USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts in the war, 1861-1865 Pt. 1 > Part 15
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Company E-Captain, Lewis Soule; first lieutenant, Henry Hum- ble; second lieutenant, John Maloy, all of Abington.
Company F-Captain, William R. Black of Taunton; first lieuten- ant, Benjamin H. Richmond of Norton; second lieutenant, Isaac H. Bonney of Foxboro.
Company G, Taunton-Captain, Charles H. Paull; first lieutenant, William J. Briggs: second lieutenant, William H. Monroe.
Company H, Lawrence-Captain, John R. Rollins; first lieuten- ant, James G. Abbott; second lieutenant, Hiram Robinson.
Company I-Captain, Henry B. Maglathlin of Duxbury; first lieu- tenant, Horatio C. Sampson of Pembroke; second lieutenant, William F. Holmes of Kingston.
Company K, Taunton-Captain, William H. Bartlett; first lieu- tenant, John H. Church; second lieutenant, Philander Williams.
The regiment did not leave camp till the 27th of December, when it went to New York and embarked for Louisiana, about 700 find- ing passage on the ship George Peabody and the balance on another sailing vessel. Leaving the harbor January 3, 1863, the main body reached New Orleans February 7 and landed at Carrollton on the 13th, after 47 days on board ship, the rest of the regiment arriving at about the same time. It was attached to the First Brigade, Third Division, Nineteenth Corps, the division being commanded by General Emory and the brigade by Colonel Ingraham of the Thirty-eighth Massachusetts. The other regiments of the brigade were the Sixteenth New Hampshire, One Hundred and Tenth and One Hundred and Sixty-second New York.
Going to Baton Rouge on the 7th of March when General Emory's division was transferred to that side of the river to take part in the expedition against Port Hudson, co-operating with the attempt of Admiral Farragut to run the batteries on the water front of the town, the regiment left that place on the 13th, being absent nearly a week. Remaining in camp till the 3d of April,
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THIE WAR.
the Fourth then went down the river to Algiers, and five days later to Brashear City, remaining with the Sixteenth New Hampshire at that place as a guard to the depot of supplies while General Banks was engaged with the bulk of his available force in an expedition through the Teche country to Alexandria.
In contemplation of the attack on the enemy at Fort Bisland, the regiment was ordered to the front late in the afternoon of the 11th, marching ten miles that night and next morning taking position in the lines. It had a part in the skirmishing of the two days which followed, and at night of the 13th was placed in the extreme front, with orders to hold through the night what had been gained during the day. Next morning it was found that the enemy had evacuated the fort, retreating in the direction of Opelousas, and the regiment joined in the pursuit as far as Franklin, but as the foe could not be overtaken Colonel Walker's command was ordered back to Brashear City. There it remained till the 30th of May. Ten days previous Captain Merrill with 50 men of Company B was detailed as guard to the steamer Louisiana Belle in an expedition up the Bayou Cortableu to near Washington for a quantity of cot- ton. The cargo was secured, but on the return trip the vessel was fired upon by guerrillas concealed on the shore at an especially difficult portion of the route, the first volley wounding ten of the guard and killing the captain of the boat; but the ability of Cap- tain Merrill and the bravery of his men brought the vessel through without further loss.
The regiment left Brashear on the 30th, reporting to General Banks before Port Hudson, and at once took part in the investment of that stronghold, doing duty in the trenches and otherwise as re- quired till the assault of the 14th of June, in which it had an honorable part. Companies A and K were detailed on this occa- sion to carry hand-grenades in advance of the assaulting line, doing valiant though fruitless service and suffering severely, Captain Bartlett of Company K being killed while attempting to scale the hostile ramparts. The loss of the regiment during the day was seven killed and 61 wounded, several mortally, most of the loss being from the two detailed companies.
After the surrender this was one of the regiments selected to occupy and garrison the works, remaining there until the 4th of August. In common with some of the other nine-months' regi-
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THIE FOURTII REGIMENT.
ments, there was some misunderstanding regarding the expiration of its term, and at one time a portion of the command refused to do duty and were arrested, being released after an understanding was reached. During their service the Fourth suffered severely from sickness, 118 dying from disease, including Second Lieuten- ants William F. Holmes, on the 3d of June at Brashear City, and Isaac II. Bonney, on the 23d of August at Indianapolis, Ind.
The regiment started for home on the 4th of August, going by steamer North America to Cairo, Ill., and thence by rail, reaching Boston on the 17th. The men, having been furloughed for ten days, re-assembled at Lakeville and were mustered out on the 28th.
