THE
HISTORY
OF THE
TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENT
OF
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
IN
THE LATE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
BY
WILLIAM H. OSBORNE,
A MEMBER OF THE REGIMENT.
BOSTON:
ALBERT J. WRIGHT, PRINTER, 79 MILK STREET.
(CORNER OF FEDERAL.)
1877.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by
WILLIAM H. OSBORNE,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
PREFACE.
At the outset, I desire to thank all who have rendered me any
assistance in connection with this work. To His Excellency, Governor
Rice, I am indebted for a very liberal subscription and many words
of encouragement; to my friend and townsman, Honorable Benjamin W.
Harris, for copies of orders from the War Department; to General James
A. Cunningham, Adjutant-General of Massachusetts, for facilitating
my investigations of his records, and granting me unusual privileges
in his office; to Major S. B. Phinney of Barnstable and Honorable
William T. Davis of Plymouth, for loan of papers, and reports of their
towns; to Mr. Charles H. Edson and Millard E. Brown, Esq., of East
Bridgewater, for assistance in copying numerous papers; to my comrades,
General Joseph H. Barnes, Colonels Thomas William Clarke, Henry R.
Sibley, and Willard D. Tripp, Majors Charles T. Richardson and Samuel
H. Doten, Captains William D. Chamberlain, Jonas K. Tyler, and James H.
Osgood, Lieutenants Thomas Conant, J. O’Neil, and John Lucas, Sergeants
Samuel C. Wright, John H. Hancock, and Walter A. Kezar, and Samuel
Wells Hunt and Preston Hooper, for indispensable aid in preparing rolls
and imparting valuable information.
In the course of my researches, I have freely consulted the diaries
and letters of several of my brother soldiers, the records of the
Adjutant-General of Massachusetts, the excellent reports of the
Committee of Congress “On the Conduct of the War,” several works of
Southern authors, the “History of the Civil War in America,” by the
Count of Paris, a large number of pamphlets, newspapers (Northern and
Southern), beside many other publications, collecting, in the course of
the seven years in which I have been engaged in this self-imposed task,
a very large and varied assortment of the literature of the war.
Where radically different versions of the same event have been
given me, I have generally adopted that of the officer who had the
responsible command at the time, or of the soldier whose relations
to the event were such as to afford him the best means of accurate
knowledge. In other cases, I have used my own judgment in the premises,
adopting or discarding the version that seemed to me most in harmony or
at variance with the truth.
Knowing the sensitive nature of most soldiers, and not wishing to
excite new or revive old jealousies, I at first resolved to avoid the
bestowal of praise upon any one connected with the regiment. But I
soon found that this plan was as difficult of execution as it would
be unjust in its operation. I therefore abandoned it, and I desire it
to be distinctly understood that I assume the entire responsibility
for all I have said in the following pages, commendatory or otherwise,
of any person, having had no motives of favoritism or feelings of
prejudice, that I am aware of. My position in the regiment being that
of a mere private soldier, rendered me naturally neutral, especially
toward the officers; what I have said in praise of them, therefore, I
have said from a sense of justice alone.
One of the most difficult parts of my task has been that of preparing
the rolls of the regiment; and I am compelled to admit, much to my
sorrow, that here I have failed to overcome certain difficulties that
existed from the first, and which must increase in magnitude with every
passing year. After the most careful investigation, I have not, in most
instances, been able to give more than the name of and the highest rank
attained by each soldier. My failure to accomplish more than this, is
owing to the imperfect condition of our rolls at the War Department,
and the impossibility of holding personal conferences or having
communication with many of the living members.
In attempting even what I have indicated, it is possible that I have
made errors; but if these be not more serious than mistakes about rank
or the right spelling of a name, I shall be grateful, for I have had
fears that, after all, the names of a few who served faithfully in the
regiment have been omitted altogether. On the other hand, it is more
than probable that the names of soldiers appear upon our rolls who
deserted, or who never joined the regiment for service. I concluded,
however, not to drop the name of any man from the rolls that had ever
been properly put there, and to give no lists of deserters, for the
reason that some so reported upon our official rolls were not deserving
of such a record, and that others who did desert had previously been
most excellent soldiers; and believing that they themselves must regret
having yielded to this temptation, often pressing, I have no desire to
add to their shame or their sorrow by anything which I might say.
Of the general plan of this work, but little need be said. I have made
no attempts at word-painting or fine writing, have endeavored to give
as many pertinent anecdotes as space would permit, and tell the story
of the regiment in a simple, straightforward way.
