The National tribune., 1890-03-13
THE BAY STATES BLACKBERRY
PICKrRsu

support oil the Union, 1894 bghtlng men, or
1913 per cent Of her entire population. AS
there were considerably more women in Mass
than men, this would show that for |
about every four males in the State of all |
ages, one able-bodied man went forth to fight. |
This was a wonderful proportion.
They rallied with wonderful promptness, too.
As Comrade James L. Bowen says, in his adj
mEablo work, " Massachusetts, in tho War;" to |
which we are indebted for most of the statistics
in this article:
Thus, within six days from receiving the first
call, the Commonwealth had assembled equipped |
and sent forth, ready for active duty in sphere
TO which they might be called, five regiments OF
infantry, nearly complete; battery OF field
artillery, with horses, equipment and I'D tons oil
ammunition, and battalion of rifemen. The
promptness of the response the efficiency of the
troops. and the importance of the positions they
filed were all matters of which the Old Bay State
might DO justly proud"
Tho passage of the Massachusetts, militia
regiments to Washington, Fort Monroe and
other threatened points, their timely arrival,
and the murderous assault upon tho 9th in
Baltimore are matters of history familiar to
all
The State showed equal alacrty in raising
regiments for the serious business which was
foreshadowcd by the call for three. years men.
The LIST Mass. was the first to leave tho State
and the first to arrive in Washington under that
call. 1t was. organized in Boston May q, 1861,
with Robert Cowdn as Colonel, and camped in
Washington on the night of June II. A month
later it went into the fight Mt Blackburn's
Ford, where it lost Is killed and 20 wounded.
AT the organization of tho Army of the Poto-
mac 10 was placed in Rockers Division, in
which it went through the Peninsular cam
paign, seeing heavy fighting and suffering quite
severely. Col. Cowdin was promoted, and was
succeeded by n. b. Mclaughlin, who retained
the command till the close of the regiments
career 1t took part in all the service of the
Third Corps. AT Gettysburg, on the second
day, out of about coo whom it carried into tho
fight it lost 26 killed, II wounded, and 20 miss
ing. Nothstanding this fearful loss, the rem
nant Of the regiment CALAMITY rallied in the
evening to aid in repulsng tho enemy. 1t
fought in the Wilderness till the expiration Of
its term of service, when it returned home,
having lost, of the 1850 men enrolled, 1i2
killed and 20 by disease.
The "a Mass. -Goorge H. Gordon, Colonel
was organized at Boston, May %, 1861, and
joined Gen. Patlerson's column in tho Shenan-
doah Valley July II. II got its first taste Of
real war in Blnks's retreat down the Valley,
where, rs the roar-guard, il marched 80 miles
in 80 hours, fought one pitched battle and sew.
| eFal skirmishes, losing IS killed. Al wounded
and % prisoners. For its brilliant service Col.
Gordon was promoted to Brigadier- General,
au "a alh GrfI slEs uItsup Ia
which made George l.. Andrews Colonel. It's
| next severe experience was st Cedar Mountain,
where it lost moro than one-third of those it
took into action. Ii lost there its Major four
| Captains aud one First Lieutenant. and 80 men
| killed, % wounded aud II captured. 1t entered
| the Twelfth Corps, and at Antietam lost, out of
/ 300 present. II killed aud 80 wounded. Among
/ the killed was Lieut.. Col. Dwight. Col. Samuel
! N. Quincy succeeded Andrews as Colonel when
/ the latter was promoted 10 Brigadicr General
/ Quincy resigned in June, 1868, aud was sue
1 cocded by VIM. Cogsweli. who was promoted to
] Erigadier General, and was succeeded by Chas
! f. Morse. The regiment lost third of those
/ it marched into tho battle Of Charlottesville
/ with. On tho mofniuFof the second day ut Get.
/ tysburg tho regiment aud the 9Th Ind. were
given an order, which some one had bnpdered,"
to cross the swamp in font Of them and rctake
some works. Every enc knew that the order
was an awful mistake bat the two regiments
did not faller Tho Lieutenant. Colonel of
the 81 Mass.-Charlcs X. Mudge-sprang
out IN front OF his men and led them on,
to fall dead shortly. No men could have fought
more desperately. and they almost gained the
works but were finally forced back, with a loss
OF i3 killed 81 wounded aud 6 missing, out OF
tho 3l6 who had started upon tho hopeless
charge Three color bearers were killed and
one wounded. The regiment went West with
the Twelfth Corps, and took part in the Atlantis
Campaign and the March TO the Sea. 1t wa
discharged in July 1865. Out of the Los
original members and recruits 100 were killed
and o died Of disease.
The Sd Mass was ono of tho original three
months regiments Col. u. W. Wardrop 1t wa
sent to Fortress Monroe. IL came out again
under the nine months call, Sept %, i5C2
under Col Silas f. Richmond. II WAS sent 4
the coast of North Carolina, and did good serv
ice there. II lost IG by death.
The 4lh Mass-Col. A. b. Packard wa
another Of tho original three-months regi
mcnts Ii went to Fortress Monroe. IL cam
out again IN August, 1862, for niue months
ander Col. Henry Walker and was sent /
. Louisiana 1t took part in all the operation
3 up to and including tho siege of Port Hudson
where 1t made Il very gallant assault. Capt
4, Geo. S. Merrill, aftcrward Commander in Chic
I Of the c. A. T., commanded Co Il, aud dis
. tinguished himself u steamboat cxpelitio
o into a gucrrilla-infested country. Altogcthe
the regiment lost 40 by death.
The 9Th Mass came out under the first three
mouths call, under the command of CO.. s {
Lawrence, and went into the battle Of Blu
J., Run in Heintzclmans Division. IL lo
Z. there . killed. 2 wounded and % prison
ers. IT came out again in September
1862, under Col. George II. Peirson, for min
, months, and was sent to the coast of Mort
l, Carolina where il took an effective part in I'll
= various operations II came out again in Jul
- 1864, for 100 days. and formed part Of the ga
rison Of Washington. Altogether, it lost 3
men.
+ The 9th Mass.-CoI. Il, +. Jones. now Lie,
D, tenant Governor of New York was an orig
v nal lhree-mouths regiment, and became
nous by being the first TO shed blood in deicm
of the flag, in the streets Of Baltimore.