THE FIFTH REGIMENT ..
T HE Fifth Regiment of Militia was not among the few re- ceiving the first call to arms when the national flag was fired upon at Sumter. At a meeting held on the 15th of April, 1861, the services of the command were formally tendered to the governor, and on the 17th, when the first contingent of Massachusetts soldiers set out for the front, it was ordered to hold itself in readiness; but it was not till the 19th, when the streets of Baltimore were consecrated by the blood of the martyrs of the Sixth, that the orders to report for duty were received. The regiment repaired to Boston, and made its head-quarters at Faneuil Hall till the morning of the 21st, when its comple- ment of ten companies having been completed by the addition of one from the First Regiment and four from the Seventh, it set out for Washington, being made up and officered as follows :-
Colonel, Samuel C. Lawrence of Medford; lieutenant colonel, J. Durell Greene of Cambridge; major, Hamlin W. Keyes of Boston; surgeon, Samuel H. Hurd of Charlestown; assistant surgeon, Henry II. Mitchell of East Bridgewater; chaplain, Benjamin F. De Costa of Charlestown ; adjutant, Thomas O. Barri of Cambridge ; quarter- master, Joseph E. Billings of Boston; paymaster, George F. Hodges of Roxbury; sergeant major, Henry A. Quincy; quartermaster ser- geant, Samuel C. Hunt, both of Charlestown; hospital steward, Nathan I. Parker of Reading; drum major, Charles Foster of Charlestown.
Company A, Mechanic Light Infantry of Salem-Captain, George H. Peirson; first lieutenant, Edward H. Staten; second lieutenant, Lewis E. Wentworth.
Company B, Richardson Light Guard of South Reading-Captain, John W. Locke; first lieutenant, Charles H. Shepard; second lieuten- ant, James D. Draper.
Company C, Charlestown Artillery-Captain, William R. Swan of Chelsea; first lieutenant, Phineas II. Tibbetts of Charlestown; second lieutenant, John W. Rose of Boston; third lieutenant, Hannibal D. Norton of Chelsea ; fourth lieutenant, George H. Marden, Jr., of Charlestown.
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THE FIFTHI REGIMENT.
Company D, Light Infantry, Haverhill-Captain, Carlos P. Messer; first lieutenant, George J. Dean; second lieutenant, Daniel F. Smith; third lieutenant, Charles H. P. Palmer; fourth lieutenant, Thomas F. Salter.
Company E, Lawrence Light Guard, Medford- Captain, John Hutchins ; first lieutenant, John G. Chambers ; second lieutenant, Perry Colman; third lieutenant, William H. Pattee of West Cam- bridge.
Company F, Wardwell Tigers-Captain, David K. Wardwell; first lieutenant, Jacob H. Sleeper both of Boston ; second lieutenant, George G. Stoddard; third lieutenant, Horace P. Williams, both of Brookline; fourth lieutenant, Horatio N. Holbrook of Boston.
Company G, Concord Artillery-Captain, George L. Prescott; first lieutenant, Joseph Derby, Jr .; second lieutenant, Humphrey H. But- trick; third lieutenant, Charles Bowers.
Company H, City Guards, Salem-Captain, Henry F. Danforth of Salem; first lieutenant, Kirk Stark; second lieutenant, William F. Sumner; third lieutenant, George H. Wiley; fourth lieutenant, John E. Stone, all of South Danvers.
Company I, Light Infantry, Somerville-Captain, George O. Bras- tow; first lieutenant, William E. Robinson; second lieutenant, Frederic R. Kinsley.
Company K, City Guards, Charlestown-Captain, John T. Boyd; first lieutenant, John B. Norton ; second lieutenant, Caleb Drew; third lieutenant, Walter Everett.
Reaching New York on the evening of the 21st, the regiment went on board the steamers De Soto and Ariel, with Cook's Battery and Devens's Battalion of Riflemen, landing at Annapolis on the morning of the 24th. The day following it started for Washington, four companies going by rail and the others marching to Annapolis Junction. The national capital was reached on the 26th, and quar- ters were provided for the command in the treasury building. It was mustered into the United States service on the 1st of May, and for a month remained in the city perfecting itself in drill. On the 25th it was ordered across the Potomac, crossing Long Bridge at midnight and encamping on Virginia soil not far from Alexandria. The camp was formed near Shuter's Hill and named Camp Andrew, in honor of the governor of Massachusetts, the regiment then for the first time receiving a national flag.
