USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts in the war, 1861-1865 Pt. 2 > Part 12
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THE FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
T HE Forty-first Regiment was the last of the organizations raised under the call of July, 1862, and in fact the last ordi- nary three-years' volunteer regiment sent out by Massachu- setts; the only infantry regiments subsequently enlisted for that term being the two colored and the four veteran regiments author- ized in 1863. Its first rendezvous was at Camp Edwin M. Stanton, Lynnfield, but before the organization was completed it was trans- ferred to the camp at Boxford. Its first company, I, was mustered on the 5th of August, 1862, K the following day, A on the 31st, B and C September 4, a part of D on the 6th and E the 20th. From that time enlistment dragged, owing to the filling of the nine- monthis' quota which was going on at the same time and the heavy draft made by the two calls on the Commonwealth. It was not till the 27th of October that Companies F and HI were ready for the mustering officer, G being filled on the 1st of November, completing the organization. On the 5th the regiment left for New York, under orders to report to General N. P. Banks, who was there organizing the force which was to accompany him to New Orleans, where he had been assigned to succeed General Butler in command of the Department of the Gulf. In its march through Boston the regiment was escorted by some civil organizations with which its colonel was connected; reaching New York it encamped for a time at the Park Barracks, after which it was transferred to Long Island where the other troops destined for Louisiana were gathering, and went into camp on the Union Race Course. The commissioned officers at that time connected with the command were as follows :-
Colonel, Thomas E. Chickering; lieutenant colonel, Ansel D. Wass, both of Boston; major, Lorenzo D. Sargent of Lawrence; surgeon, Albert H. Blanchard of Sherborn; assistant surgeons, Daniel S. Allen of Gloucester and Daniel F. Leavitt of South Danvers; chaplain, Henry F. Lane of Lawrence; adjutant, Henry S. Adams of Chicopee;
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR.
quartermaster, Charles B. Stoddard of Plymouth; sergeant major, John Rolston of Charlestown; quartermaster sergeant, George A. Fiske, Jr .; commissary sergeant, Charles B. Stone, both of Roxbury; hospital steward, Harry N. Coburn of New Bedford ; principal musician, Ai B. Chase of Boston.
Company A, New Bedford-Captain, John F. Vinal; first lienten- ant, James W. Hervey; second lientenant, Eliphalet HI. Robbins.
Company B, Lawrence-Captain, Edward L. Noyes; first lieuten- ant, Cyrus T. Batchelder; second lieutenant, Charles Stone.
Company C-Captain, John L. Swift; first lieutenant, William T. Hodges; second lieutenant, Theodore C. Otis, all of Roxbury.
Company D -- Captain, Frederick G. Pope; first lieutenant, William M. Gifford; second lientenant, William Harris, Jr., all of Boston.
Company E, Boston-Captain, Lyman W. Gould; first lieutenant, Wesley A. Gove; second lieutenant, John H. Weston.
Company F-Captain, G. Frank Stevens of Lawrence; first lienten- ant, Henry C. Dane of Cambridge; second lieutenant, Amos Henfield of Salem.
Company G-Captain, William H. Seamans of Roxbury; first lieu- tenant, David P. Muzzey of Cambridge; second lieutenant, John A. Comerford of Lowell.
Company H-Captain, Francis E. Boyd; first lieutenant, Charles W. C. Rhoades; second lieutenant, John C. Gray, Jr., all of Boston.
Company I-Captain, Jolin C. Wyman; first lieutenant, Benjamin F. Talbot, both of Boston; second lieutenant, Frank E. Frothingham of Charlestown.
Company K-Captain, David T. Bunker; first lientenant, Bradley Dean; second lieutenant, Charles W. Lovett, Jr., all of Boston.
The regiment embarked on the steamer North Star, which sailed from New York on the 4th of December, having on board General Banks and his staff. After a pleasant voyage New Orleans was reached in due time, and General Banks landed there, while the Forty-first remained aboard and were taken on the 15th to Baton Rouge, landing on the 17th with a considerable number of other regiments under command of General Cuvier Grover and occupying that city without serious resistance. On the organization of the troops in the department into the Nineteenth Corps, a few weeks later, the Forty-first became a portion of the Second Brigade, Fourth Division, the division being commanded by General Grover and the brigade by Colonel William R. Kimball of the Twelfth Maine. In addition to his own regiment and the Forty-first, Colonel Kimball's command consisted of the Fifty-second Massachusetts and the Twenty-fourth Connecticut. On the 31st of January, 1863, Lieutenant Colonel Wass resigned, Major Sargent was promoted
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THIE FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
to the vacancy and Captain John F. Vinal to be major. Till near the close of March the regiment remained at Baton Rouge with no more noteworthy experience than an expedition on the 9th of March to destroy some bridges over the Comite river. In this affair the Forty-first were accompanied by a company of cavalry and a section of artillery and accomplished the undertaking after some skirmishing without casualty to the regiment. During the movement toward Port Hudson a few days later, the regiment re- mained as part of the garrison of Baton Rouge, Colonel Chicker- ing having command of the post.
