CAPTAIN THOMAS W. CLARKE’S COMPANY, “WIGHTMAN RIFLES.”
[“M” IN THE FOURTH REGIMENT, “RIFLES” OF THE MASSACHUSETTS
BATTALION, AND “A” OF THE TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENT.]
On the nineteenth day of April, 1861, a day memorable in the history
of the war, Thomas William Clarke, a member of the Suffolk County bar,
threw from an office-window on Washington Street, Boston, near the
corner of State Street, a recruiting flag, and opened a roll for a
company of militia.
So strong was the war spirit of the people then, that in the course of
that and the succeeding day, Captain Clarke secured a full complement
of men.
On the 21st of April, there was an election of officers, presided over
by Brig. Gen. W. W. Bullock of the First Brigade of Militia.
Thomas William Clarke was chosen Captain; John Critcherson, Jr., of
San Francisco, Cal., First Lieutenant; and Joshua Norton, 3d, of
Bridgewater, Second Lieutenant.
Subsequently, and before the muster of the company into the service
of the United States, Lieutenant Critcherson was discharged, Norton
promoted to First Lieutenant, and John E. White was chosen Second
Lieutenant.
May the 9th, the company was ordered into the service of the State, and
was paid and rationed by the State from this time till May 21.
During all this time, and as long as it remained in Massachusetts, the
company had its quarters in a hall in Bowdoin Square, Boston. Here
the men were lodged and fed, and here they held daily drill. It is an
interesting fact, as illustrating how meagre were the preparations for
war even in Massachusetts, that this company of soldiers, though raised
for the public service, was chiefly uniformed by the city of Boston.
This uniform consisted of a gray chasseur tunic trimmed with red,
gray trousers, and three-cornered gray felt hats trimmed with red. The
arms were furnished by the State. A part of these were Harper’s Ferry
rifles, and a part Winsor rifles (all calibre 54), better known as
Mississippi rifles, and were provided with the sabre bayonet.
These arms were formerly used by and were taken from Major Ben. Perley
Poore’s Battalion, an independent body of militia.
Beside these arms, the company received from the State, red blankets,
cartridge-boxes, and the somewhat historic gray overcoats.
While the company was quartered in Boston, the Chauncey Hall School of
that city presented it with the quarterly prize-money of the school,
amounting to about one hundred and twenty-five dollars, which sum was
set apart as a company fund for the benefit of all its members.
The determination of the Government not to accept any more militia
troops, announced in War Department orders on the 9th of May, produced
a change in the term of enlistment of this company from five years
in the State’s service to three years in the United States service;
and on the 21st of May it was mustered into the service of the United
States, at West Roxbury, by Lieut. T. J. C. Amory of the regular army
(afterwards Colonel of the 17th Mass. Vols.).
It is a fact worthy of special notice, that after this company had been
enrolled for active service under the United States Government, it was
ordered into the service of the Commonwealth, and from the time it was
so enrolled till the date of its muster (21st), its members were paid
out of the State treasury.
The day following the muster of the company into the United States
service, it received its long-expected order to leave for the seat of
war. Embarking on the steamer “Pembroke,” together with an independent
company of volunteers from Lowell, under Captain Davis, it sailed for
Fortress Monroe, Va. (May 22).
Before leaving the State, Captain Clarke filed with the
Adjutant-General a muster and descriptive roll of the company,
and accounted for all the ordnance and clothing received from the
Commonwealth.
The voyage to Fortress Monroe was by no means devoid of interest. The
steamer, which was armed with two nine-inch guns, cleared for action
several times during the trip, upon view of suspicious-looking crafts,
supposed at the time to be Confederate war-vessels, and on all these
occasions the men were beaten to quarters.
The “Pembroke” arrived at Fortress Monroe May 26, and on the following
day the company was assigned to duty with the Fourth Regiment of
Massachusetts Militia, and ordered to accompany that regiment to
Newport News.
Upon joining the Fourth Regiment, the company took the letter “M,” and
was assigned to the left of the regimental line.
After the return of the Fourth Regiment to Massachusetts, this company
was reported and known as the “Rifles” of the Massachusetts Battalion
at Fortress Monroe. The letter “A” was given it upon the formation of
the Twenty-ninth Regiment, by order of Governor Andrew.
The commission of Captain Clarke bears date of April 20, 1861; that of
Lieutenant Norton, May 7, 1861; Second Lieutenant White resigned, and
was succeeded by Second Lieutenant George H. Taylor, whose commission
bears date of July 31, 1861.