1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment

Last updated

1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment, U.S. Volunteers
The photographic history of the Civil War - thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities (1911) (14576361887).jpg
Men of the 1st Massachusetts burying fallen comrades after the Battle of Spotsylvania
ActiveSpring 1861 to August 1865
Country United States of America
Allegiance Union
Branch United States Army
Type Heavy artillery
Size2552
Commanders
Colonel William B. Greene
Lieutenant Colonel Levi P. Wright
Lieutenant James L. Hall of Co. L, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment Lieutenant James L. Hall of Co. L, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment in uniform - R.W. Addis, photographer, 308 Penna. Avenue, Washington, D.C LCCN2016646185.jpg
Lieutenant James L. Hall of Co. L, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment
George Burlingame of 1st Mass. Regiment in G.A.R. parade of 29 September 1915. He was dressed in same uniform and carried his old rifle and dusty knapsack that he carried in review of 1865, Washington, D.C. George C. (i.e. G.) Burlingame of 1st Mass. Regiment in G.A.R. parade of Sept. 29-15 - he was dressed in same uniform and carried his old rifle and dusty knapsack that he carried in review LCCN2017660643.jpg
George Burlingame of 1st Mass. Regiment in G.A.R. parade of 29 September 1915. He was dressed in same uniform and carried his old rifle and dusty knapsack that he carried in review of 1865, Washington, D.C.

The 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment was a unit that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was originally raised as the 14th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Contents

History

14th Mass Infantry

The 14th Massachusetts Infantry began its recruitment in spring 1861, with most of its members coming from Essex County. They were mustered in on 5 July 1861, and left the state on 7 August for Washington, DC, where it would serve in its defenses until the end of the year. Colonel William B. Greene, a West Point graduate and a veteran of the Florida Indian Wars, resigned in October, and was replaced as leader of the unit by Colonel Thomas R. Tannatt, who transferred over from the 16th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

Reorganization as artillery

On 1 January 1862, the regiment was reorganized and became a heavy artillery regiment. As artillery units required more men, fifty additional soldiers were added to each company and two additional ones were formed. They served in several military garrisons around Washington, including forts Woodbury, Tillinghast, Craig, Albany, and DeKalb.

Early skirmishes

On 26 August 1862, the regiment was sent to the front, and was present at the Second Battle of Bull Run, though it did not participate. During the Union retreat from the battlefield, Confederate cavalry overtook the 1st Massachusetts, capturing the surgical staff, the wagoners, and others. The doctors were quickly released, while the others were later paroled. [1]

A battalion of two companies were detached (two more joined a month or two later) on 27 September 1862 and sent to Maryland Heights, where they were to serve until December 1863. When the Union army abandoned its position at Winchester, VA in June 1863, Company I stayed behind to destroy the guns and ammunition, and 44 men were captured on 10 June. At this time, Company H was covering the army's retreat from Harpers Ferry. [2]

First engagement

On 17 May 1864, many heavy artillery regiments filled in as infantry units and joined the Army of the Potomac as part of Grant's 1864 campaign. In their first real engagement as a regiment, they engaged Ewell's Division at Harris Farm Engagement, on the Fredericksburg Road near Spotsylvania, VA on 19 May 1864. In this battle, they lost 55 killed, 312 wounded, and 27 missing. [3] In reserve during the Battle of North Anna on 23–26 May 1864, losing only 1 killed, they moved on to Cold Harbor, losing two members during the trench warfare there from 4–12 June.

Siege of Petersburg

The regiment took part in the assault on Petersburg on the 16 June 1864, and lost 25 killed and 132 wounded. They remained as part of the siege of the city until April 1865. During this time, they were also involved in the Battle of Globe Tavern (or the 2nd Battle of Weldon Railroad), when 185 men were captured when a Confederate offensive flanked the division, and the Battle of Hatcher's Run.

Lee's surrender

Following Lee's surrender in April 1865, the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery returned to Washington, DC and stationed the forts until they were mustered out in August. They returned to Boston on the 20th, and were encamped at Gallop's Island until the 25th, when they were paid and discharged.

Complement

Through its four years of service, the regiment had a total of 2552 soldiers in its ranks, consisting of 24 field officers and staff, 111 line officers, and 2417 enlisted men. [2]

Losses

A total of 486 officers and men were lost, 215 of them killed or died of wounds, 115 died by disease or accident, 156 died as prisoners, and four dead listed as MIA.