Lieutenant Colonel Greene, Major Keyes and Adjutant Barri left the regiment on the 25th of June, having been transferred to the regular army, and the vacancies were filled by commission a few days later. Captain Peirson became lieutenant colonel, Captain
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR ..
Boyd major, and Lieutenant Chambers adjutant. With the excep- tion of a review by President Lincoln on the 14th of June, nothing of note occurred to the Fifth till the active preparations for the bat- tle of Bull Run began to be made, just as its term of service was about expiring. At that time the regiment formed a part of the First Brigade, Third Division, General MeDowell's army. Colonel Heintzelman commanded the division and Colonel W. B. Frank- lin the brigade, which in addition to the Fifth comprised the Eleventh Massachusetts, Fourth Pennsylvania and First Minnesota Regiments and Ricketts's Battery I, First United States Artillery. The other brigades of the division were commanded by Colonels O. B. Willcox and O. O. Howard.
The order to pack and store surplus baggage and personal prop- erty came on the 13th of July, and on the 16th the regiment broke camp, marched over Shuter Hill and toward Centerville. Sang- ster's Station on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad was reached during the afternoon of the 17th, and in that vicinity the regiment rested till the night of the 20th, with no further excitement than an occasional exchange of shots with Confederate skirmishers. Some time after midnight the line of march was resumed toward the battle-field. The battle was well begun when the brigade came up, so that it went at once into action. The battery for some time maintained a long range fire, supported by the infantry, but was then ordered to an advanced position, where it was swept by such a severe infantry fire that the six guns had to be abandoned. Repeated efforts to recapture them were made, but the guns could not be brought off, and presently the Union lines broke to the rear in confusion which for a large part of the troops soon be- came a rout.
The Fifth had suffered considerable loss, having had nine killed, including the color sergeant; two wounded, one of whom was Colonel Lawrence, while 22 were made prisoners. The latter were especially unfortunate, being confined in rebel prisons and only securing exchange more than ten months later-in June, 1862. The regiment retreated to Centerville and thence on to Washington, where, as its time of service had expired, it prepared for an im- mediate return to Massachusetts. Reaching Boston a few days later, it was enthusiastically welcomed, and on the 29th of July was mustered out of the United States service.
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THIE FIFTHI REGIMENT."
THE NINE-MONTHS' TERM.
On the 14th of August, 1862, the call for troops for nine-months' service having been made, the officers of the Fifth voted to tender the services of the regiment for that term. The offer was gladly accepted by the governor, and the command was ordered filled to the max- imum. Only five companies of the old regiment appeared in the new organization, however, and A, C, E, G, and K were recruited and attached to the command. Five of the companies reported at Camp Lander, Wenham, on the 10th of September, 1862, and the last arrived the 29th. The first companies were mustered on the 16th, and the last on the 8th of October, when the field and staff were also included, the roster of officers being as follows :-
Colonel, George HI. Peirson of Salem; lieutenant colonel, John T. Boyd of Charlestown; major, William E. C. Worcester of Marlboro; surgeon, William Ingalls of Winchester; assistant surgeon, Dixi C. Hoyt of Milford; chaplain, William F. Snow of Somerville; adjutant, William T. Eustis, 3d, of Charlestown ; quartermaster, George A. Norton of Boston; sergeant major, James M. Shute, Jr., of Somer- ville; quartermaster sergeant, William H. Burbank of Medford; com- missary sergeant, Enoch J. Clark of Charlestown; hospital steward, John M. Foster of Salem.
Company A, Charlestown-Captain, James F. Green; first lieuten- ant, John McGrath; second lieutenant, James W. Dillon.
Company B, Somerville-Captain Benjamin F. Parker ; first lieu- tenant, Walter C. Bailey; second lieutenant, John Harrington.
Company C, South Danvers-Captain, Robert S. Daniels; 'first lieu- tenant, George F. Barnes; second lieutenant, William L. Thompson. Company D, Charlestown-Captain, Thomas F. Howard: first lieu- tenant, George H. Marden, Jr .; second lieutenant, Charles P. Whittle. Company E-Captain, John Kent; first lieutenant, George Myrick, both of Boston; second lieutenant, Andrew J. Holbrook of Cambridge. Company F, Medford-Captain, Charles Currier; first lieutenant, Alfred Haskell; second lieutenant, Elisha N. Pierce.
Company G, Woburn-Captain, William T. Grammer; first lieuten- ant, Charles S. Converse; second lieutenant, William A. Colegate.
Company H, Charlestown-Captain, Caleb Drew; first lieutenant, Walter Everett; second lieutenant, Daniel W. Davis.
