consideration for promotion because he was an artillery officer. Apparently nothing happened on this front as it wasn't until the end of the war that Hickenlooper was made a brevet brigadier general. After the war he served a term as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. Hickenlooper later wrote about his experiences at Shiloh, which is included in this volume (pages 402-483) of the Ohio MOLLUS (Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States).

Politics have stayed in the family as the mayor of Denver is John Hickenlooper (I don't remember the actual connection, it might be a direct line or through an uncle but they are related.) When John owned a brewpub in Denver he introduced a beer on the anniversary of Shiloh in recognition of his relative's service, Flying Artillery Ale.





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