The liberal space given in the first part of the volume to the actions
of cities and towns and private individuals in connection with the
formation of the several companies, I regard as justifiable, on the
ground of the unquestionable historical value of such facts. If,
however, I have devoted more space to one city or town than another,
or to one company than another, it is because I had in the one case
more material to select from, and because some comrades have taken more
pains than others to furnish me facts in regard to the organization of
their companies.
Several of my comrades to whom I appealed for aid seven years ago,
when I sent out a circular letter announcing my intention to write the
regimental history, comprehended better than myself the magnitude of
the undertaking, and consequently had but little faith in its final
success. That they were slow at first to respond to my request for
assistance, and were reluctant to confide to me their journals and
letters,--to them precious mementos of the war,--I do not now marvel.
Two years later, however, I convinced them of my well-settled purpose
to perform faithfully this work, and from that day to this they
have seconded all my efforts in a manner that causes me to feel very
grateful.
If I have succeeded in writing a truthful history of the old
regiment,--one that will be treasured by my brothers in arms and
valuable to the future historian,--I shall feel rewarded for all the
many hours of labor that I have bestowed upon it.
W. H. O.
EAST BRIDGEWATER, MASS., }
August 4, 1877. }
HISTORY.
CHAPTER I.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS--EARLY WAR ACTION IN
MASSACHUSETTS--BIRTH OF THE REGIMENT, AND HOW IT CHANCED TO BE
DESIGNATED THE TWENTY-NINTH.
The Twenty-ninth Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteers had its
origin in some of the earliest war actions of the people of this
patriotic Commonwealth, though its numerical designation would seem to
suggest a state of facts quite the contrary.
The citizen who finds the name of his ancestor on the “Lexington
Alarm List” of the 19th of April, 1775, considers himself richer than
before in all that constitutes a proud family record, and feels that
an honor has been conferred upon him by reason of this early and
honorable military service of his progenitor. In a war waged for the
defence of the Republic established by the toils and sufferings of our
revolutionary fathers, at Lexington and on later fields, it is an honor
not to be lightly esteemed to have one’s name recorded and borne upon
the roll of those who were the first to enlist in a cause so worthy.
This honor belongs in a peculiar sense to those volunteer soldiers
who composed the seven companies that formed the nucleus of the
Twenty-ninth Regiment; for they were not only among the first to
enlist, but were the first in Massachusetts and all New England to be
mustered into the service of the United States for a term of three
years.[1]
As the history of the regiment, therefore, begins with the beginning of
hostilities, we must preface our account of its organization with some
pertinent remarks concerning the earliest efforts to raise troops in
Massachusetts.
The first official act relating to the war was the somewhat famous
General Order, No. 4, by direction of the Governor, dated January 16,
1861, requiring the Adjutant-General to ascertain with accuracy the
number of the officers and men of the volunteer militia who would
instantly respond to any call of the President of the United States
for troops. On the 23d of January, 1861, the Legislature passed a
Resolve, tendering the aid of the Commonwealth to the President of the
United States, in enforcing the laws and preserving the Union. On the
15th of February, an Act was approved, providing for the retention in
the service of all volunteer militia companies then existing, and for
the organization, “as the public exigency may require,” of additional
companies of cavalry, artillery, and infantry, the same to be formed,
on petition to the Commander-in-Chief, by the mayor and aldermen or
selectmen of cities and towns. The first appropriation which seems to
have been made for war purposes was by an Act, approved April 3, 1861,
the text of which we here give because of its importance:--
“_Resolved_, That the Adjutant and Acting Quartermaster-General
be, and he is hereby authorized, under the direction of
the Governor and Council, to provide, either by contract
or otherwise, a sufficient number of overcoats, blankets,
knapsacks, haversacks, and other articles of equipment, camp
utensils, and trenching tools, as may be required to equip two
thousand troops for active service; and a sum not exceeding
twenty-five thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for that
purpose.”
[_Chap. 67, Acts of 1861._
Other Acts were passed subsequently to these already named, though
not so directly pertinent, but all having the same object; namely,
the preparing of the militia for active service, and providing the
means of carrying on the war, then so soon expected to burst upon the
country. Of these several Resolves, none are perhaps more noticeable
for the strong spirit of patriotism that pervades them, than those of
May 21 and May 23, 1861. The first was an Act entitled “An Act in
addition to an Act to provide for the maintenance of the Union and the
Constitution,” and is preceded by the following preamble:--
“_Whereas_, The people of Massachusetts regard with like
feelings of loyalty and affection the Government of the United
States and that of their own Commonwealth, and deem it fit that
the arms of each should be strengthened by all which the other
can give;
“_And whereas_, Some emergency may arise, during the recess
of the Legislature, in which the aid of Massachusetts may
be of service to the General Government in its financial
arrangements; therefore, _Be it enacted_,” etc.
