David P . Muzzey David Patterson Muzzey ( 8 November 1838 – 3 August 1910 ) was an American lawyer and overseer of the poor from the state of Massachusetts who volunteered to join Union Army during the American Civil War . Early life . David Patterson Muzzey was born on 8 November 1838 in Cambridgeport , Massachusetts to reverend Artemas B . Muzzey and Hepsibeth Patterson Muzzey . His ancestors fought during the American Revolutionary War on the American side ; John Muzzey was killed during Battle of Lexington and was buried under the Lexington monument . The ground whereupon the battle took place was property of Niebur Muzzey , who later donated it to the town of Lexington . Muzzey was educated in Cambridge public schools , attended the Harvard University as well as Hopkins Classical School . In March 1854 he moved to Concord , New Hampshire and lived there until September 1857 when he moved with his parents to Newburyport , Massachusetts . Later he studied law in the office of his brother Henry W . Muzzey in Boston , Massachusetts . In 1860 he was admitted to Suffolk bar in Boston and started his practice settled in the building that once belonged to Judge Samuel Livermore . He was part of the Wide Awakes in Fall of 1860 . Civil War . On 23 May 1861 he enlisted as a Private in A Company of the 1st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and camped with the men at Fresh Pond in ice houses . A minor unrest broke out among the troops due to the condition of food they were served – to rein in the tempers Col . Robert Cowdin was called . Inadequate lodging resulted in the camp being moved away and designated as " Camp Cameron " . On 15 June the regiment was ordered to proceed to Boston . Later it marched to Washington , D . C . , then Georgetown where it established " Camp Banks " . The regiment remained there until it was called to fight during First Battle of Bull Run . After retreating it returned to Washington . In Bladensburg Muzzey was promoted to Second Lieutenant and mustered with 23rd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry with which he fought at Roanoke Island and New Bern as part of Burnside ' s North Carolina Expedition . In New Bern he was tasked with provost duty . On 17 July he resigned commission and returned to Massachusetts . On 16 September he was again commisssioned as 2nd Lt . this time in Company G 41st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry commanded by Col . Thomas Edward Chickering ( later reorganized as 3rd Regiment of Cavalry , Massachusetts Volunteers ) . On 1 November he was promoted to First Lieutenant . The regiment acted as bodyguard to Maj . Gen . Nathaniel P . Banks on board of the steamer " North Star " bound for New Orleans where Banks was to relieve Gen . Benjamin Butler . Upon arriving Muzzey ' s regiment was sent to Baton Rouge for provost duty . Muzzey ' s unit was stationed in Baton Rouge for several months until departing for the western bank of Mississippi to take part in the Bayou Teche Campaign ; during that time Muzzey was placed in charge of the prisoners captured by Brig . Gen . Cuvier Grover . He was commissioned as deputy provost marshal at New Iberia , Louisiana under the orders of Capt . Long of the 31st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry . On 17 June 1863 the regiment was moved back to Baton Rouge and took part in the Siege of Port Hudson where Muzzey was promoted to Captain of G Company , 3rd Mass . Cavalry Volunteers . Gen . Nathaniel P . Banks of the Army of the Gulf issued an order calling 1 , 000 volunteers to storm the confederate earthworks measuring 7 miles at Port Hudson – Muzzey and 30 others from the regiment agreed after being promised Medals of Honor . The to - be " Forlorn Hope " never stormed the fort as it surrendered first ; no medals were awarded on the ground that the unit failed to assault the earthworks . Following the surrender the regiment was moved to New Orleans to become part of 4th Cavalry Brigade under Gen . U . A . M . Dudley , inhabitant of Roxbury . Regiment took part in Red River Campaign and later , after returning to New Orleans , it ventured to fight in the Shenandoah Valley where Muzzey served for several months in the staff of Gen . Philip Sheridan . In the Spring of 1865 the regiment was moved to Fort Leavenworth to join the Powder River Expedition of Maj . Gen . Patrick Edward Connor . Thereupon on 15 August 1865 Muzzey receive promotion to Major . Following a 500 - mile advance to Julesburg , Colorado the war department sent an order directing the return of the regiment to Fort Leavenworth as the terms of service were to expire on 1 November 1865 . After mustering out Muzzey left for Massachusetts with his new command and passing through Canada he arrived at Gallops Island . After arrival Muzzey was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel . On 8 October he was paid off and discharged . Later life . Following the war Muzzey practiced law for a year in Leavenworth , Kansas . Later he studied to become a Unitarian minister at Harvard Divinity School and graduated in 1869 ; he was settled over the Unitarian churches of Littleton and Stow , Massachusetts . In February 1877 he was appointed overseer of the poor in Cambridge , Massachusetts and secretary of the board in May which offices he held until death . He introduced many innovations which proved beneficial to the department . Muzzey died of sepsis after three weeks of illness on 3 August 1910 in Cambridge . He was survived by his wife Sarah A . Muzzey ( née Turner ) and son Herbert Sprague Muzzey . He was buried at Stow .