Later, the battery served at Corinth, Vicksburg, Jackson, Missionary Ridge, Knoxville, Franklin, and Nashville.

Battery I, 1st Illinois Light Artillery Regiment mustered into Federal service at Camp Douglas, Chicago on 10 February 1862.

[1] Its original officers were Captain Edward Bouton of Chicago, First Lieutenants Henry A. Rogers and Albert Cudney both of Chicago, and Second Lieutenants William M. Lansing of New York City, John C. Neeley of Belvidere, Illinois, and Joseph A. McCartney of Philadelphia.

Other second lieutenants were Elisha S. Russell, Robert Cowden, Steven Tart, and Henry Bennett.

The different batteries belonging to the regiment formed between 16 July 1861 (A and B) and 12 August 1862 (M), and enlisted for three years' service.

[3] First Lieutenant Rogers was promoted to captain of Battery "D", 1st Illinois Light Artillery Regiment on 5 May 1862.

Captain Bouton was promoted to colonel of the 59th United States Colored Infantry Regiment on 28 June 1863.

First Lieutenant Lansing was promoted major of the 4th United States Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment on 3 September 1863.

[1] At the Battle of Shiloh on 6–7 April 1862, the battery was with Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee but unassigned to any division or brigade.

[7] Later in the day, Grant's chief of staff Colonel Webster began placing available artillery units on the final defense line.

Captain Bouton reported that the horses assigned to the battery had never been harnessed, so they could not be used to haul the guns.

During the early fighting, Alexander M. McCook's Army of the Ohio division converged with McClernand's troops, passing in front of them.

Captain Bouton reported that the guns could not be hauled away because the horses were not "drilled sufficiently to stand fire".

The battery spent these months guarding the railroad in and around Memphis, except on 11 May when it was in action at Wall Hill.

During that period, the unit took part in operations on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad in northern Alabama on 20–29 October.

[1] During the battle, the battery was led by Lieutenant Josiah H. Burton and reported to the 4th Division under Hugh Boyle Ewing and XV Corps under Francis Preston Blair Jr.[13] Burton was temporarily assigned from Battery "F", 1st Illinois Light Artillery Regiment.

At that time, the unit moved to Nashville, Tennessee where it formed part of the artillery reserve of the city's garrison until November 1864.

Joined by William L. McMillen's infantry brigade from Andrew Jackson Smith's XVI Corps and supported by the fire from four artillery batteries, Coon's troops overran the redoubt.