Notes

  1. Mass. in the War, pg. 723
  2. 1 2 Higginson, pg. 170
  3. Mass in the War, pg. 726

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">28th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 28th Massachusetts Infantry regiment was the second primarily Irish American volunteer infantry regiment recruited in Massachusetts for service in the American Civil War. The regiment's motto was Faugh a Ballagh

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, also known as the "Harvard Regiment", was a regiment of infantry in the American Civil War. The regiment was so nicknamed because the officers of the 20th were young Harvard graduates. In addition, some, but not all, of the private soldiers had attended Harvard. The 20th was organized at Camp Meigs in Readville, August 29 to September 4, 1861. After training they left Massachusetts for Washington, D. C., September 4. They would fight until the war's conclusion being mustered out on July 16 and discharged July 28, 1865. Fogel et al's Union Army Data urban sample suggests perhaps as many as two-thirds of the regiment's enlisted were immigrants with Irish immigrants making up half of the regiment's total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 9th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was a military unit from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, part of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. It is also known as "The Fighting Ninth". It existed from 1861 to 1864 and participated in several key battles during the war. The unit is an Irish heritage unit, with many volunteers having been born in Ireland.

The 60th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War from 1864 to 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unattached Companies Massachusetts Volunteer Militia</span>

The Unattached Companies of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia were units of infantry raised for the defenses of the eastern coast of Massachusetts during the American Civil War. Twenty-six companies were mustered into the Union Army during 1864-1865, several of them reorganizing for additional terms of service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 4th Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment was a unit that served in the Union Army during the latter part of the American Civil War. It was formed from former Unattached Companies of Heavy Artillery raised by Massachusetts to serve the state and for the defenses of Washington, D.C.

The 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment was a unit that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized from already mustered unattached companies of heavy artillery raised for the defenses of the Massachusetts coast.

The 1st Battalion of Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery was a unit that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized from several unattached companies of heavy artillery already raised and mustered into a three-year service for the defenses of the Massachusetts coast.

The 61st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment raised for one year's service in the Union Army during the American Civil War from 1864 to 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">51st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 51st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was a regiment of infantry that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was assigned to Major General John G. Foster's Department of North Carolina, later designated as the XVIII Corps. While based in New Bern, North Carolina, the 51st Massachusetts took part in several expeditions involving numerous units from Foster's command and were engaged in the Battle of Kinston, the Battle of White Hall and the Battle of Goldsborough Bridge, among other engagements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 7th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. It was formed on June 15, 1861, in Taunton. Its original commander was Colonel Darius N. Couch who would eventually be promoted to command the II Corps of the Army of the Potomac and, after that, the Department of the Susquehanna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 16th Massachusetts was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War formed of volunteers from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 17th Massachusetts was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">45th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

45th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. The regiment trained at Camp Meigs in Readville, Massachusetts before traveling to North Carolina, where they fought in the Battle of Kinston in December 1862, and in skirmishes in and around New Bern, North Carolina in the spring of 1863. They suffered heavy casualties in battle and due to fever. In June they returned to Boston, where they patrolled the streets to quell any draft riots, and were discharged on July 21. They were commanded by Colonel Charles R. Codman (1829-1918).

The 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized by consolidating the 41st Massachusetts Mounted Infantry and the 2nd Battalion Massachusetts Cavalry on June 17, 1863. The regiment served with the XIX Corps, Army of the Gulf during the Red River Campaign in 1864. Its heaviest combat during this campaign took place during the Battle of Sabine Crossroads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Massachusetts Battery</span> Military unit

The 6th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was one of the Massachusetts regiments organized in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call on May 2, 1861 for volunteer troops to serve a term of three-years. The battery trained at Camp Chase in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf under Major General Benjamin F. Butler and departed Boston by steamship on February 8, 1862. At that time, the unit comprised 145 men armed with two rifled and four smoothbore six-pounder field guns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Massachusetts Battery</span> Military unit

The 7th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The original core of the unit was a company of infantry known as the Richardson Light Guard. The company initially served provost duty at Fortress Monroe, was eventually trained in light artillery drill, and reorganized on March 17, 1862 as the 7th Massachusetts Battery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Massachusetts Battery</span> Military unit

The 11th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's August 1862 call for 300,000 men to serve for nine months. Several months after completing their first term of service, the battery was reorganized for a second term of three years. It was recruited by Captain Edward J. Jones of Boston and consisted almost entirely of men from that city. The battery served a largely uneventful first term as garrison troops mostly in Centreville, Virginia. During their second term they were involved in heavy combat being part of the Army of the Potomac during Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13th Massachusetts Battery</span> Military unit

The 13th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was organized at Camp Meigs near Boston during the fall of 1862. Its members were mustered in at various times over the fall and the officers mustered into federal service on November 3, 1862. It was assigned to the Department of the Gulf commanded by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and departed Massachusetts by steamship on January 20, 1863.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Massachusetts Battery</span> Military unit

The 14th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized during the winter of 1863 - 1864 at Camp Meigs just outside of Boston. It was commanded by Captain Joseph W. B. Wright of Boston and consisted mostly of men from that city. The enlisted men were mustered into federal service on February 27, 1864. They departed Massachusetts on April 4, 1864, arrived at Annapolis and then moved to Camp Marshall in Washington, D.C. On April 22 and 24 they were outfitted with field guns and horses but had virtually no time to train in light artillery tactics before they were assigned to the IX Corps of the Army of the Potomac and joined Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign.

References

See also