Grover's Division set out on the 28th on the march from Donald- sonville through the La Fourche country to Brashear City, where it united with the rest of the Army of the Gulf under General Banks for operations against the enemy threatening New Orleans from the rear. With the Twelfth Maine, the regiment embarked April 12 on a gunboat for transportation across Grand Lake, landing at Indian Bend Bay on the afternoon of the 13th and with other troops marching across the Teche to rejoin the division. In the battle of Irish Bend on the 14th the brigade was in reserve, in sup- port of batteries, and suffered no casualties. The march being con- tinued after the battle, New Iberia was reached at evening of the 16th, when the Forty-first, with two other regiments of its brigade and a section of artillery, marched at once for Avery's Island, where the salt works were destroyed and a large number of horses col- lected, the detachment rejoining the column the same night. Ope- lonsas was reached on the 20th, 300 miles from-the starting point at Baton Rouge.
Here Colonel Chickering was appointed military governor of the district, with Lieutenant Colonel Sargent provost marshal, the regi- ment under command of Major Vinal being assigned to provost duty. During the time that they were thus engaged the members provided themselves with horses confiscated from the surrounding territory, so that when on the 11th of May they moved to Barre's Landing horse equipments were drawn and the command was thenceforth known as the Forty-first Mounted Rifles. The work done by the regiment during the month that it was on duty at Ope- lousas and Barre's Landing is thus summarized in the report of the adjutant general of Massachusetts : " It collected and sent to New Orleans via Brashear upward of 6,000 bales of cotton, large quanti-
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR.
ties of sugar, molasses and other products of the country, and at least 10,000 contrabands, men, women and children, to work the government plantations in the La Fourche country. This regiment set all the corn mills in operation, furnishing large quantities of meal to the troops and inhabitants and feeding the contrabands. It established a free market for the benefit of the poorer inhabitants, re-opened the printing-office and issued a daily paper, etc."
Barre's Landing was left on the 21st of May, the Mounted Rifles in advance, followed by a wagon train five miles in length, and a great number of contrabands, the flanks and rear being covered by seven regiments of infantry and a section of artillery, Colonel Chickering commanding the column. A march of five days brought the force to Berwick City with no further adventure than an attack on the last day by a superior body of the enemy, which was repulsed, but in consequence the column marched all night to reach its destina- tion, covering 36 miles within 24 hours.
The infantry regiments were then forwarded to General Banks at Port Hudson, and the Forty-first, after waiting till transportation could be secured for their horses, followed by battalions, the regi- ment being reunited on the 4th of June and assigned to General Grierson's cavalry brigade, and engaged in outpost, scout and train guard duty. While this arrangement was in force an order was issued consolidating with the regiment the three unattached com- panies of Massachusetts cavalry in the department, the whole being permanently transformed to a mounted regiment, to be known as the Third Massachusetts Cavalry-under which designation the subsequent fortunes of the regiment will be narrated.
THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT.
T HE Forty-second Regiment was recruited at Camp Meigs, Readville, the nucleus being the Second Regiment of Militia, which volunteered when the call for nine-months' troops was made, and went into camp to recruit to the maximum. As there was already a Second Massachusetts Regiment in the field for three years, the name of this command was changed to the Forty-second in order to avoid a duplication of numbers. Companies A and B were mustered on the 13th of September, 1862, G and I three days later, and four others during the month ; but C was not ready for the mustering officer till October 11, and K not till the 14th. The field and staff were mustered on the 11th of November, and on the 19th orders were received to report to General Banks, whose expe- dition was being organized on Long Island near New York city. The roster of officers :-
Colonel, Isaac S. Burrell of Roxbury; lieutenant colonel, Joseph Stedman of Medfield; major, Frederick G. Stiles of Worcester; sur- geon, Ariel I. Cummings of Roxbury; assistant surgeons, Thomas B. Hitchcock of Newton and Rush B. Heintzelman of Philadelphia, Pa .; chaplain, George J. Sanger of Hardwick; adjutant, Charles A. Davis of Roxbury; quartermaster, Charles B. Burrell; sergeant major, Charles P. Bosson, Jr., both of Boston; quartermaster sergeant, Henry C. Foster of Dorchester; commissary sergeant, William H. Hutchin- son of Roxbury; hospital steward, Charles J. Wood of Hardwick; principal musician, Richard A. Neuert of Boston.