By this remarkably patriotic Resolve, the Governor, with the advice of
the Council, was authorized to issue scrip, or certificates of debt,
in the name of the Commonwealth, for such sums, not exceeding seven
millions of dollars, as he, with the advice of the Council, might deem
needful. The scrip so issued was to be sold, and the proceeds loaned to
the United States Government, or expended in purchasing its treasury
notes, or “delivered to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United
States, in exchange for obligations of the United States Government, of
corresponding amount.”
The second Resolve referred to was entitled “An Act in aid of the
families of volunteers, and for other purposes,” by which cities and
towns were permitted to raise money by taxation, and apply the same
in aid of the wife and children of any of their inhabitants who, as
a member of the volunteer militia, enlisted into the service of the
United States. By the same Act, it was provided that the State should
reimburse towns and cities for all aid furnished in pursuance of this
law, to an extent limited therein; and by section four of the Act, any
city or town was authorized “to organize an armed police or guard,”
whenever danger from an attack by sea was apprehended.[2]
For nearly three months before the first act of hostilities, the
militia of the Commonwealth were busily engaged in drilling in their
several armories; almost nightly, throughout the long, memorable winter
of 1861, the patriotic soldiers of the State assembled and received
from their instructors, lessons in the manual of arms and other
military matters, and prepared themselves as best they could to answer
the first summons to the field.
Finally, as the winter waned, and the signs of war began to thicken,
these citizen-soldiers became clamorous for active service, and on the
13th of April, the Adjutant-General addressed a letter to the Secretary
of War, asking permission to garrison forts Warren and Independence,
in Boston Harbor, with two regiments of the militia. “I believe,” said
the Adjutant-General, “that our troops would like to do garrison duty
until called upon by the President for active service. The regiments
might alternate every four or six weeks, and thus they would learn much
that would be of service to them, and hold the forts against attack
or surprise.”[3] In this letter, it was stated that we then had five
thousand infantry, properly officered, armed, and equipped, though
only three thousand of them were armed with rifled muskets, the others
having “the old smooth-bores,” that had “been changed from flint-lock
to the percussion.”
The desire of the volunteers to enter upon active service was soon
gratified. On the 15th of April, only two days after the date of this
letter, a telegram was received from Senator Wilson at Washington,
requesting twenty companies to be sent to Washington to act in the
defence of that city. This was followed on the same day by a formal
demand by telegraph from the Secretary of War, calling for two full
regiments of militia. This demand was at once complied with, for,
on the same day, Special Order No. 14 was issued by the Governor,
“directing Colonel Jones of the Sixth Regiment, Colonel Packard of the
Fourth, Colonel Wardrop of the Third, and Colonel Munroe of the Eighth,
to muster their respective commands on the Boston Common forthwith.”
The order was transmitted by mail and special messengers to the various
colonels, who severally resided at Lowell, Quincy, New Bedford, and
Lynn. The companies composing these regiments were scattered throughout
the cities and towns of the counties of Essex, Plymouth, Bristol,
Norfolk, and Middlesex. But during the day and following night, nearly
every man was notified, and on the morning of the 16th the regiments
arrived in Boston. The Third and Fourth regiments were ordered to
proceed “forthwith” to Fortress Monroe, Va., while the Sixth and
Eighth were sent to Washington. The Fourth left Boston on the 17th of
April, and the Third on the following day, the two regiments arriving
at Fortress Monroe on the 20th of April, and becoming a part of the
garrison at that post. Neither of the last two commands contained the
maximum number of men; the Third Regiment having, both officers and
enlisted men, only 450, while the Fourth, somewhat stronger, numbered
636.
It appears from the Report of the Adjutant-General of 1861, that from
the 13th of April to the 20th of May,--the former being the date of the
attack on Fort Sumter,--one hundred and fifty-nine applications for
leave to raise companies were granted. These applications were not in
every instance made in pursuance of the Act of February 15, 1861 (Chap.
