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.
Beginning in April 1864, companies of infantry were needed for guard and garrison duty along the coast of Massachusetts; to be stationed at the numerous military posts located there for a ninety-day period. With the Independent Division of Militia, a home guard militia organization, already established in the state in 1863, eight companies were recruited from their ranks, and mustered into United States service. Five other companies were detached from existing regiments of the Massachusetts Militia to finish the required roster.
Their term of enlistment soon ending, a call for 100-day companies was then ordered in July and August 1864 to fill the soon to be vacant positions at the coastal forts. Again, the state militia regiments were used to fill most of the quota, with a need to only recruit two new companies.
In late October 1864, the office of the Adjutant General released orders to the commanding officers of the "Companies of One Hundred Days Troops belonging to Massachusetts, now doing garrison duty at the forts on the coast", [1] to reenlist their commands for one year, and to fill with new recruits any positions held by those men not choosing to rejoin. Six of the 100-day companies were re-mustered, including the 2nd Unattached Company now beginning its third term. None of the one-year companies finished a full term, as the war had come to an end, and all were mustered out by July 1865.
| Co | Service | Off | Enl | Died [2] | Muster in | Muster out | Post | ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 90 day | 3 | 97 | 0 | 29 Apr 1864 | 1 Aug 1864 | Fort Independence, Boston | [3] |
| 2nd | 90 day | 3 | 88 | 0 | 3 May 1864 | 6 Aug 1864 | Eastern Point Fort/Gloucester | [3] [4] |
| 2nd | 100 day | 3 | 98 | 0 | 7 Aug 1864 | 15 Nov 1864 | Gloucester/Gallops Island | [3] [4] |
| 2nd | 1 year | 3 | 99 | 3 | 16 Nov 1864 | 7 Jul 1865 | Eastern Point Fort/Gallops Island | [3] [4] |
| 3rd | 90 day | 3 | 84 | 0 | 3 May 1864 | 5 Aug 1864 | Fort Pickering, Salem | [3] |
| 4th | 90 day | 3 | 98 | 0 | 3 May 1864 | 6 Aug 1864 | Fort at Clark's Point, New Bedford | [5] |
| 5th | 90 day | 3 | 98 | 0 | 4 May 1864 | 2 Aug 1864 | Beech St Barracks, Boston | [5] |
| 6th | 90 day | 3 | 80 | 0 | 4 May 1864 | 2 Aug 1864 | Camp Meigs, Readville | [5] |
| 7th | 90 day | 3 | 98 | 1 | 4 May 1864 | 5 Aug 1864 | Gallops Island | [6] |
| 8th | 90 day | 3 | 94 | 0 | May 1864 | 10 Aug 1864 | Gallops Island | [6] |
| 9th | 90 day | 3 | 97 | 0 | 10 May 1864 | 11 Aug 1864 | Gallops Island | [6] |
| 10th | 90 day | 3 | 98 | 0 | 10 May 1864 | 8 Aug 1864 | Fort Warren, Boston Harbor | [7] |
| 11th | 90 day | 3 | 92 | 0 | 16 May 1864 | 15 Aug 1864 | Fort Sewall, Marblehead; Eastern Point Fort, Gloucester | [7] |
| 12th | 90 day | 3 | 98 | 0 | 16 May 1864 | 15 Aug 1864 | Long Point, Provincetown | [7] |
| 13th | 90 day | 3 | 89 | 0 | 16 May 1864 | 15 Aug 1864 | Fort at Clark's Point, New Bedford | [8] |
| 15th | 100 day | 3 | 88 | 0 | 29 Jul 1864 | 15 Nov 1864 | Fort Warren | [8] |
| 16th | 100 day | 3 | 83 | 0 | 6 Aug 1864 | 14 Nov 1864 | Gallops Island | [8] |
| 17th | 100 day | 3 | 98 | 0 | 5 Aug 1864 | 12 Nov 1864 | Fort Pickering | [9] |
| 17th | 1 year | 3 | 98 | 0 | 13 Nov 1864 | 30 June 1865 | Fort Pickering | [9] |
| 18th | 100 day | 3 | 81 | 0 | 6 Aug 1864 | 14 Nov 1864 | Gallops Island/Camp Meigs, Readville | [9] [4] |
| 18th | 1 year | 3 | 98 | 1 | 6-7 Dec 1864 | 12 May 1865 | Camp Meigs, Readville | [9] |
| 19th | 100 day | 3 | 80 | 0 | 9 Aug 1864 | 16 Nov 1864 | Fort Warren | [10] |
| 19th | 1 year | 3 | 98 | 0 | 25 Nov 1864 | 27 Jun 1865 | Fort Warren, Fort Winthrop | [10] |
| 20th | 100 day | 3 | 87 | 0 | 11 Aug 1864 | 18 Nov 1864 | Fort Sewall, Marblehead | [10] |
| 20th | 1 year | 3 | 98 | 0 | 19 Nov 1864 | 29 Jun 1865 | Fort at Salisbury Point | [10] |
| 21st | 100 day | 3 | 97 | 0 | 11 Aug 1864 | 18 Nov 1864 | Long Point, Provincetown | [11] |
| 21st | 1 year | 3 | 97 | 1 | 23 Nov 1864 | 28 Jun 1865 | Provincetown | [11] |
| 22nd | 100 day | 3 | 85 | 0 | 18 Aug 1864 | 25 Nov 1864 | Camp Meigs, Readville | [11] |
| 23rd | 100 day | 3 | 98 | 0 | 18 Aug 1864 | 26 Nov 1864 | Camp Meigs, Readville | [11] |
| 24th | 1 year | 3 | 98 | 0 | 16-22 Dec 1864 | 12 May 1865 | Camp Meigs, Readville | [12] |
| 25th | 1 year | 3 | 98 | 0 | 9 Dec 1864 | 29 Jun 1865 | Fort Miller, Marblehead | [12] |
| 26th | 1 year | 4 | 98 | 0 | 13 Dec 1864 | 12 May 1865 | Camp Meigs, Readville | [12] |
| 27th | 1 year | 3 | 98 | 2 | 30 Dec 1864-9 Jan 1865 | 30 Jun 1865 | Fort Standish, Plymouth | [12] |
Many of the new Unattached Companies were organized from companies previously in, or detached from, regiments of volunteer militia infantry units in Federal service from Massachusetts. They included:
3rd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Co A = 22nd Unatt., Co E = 15th Unatt., Co H = 18th Unatt., Co I = 23rd Unatt.
4th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Co E = 20th Unatt.
6th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Co I = 8th Unatt.
7th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Co K = 17th Unatt.
8th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Co C = 27th Unatt., Co E = 2nd Unatt., Co I = 11th Unatt.
42nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Co G = 7th Unatt.
50th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
Co A = 13th Unatt.
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.
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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.
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The 5th Massachusetts Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union army during the American Civil War. It 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 Shouler in Lynnfield, Massachusetts and Camp Massasoit in Readville, Massachusetts. It departed Boston by steamship on December 25, 1861.
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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.
This article contains text from a text now in the public domain : Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.