Company A, Weymouth-Captain, Hiram S. Coburn; first lieuten- ant, Martin Burrell, Jr .; second lieutenant, John P. Burrell.
Company B-Captain, Ira B. Cook of Bellingham; first lieutenant, David A. Partridge of Medway; second lieutenant, Joseph C. Clifford of Medway.
Company C, Boston-Captain, Orville W. Leonard; first lieutenant, Isaac B. White; second lieutenant. Joseph Sanderson, Jr.
Company D-Captain, George Sherive; first lieutenant, William H. Cowdin both of Roxbury; second lieutenant, Darius F. Eddy of Dorchester.
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MASSACHUSETTS IN TIIE WAR.
Company E-Captain, Charles A. Pratt of West Boylston; first lieutenant, John W. Emerson of Millbury; second lieutenant, Brown P. Stowell of Boston.
Company F-Captain, John D. Coggswell of Leicester; first lieu- tenant, Timothy M. Duncan of North Brookfield; second lieutenant, Lyman A. Powers of Spencer.
Company G-Captain, Alfred N. Proctor; first lieutenant, Albert E. Proctor both of Boston; second lieutenant, Thaddeus H. Newcomb of Quincy.
Company H-Captain, Davis W. Bailey of Chelsea; first lieuten- ant, Charles C. Phillips of Hopkinton; second lieutenant, Augustus L. Gould of Chelsea.
Company I, Dorchester-Captain, Cyrus Savage; first lieutenant, Samuel F. White; second lieutenant, Benjamin F. Bartlett.
Company K-Captain, George P. Davis of Ware; first lieutenant, Henry A. Harding of Worcester; second lieutenant, J. Martin Gor- ham of Barre.
The regiment left camp November 21, going by way of New York to Camp Banks on Long Island, which it reached late in the evening of the following day. There it remained till the 2d of December, when it marched to Brooklyn and on the 3d took pass- age on four transports for New Orleans. Colonel Burrell and his staff with Companies D, G and I went aboard the Saxon ; Lieuten- ant Colonel Stedman with Companies A, B and F, on the Quincy ; Major Stiles with C and H on the Shetucket ; and Companies E and K on the Charles Osgood. All were at sea by the morning of the 5th, but the Saxon proved the only sea-worthy vessel and reached her destination far in advance of her consorts. Touching at Ship Island on the 14th, she reached New Orleans the 16th and at once proceeded to Carrollton, where on the 17th Colonel Burrell debarked his three companies and went into quarters at Camp Mansfield. Two days later the colonel was ordered to re-embark and sail for Galveston, there to land and take post, co-operating with the naval force at that point, with the promise that the remainder of his regiment should be sent forward on its arrival. The destina- tion was reached on the 24th, and after consultation with Comman- der Renshaw of the gun-boat Westfield, commanding the blockading fleet, Colonel Burrell landed on Kuhn's Wharf on the morning of the 25th, hoisted the regimental flag and barricaded the approaches. A reconnaissance was made the following morning to a distance of five miles from the city, everything indicating that the enemy had hastily abandoned the island; but during the night of the 27th
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THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT."
they began to cross again from Virginia Point on the main land, and thereafter the little Union force was closely watched by the cavalry scouts of the enemy, though the latter as often as discor- ered were driven away by detachments sent out by Colonel Burrell.
During the night of the 31st it was found that the enemy was about to make an attack, and the gun-boats were requested to co-operate, which. they did, answering the fire of the Confederate artillery as soon as it opened, and two or three assaults which were made before daylight of January 1, 1863, were repulsed by the fire of the three companies behind their barricades. The Confederate gun-boats attacked the Federal fleet soon after daylight, capturing the Harriet Lane, the Westfield being blown up on account of grounding. Flags of truce were then raised on the fleet and by both parties on shore, Colonel Burrell sending his adjutant to the Federal gun-boats to request them to take off his command, as he could not defend the position. Almost immediately, however, an officer from General Magruder demanded the instant surrender of the three companies, threatening an attack with his entire force of over 5000 men and 30 pieces of artillery. The capitulation was therefore agreed upon and the three companies, with the colonel, surgeon, chaplain and Lieutenant Stowell of Company E were made prisoners, but Colonel Burrell was requested to retain his sword in recognition of the gallant defense which he had made with so small a force. The loss of the Union troops in action was but a few wounded, while the enemy confessed very many more casualties. Most of the enlisted men were paroled on the 18th of February, and eight days later, accompanied by the chaplain, who was unconditionally released, reached New Orleans, proceeding thence to Bayou Gentilly where they formed a camp for paroled prisoners, remaining unexchanged till the expiration of their term of service. The officers remained in captivity, Surgeon Cummings and Lieu- tenant Bartlett dying in prison during the summer, and the others being finally exchanged July 22, 1864.