49), but were often, and perhaps in the majority of instances, made
by private individuals and the persons who desired to enlist. We have
before us a copy of one of these rolls, the agreement of enlistment
being as follows:--
“We, whose names are hereunto affixed, do severally consent,
and, by our signatures hereunto made, do agree to be
enrolled into a company of volunteer militia, to be raised
in the town of ---- and vicinity, subject to orders of the
Commander-in-Chief; and we do hereby agree to serve for the
period of five years, unless sooner discharged agreeably
to law, and this enlistment we enter into with the full
understanding that we are liable at any moment to be ordered
into active service under the Government of the United States.”
These enlistment papers were prepared by the Adjutant-General, issued
at his discretion, and accompanying each paper was a copy of General
Order No. 8, dated April 22, 1861, announcing the conditions upon which
enlistments would be received. These were substantially as follows:
That when the requisite number of men to form a full company had
enrolled their names, and the authorities of the cities or towns where
such companies were formed had attested the roll and certified their
approbation of the application, an inspection of the men by a competent
surgeon was to be ordered.
By this order, it was also announced that the “companies organized in
the vicinity of existing regiments which at the present time have not
ten companies, will be annexed to said regiments until they are full.”
The laws of the Commonwealth made no provision for the pay or
subsistence of these volunteers until they were ordered by the Governor
into active service, yet this proved no hindrance to the work of
enlistment, which went actively on. To such of these companies as were
likely to be called into active service, arms were issued by the State,
while the uniforms were provided by the local authorities, and in some
instances by private individuals.
It was under the circumstances which we have just narrated, and at this
time, that the seven original companies of the Twenty-ninth Regiment
were formed.
The company commanded by Captain Chamberlain, raised in Lynn, was
gathered as early as April 18; the companies commanded by Captains
Tyler (afterward Wilson) and Clarke, raised in Boston, were recruited
April 19; the companies commanded by Captains Leach, Chipman, Barnes,
and Doten, raised, respectively, in East Bridgewater, Sandwich, East
Boston, and Plymouth, were all formed about April 20. There was no
concerted action among the officers and persons who recruited these
companies, nor was it understood at the time of their formation that
they were to be united in the service, their subsequent union being one
of the many accidental occurrences of the war.
The original term of enlistment of these commands was five years in the
State’s service; but before they could be put in preparation to take
the field, the President had concluded not to accept any more militia
troops.
On the third day of May, the National Executive issued a call for a
force of volunteers, “to serve for a period of three years, unless
sooner discharged.” Nearly every man of these companies at once
enlisted under the new call.
Governor Andrew concluded to make up the deficiency of men in the Third
and Fourth regiments, then at Fortress Monroe, with these three years’
troops, and accordingly, on the 10th of May, the companies commanded
by Captains Tyler and Chamberlain were despatched to Fortress Monroe,
where they were assigned to duty with the Third Regiment.
On the eighteenth day of May, the commands of Captains Leach, Doten,
Barnes, and Chipman were ordered to the same place, where they were
assigned as follows: Captains Doten’s and Chipman’s companies to the
Third, and Captains Leach’s and Barnes’s companies to the Fourth
Regiment. Four days later, the company commanded by Captain Clarke
was ordered to Fortress Monroe, and, upon arrival, was attached to
the Fourth Regiment. These companies served in the Third and Fourth
regiments from the dates of their respective assignments till the
expiration of the three months’ term of the latter commands, when,
on the sixteenth day of July, 1861, they were, by order of General
Butler, commanding the department, organized as the “_Massachusetts
Battalion_,” retaining the latter organization until December 13, 1861,
at which time, upon the addition of three new companies, commanded,
respectively, by Captains Sibley, Richardson, and Tripp, they became
the Twenty-ninth Regiment.
This delay in forming the battalion into a regiment resulted in
depriving it of the honor of being the First Regiment of Massachusetts
Volunteers; for while it was toiling upon the ramparts of Fortress
Monroe, mounting guns under the withering rays of a July sun, throwing
up earthworks at Newport News, fighting and marching, and thereby
obtaining for the Government a foothold upon the soil of rebellious
Virginia, twenty-eight regiments of infantry had been organized in
Massachusetts and sent to the seat of war.
By this explanation, it will appear to the general reader how the first
three years’ volunteers of Massachusetts chanced to be designated the
Twenty-ninth Regiment.
There are many curious and interesting facts connected with the raising
and formation of these companies, which cannot be better given than by
devoting a brief chapter to each. The history of the organization of
these commands forms an important part of the history of Massachusetts
in the earliest days of the war; and while the tracing of that history
may expose to criticism the unmilitary ideas of our people, at the same
time it cannot fail to exhibit, in strong colors, their deep love for
the Union, and their willingness to make the greatest of sacrifices for
its salvation.