Company I-Captain, Charles B. Newton; first lieutenant, Andrew A. Powers, both of Bolton; second lieutenant, William S. Frost of Marlboro.
Company K-Captain, Joseph Crafts of Watertown; first lieuten- ant, Florence C. Crowley of Waltham; second lieutenant, Ira J. Osborne of Watertown.
Orders were received on the 3d of October for the regiment to prepare for active service in the department of North Carolina,
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. .
under General Foster ; but it was not till the 21st that the horses and baggage were sent forward to Boston for shipment, the regiment following the next day and after a parade through the streets going on board the steamer Mississippi for the voyage by sea. This was without incident, Beaufort being reached on the 26th and the regi- ment debarking at the Morehead City wharf the following day, whence cars were taken to Newbern. The Fifth went into camp in tents already pitched for them by the Twenty-fifth Regiment, and became a part of Colonel Horace C. Lee's Brigade.
Orders were received on the 29th for the regiment to take part in an expedition into the interior; its arms and equipments were brought up from Morehead City, where they had been left, and the command was ready to take its place in the column on the morning of the 30th. Embarking on transports, the regiment went to Washington, N. C., which was reached the 31st, and there it waited till the 2d of November for the arrival of that portion of the ex- pedition which came overland. The column then, under the com- mand of General Foster in person, took up the march toward Will- iamston, encountering muddy roads and stormy weather, but meet- ing with no serious opposition from the enemy, the regiment reoc- cupying its camp at Newbern on the 13th after marching 160 miles.
The brigade was reorganized on the 22d of November to consist of the Fifth, Twenty-seventh and Forty sixth Massachusetts and Ninth New Jersey Regiments, the latter being exchanged late in December for the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts,-Colonel Lee continu- ing in command. After four weeks of diligent drill and camp duty the regiment again heard the orders to prepare for a march, and on the morning of December 10 fell in as a part of the " Golds- boro expedition." The regiment formed the left of the column, where as guard of the wagon train its duty was very trying, the roads being in horrible condition. On the 14th, during the battle of Kinston, the regiment was divided into several detachments of from one to three companies each, guarding the approaches to the trains by the several roads, and various skirmishes were had with . the Confederate cavalry, in all of which the latter were repulsed.
Rejoining the main column next morning the regiment marched 23 miles, halting within four miles of Whitehall, where next day an engagement was fought. Lee's Brigade was at first in reserve, but later in the fight was moved to the front, where the Fifth had
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THE FIFTHI REGIMENT.
three men wounded. Continuing the march after the affair ended, the regiment bivouacked within some eight miles of Goldsboro, rested for the night and early the following morning was again on the road, the brigade leading the column. The railroad was reached about noon, and the bridge across the Neuse River was soon de- stroyed, as were the railroad track and the telegraph wires. Com- pany D was on the skirmish line during the work of destruction, while Company II served as gnard for the working parties.
The object of the expedition being accomplished in the burning of the bridge, the column began its retreat, Lee's Brigade forming the rear guard. After the other troops were well off the field, the Con- federates, having received reinforcements, made a sharp attack upon Colonel Lee's command. The Fifth were placed in support of Bel- ger's Battery, losing five men wounded, and forming the rear guard of the column as it finally left the field. Camp was reached on the 21st, the regiment having marched about 180 miles during its absence and taken part in three engagements, the names of which were ordered inscribed on its banners.
The regiment was directed on the 21st of January, 1863, to fortify its camp, and large details worked daily for two weeks in the con- struction of a magnificent carth-work which received the name of Fort Peirson, in compliment to Colonel Peirson, under whose direc- tion it had been constructed. On the 21st of February Company G was detailed as garrison for Forts Hatteras and Clark at Hatteras Inlet, where it remained till the return of the regiment to Massa- chusetts ; Company D was at the same time ordered to Plymouth for garrison duty, from which it returned May 4.
The appearance of the enemy in considerable force at Deep Gully, eight miles from Newbern, on the 13th of March called out Lee's Brigade with two batteries, the whole under command of General Palmer. The force marched some seven miles after dusk, bivouack- ing without fires and resuming the movement next morning. Skir- mishing had just commenced when intelligence was received that the real attack was being delivered against Newbern itself, and the column with the exception of a regiment or two was ordered back. Returning to camp, the Fifth remained under arms till the enemy retired on the evening of the 15th.