Meantime, Lieutenant Colonel Stedman with his three companies aboard the Quincy met with various delays, so that New Orleans and Carrollton were not reached till the 29th of December, when they debarked and rested at Camp Mansfield till the 3d of January, embarking then under orders to join Colonel Burrell at Galveston, but on learning of his capture returned to Camp Mansfield, where
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THIE WAR.
they were joined by the two companies on the Charles Osgood, which had reached New Orleans on the 1st of January and the following day sailed toward Galveston. The Shetucket, which was the poor- est vessel of the four, narrowly escaped going to the bottom, and after numerous stops for repairs reached New Orleans on the 14th, and the seven companies of the regiment were at last united, the command being attached to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Nineteenth Corps. General T. W. Sherman commanded the divis- ion, and Colonel Farr of the Twenty-sixth Massachusetts the brigade.
Companies C and H were detached from the regiment on the 15th, under command of Captain Leonard, and reported to Major Houston, chief engineer of the corps, by whom they were employed to construct a bastioned redoubt at Camp Parapet, in which work they were engaged till the early part of the following June. Dur- ing that time Captain Leonard organized from the colored men engaged in constructing the fortifications a regiment known as the First Louisiana Engineers, a large number of the officers of which were commissioned from the enlisted men of the Forty-second. The five remaining companies were on the 26th ordered to Bayou Gentilly on the Ponchartrain Railroad, establishing themselves in Camp Farr, named in honor of the brigade commander. Three weeks later Company K, Lieutenant Harding, was detailed for duty in the engineer department of the corps, and thenceforth till near the end of the regiment's service performed arduous duty as pon- toniers, laying and caring for bridges in connection with nearly every important movement in that part of the district. Their services at Port Hudson were especially valuable.
About the same time Company A was detailed to occupy two or three fortifications on the line of the railroad and in the vicinity, Company F was sent out to Lakeport, taking charge of some 15 miles of the lake shore ; while Lieutenant Colonel Stedman assumed command of all these stations, the extended lines and varied range of duties requiring much tact and activity on the part of men and officers. For two months only two companies remained at the regi- mental head-quarters, and those were weakened by generous details; but by the 5th of June Company A and the two engineer companies had returned, and on the 9th a detail of 100 men under Captain Cook was sent to Brashear City and attached to a battalion com- manded by Lieutenant Colonel Stickney of the Forty-seventh Mas-
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TIIE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT.
sachusetts. On the 20th, very early in the morning, 20 of these men embarked on a gun-boat as sharpshooters, and an hour or two later the balance were ordered to Lafourche Crossing, where an at- tack was expected. Beyond some artillery firing there was no fighting till the following day, when near sunset a section of artil- lery, supported by the detachment from the Forty-second under com- mand of Lieutenant Tinkham advanced beyond the pickets and soon became engaged, fighting their way successfully back to the main line. The Confederate attack which followed was repulsed after some sharp fighting, the loss of Lieutenant Tinkham's command being one killed and three severely wounded, with one taken prisoner and paroled. Three days later the position at the Crossing was evacu- ated and the detachment rejoined the regiment soon after.
The garrison at Brashear City was attacked and captured on the 23d, including 46 members of the Forty-second Regiment, com- manded by First Sergeant George W. Ballou, two of whom were killed and two severely wounded during the resistance. Of the prisoners all but two were paroled. The main body of the regi- ment was not engaged in battle; but the quality of its make-up was sufficiently attested by the honorable part taken by the detachments which encountered the enemy on the field of strife. The head- quarters of the Forty-second, with the companies and parts of com- panies present were transferred to Lafayette Square in New Orleans on the 21st of June, and with the exception of one day at Camp Farr a week later, the regiment remained in the city till the 14th of July, the last two weeks of the time being quartered at the Custom House. It then moved to Algiers, and during the rest of the month was engaged in picketing the Opelousas Railroad, where it was rejoined by the detachments which had been absent during the recent months.
The arms and other government property in possession of the . regiment were turned over to the proper officers on the 31st and transportation was taken on the steamer Continental for New York, which was reached August 8. Being transferred there to the steamer Commodore for Providence, the journey homeward was continued without delay, but carly next morning the vessel ran upon the rocks at Point Judith and remained aground during the day. At night the regiment was transferred to the steamer City of Newport, and without further adventure debarked at Provi-
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THIE WAR.
dence whence it went to Boston by rail on the 10th. The men were immediately furloughed till the 20th, when they re-assembled at Readville and were mustered out.
THE HUNDRED-DAYS' TERM.
This regiment was also one of those which in the summer of 1864 reorganized and went into service for 100 days that troops on garrison duty and like inactive service might go to the front for the assistance of the exhausted Union armies in the field at that mo- mentous time. Its make-up was somewhat changed, some of the com- panies which had responded in 1862 having dropped out and others taking their places; while of the staff and line officers, few names re-appeared with the former rank. The new list was as follows :-
Colonel, Isaac S. Burrell of Roxbury; lieutenant colonel, Joseph Stedman of West Roxbury; major, Frederick G. Stiles of Worcester; surgeon, Albert B. Robinson of Holden; adjutant, Charles A. Davis, quartermaster, Alonzo J. Hodsdon; sergeant major, Jediah P. Jordan; all of Roxbury; quartermaster sergeant, Charles E. Noyes of Boston; commissary sergeant, Augustus C. Jordan of West Roxbury; hospital steward, Robert White, Jr., of Boston; principal musician, Thomas Bowe of Dorchester.
Company A, Boston-Captain, Warren French ; first lieutenant, Charles W. Baxter; second lieutenant, Joseph M. Thomas.
Company B-Captain, Benjamin C. Tinkham; first lieutenant, George W. Ballou; second lieutenant, George E. Fuller, all of Medway.
Company C, Boston-Captain, Isaac B. White; first lieutenant, Joseph Sanderson, Jr .; second lieutenant, David C. Smith.
Company D-Captain, Samuel A. Waterman of Roxbury; first lieu- tenant, George HI. Bates of Scituate; second lieutenant, Almon D. Hodges of Roxbury.
Company E-Captain, Augustus Ford of Worcester; first lieuten- ant, James Conner of West Boylston; second lieutenant, Frank H. Cook of Worcester.
Company F-Captain, Samuel S. Eddy; first lieutenant, Henry J. Jennings, both of Worcester; second lieutenant, Edward I. Galvin of North Brookfield.
Company G-Captain, Alanson II. Ward of Worcester; first lieu- tenant, Moses A. Aldrich of Uxbridge; second lieutenant, E. Lincoln Shattuck of Westboro.
Company H-Captain, George M. Stewart of Springfield; first lieu- tenant, Julius M. Lyon of Wales; second lieutenant, Joseph T. Spear of Westfield.
Company I-Captain, James T. Stevens of Braintree; first lieuten- ant, Edward Merrill, Jr., of Dorchester; second lieutenant, Charles A. Arnold of Braintree.
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THIE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT.
Company K-Captain, Benjamin R. Wales of Dorchester; first lieu- tenant, Alfred G. Gray of Roxbury; second lieutenant, Charles P. Hawley of Boston.
The regiment gathered at Readville, two of its companies being mustered on the 14th of July and others almost daily till the 22d, when the organization was completed, and two days later the com- mand set out for Washington under Lieutenant Colonel Stedman, going by steamer from Boston. It was at about this time that Colonel Burrell returned from captivity, and after a short time at home he rejoined his regiment at Alexandria, Va., where its term of service was passed. It performed faithfully and credita- bly its part, which was principally in the form of guard and patrol duty, a detachment being for some time at Great Falls, Md., and large details being made for the guarding of supply trains to the Shenandoah valley. It was mustered out of service on the 11th of November, 1864.
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THE FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT.
T HE Forty-third, familiarly known as the "Tiger" Regiment, was an outgrowth of the Second Battalion, First Brigade, First Division, M. V. M., which volunteered for nine months' service and was sent to Camp Meigs at Readville to be recruited to a full regiment. In the camp, under command of General Pierce, were also the Forty-second, Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Regiments and the Eleventh Battery. As the companies were filled they were mustered into service, -D, F and G on the 12th of September, 1862, and the others at various dates till the 11th of October, when the ten companies were completed, though detachments were mus- tered at intervals till near the close of the month, the mustering officer being Captain N. B. McLaughlen, U. S. A. Most of the . field and staff were mustered on the 25th of October, and the roster of officers follows :-
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