Another period of inaction then followed, lasting till the 4th of April, when the regiment was ordered on board transports, with
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THIE WAR.
other commands destined for the relief of General Foster, who with a very small force was besieged at Little Washington. On reaching Hill's Point on the Pamlico River, a few miles short of their desti- nation, the expedition found the Confederate intrenchments so strong that they were obliged to retire, the Fifth returning to their camp at Newbern on the morning of the 7th. The next day the regiment joined an expedition overland with the same destination, under command of General Spinola; but on the afternoon of the 9th, at Blount's Creek, 21 miles from Newbern, the enemy was found strongly intrenched, with such perfect command of all pos- sible approaches that this expedition likewise faced about and on the night of the 10th re-entered the camps at Newbern.
A garrison flag was raised over Fort Peirson on the 16th, the oc- casion being made a holiday by the regiment, and next morning the expedition overland again set out for Washington. This time the fortifications at Blount's Creek were found to be deserted, and as the Federal column advanced the foe retired, falling back to Greenville. The reinforcements entered Washington the 20th, Com- pany B of the Fifth being detailed to picket the Greenville road. The stay at Washington was brief, however, for the regiment em- barked on the steamer Escort the 22d and that evening was again sheltered within the works of Fort Peirson. Another expedition, of which the Fifth formed a part, set out toward Kinston on the 27th, under command of General Palmer. Going to Bachelder's Creek by cars, the command marched 12 miles further that night, halting at Core Creek, where the Fifth remained for two days picket- ing the roads in the vicinity. Colonel Peirson was then ordered to reconnoiter the enemy's position at Mosely Creek, started on the morning of the 30th with his regiment, and had marched ten miles when his skirmishers encountered and drove in the Confederate out- posts. The hostile intrenchments were found to be located in a strong position in Gum Swamp, and after satisfying himself that the works were well manned he returned to the rendezvous, having marched 24 miles over very bad roads and conducted a successful reconnaissance, for which he received the thanks of the general commanding.
The expedition returned to Newbern by rail the following day, and three weeks later the brigade, accompanied by three pieces of artillery and three companies of cavalry, all under command of
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THE FIFTH REGIMENT.
General Palmer, set out for the capture of the works which Colonel Peirson had located. The enterprise was highly successful. At Core Creek the command was divided, the Fifth, Twenty-fifth and Forty - sixth Regiments moving directly toward the hostile posi- tion, while the Twenty-seventh with the Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania took a circuitous route to gain the rear of the works. Finding themselves attacked in front and rear the Confederates fled, leav- ing 200 prisoners, 500 stands of arms and all the camp equipage and belongings. After leveling the fortifications the column started on its return, when it was fired on by reinforcements from Kins- ton ; but the latter were driven back by the Federal artillery, and though followed at a respectful distance by the enemy, the regi- ment reached Core Creek at half-past 10 that night-the 23d of May-returning to Newbern next day.
Thus creditably ended the last expedition in which the Fifth had . a share, various details and duties occupying its attention there- after till its term of service expired. Orders were received on the 20th of June to set out for Boston two days later, and early.in the morning of the 22d the command, after inspection, received a very flattering farewell address by the brigade commander, Colonel Lee, when it proceeded by cars and transport to Morehead City, where it embarked on the steamer Guide for Boston.
Reaching the Harbor late in the afternoon of the 25th, the sol- diers remained aboard the transport during the night, debarking at Battery Wharf the following day and receiving an enthusiastic re- ception both in Boston and Charlestown, after which the companies were dismissed to their several towns. On the 1st of July the regi- ment mustered again at Camp Lander, and on the following day was released from the United States service by Lieutenant Mckibben.
THE ONE HUNDRED DAYS' TERM.
With other militia regiments of the state, the Fifth responded at once to the call to take the field for 100 days in the autumn of 1864. During the year that had passed from the time of its return from North Carolina many changes had occurred in the make-up of the command, Colonel Peirson being the only officer retaining the rank of a year before, and several of the companies were entirely differ- ent, though the spirit was the same. The companies were mustered in on various dates from the 16th to the 27th of July, the field and
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR.
staff on the 28th, and the same day camp was broken and the regi- ment started for Washington, 938 strong, officered thus :-
Colonel, George H. Peirson of Salem ; lieutenant colonel, William E. C. Worcester of Marlboro; major, William T. Grammer of Woburn; surgeon, Joshua B. Treadwell; assistant surgeon, George H. Jones, both of Boston; adjutant, Edwin F. Wyer of Woburn; quartermas- ter, Charles Currier of Medford ; sergeant major, William. H. Hurd of Stoneham; quartermaster sergeant, Daniel W. Lawrence of Med- ford; commissary sergeant, Thomas T. Ferguson of Woburn ; hospital steward, M. Augustus Fuller of Boston.
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