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20th
Massachusetts Infantry
in the Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Twentieth Infantry. — Cols., William R. Lee, Francis W. Palfrey,
Paul J. Revere, George N. Macy; Lieut.-Cols., Francis W. Palfrey, Ferdinand Dreher, George
N. Macy, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Arthur R. Curtis, Rufus P. Lincoln; Majs., Paul J.
Revere, Ferdinand Dreher, George N. Macy, Allen Shepard, Henry L. Abbott, Arthur R.
Curtis, Henry L. Patten, William F. Perkins, John Keliher, Mason W. Tyler. This regiment
was mustered into the U. S. service at Readville in July and Aug., 1861, and was mustered
out at Washington July 15, 1865. The total strength of the regiment was 2,550 and its
death losses numbered 352. It left the state for Washington, Sept. 4, 1861, and was
encamped near Edwards' ferry until the battle of Ball's bluff, its first engagement.
During the next summer the regiment saw much hard service. It was in action before
Yorktown, at West Point, Fair Oaks, Peach Orchard, Savage Station, Glendale and Malvern
hill. At Antietam its losses were heavy, and before Fredericksburg it helped to clear the
way for the passage of the army across the river. On Jan. 25, 1863, it went into camp at
Falmouth and remained there till the beginning of Chancellorsville movement. The next
important battle was Gettysburg and then followed an encounter at Bristoe Station, Va.,
and the Mine Run campaign, with winter quarters at Stevensburg. On May 3, 1864, it left
camp with the rest of the army for the Wilderness battle-field, where it was again in
action, followed by the many engagements of that spring, the campaign culminating in the
battle of Cold Harbor. The repeated losses had left but few of the regiment in active
service, and at Reams' station, Aug. 25, the remaining men were nearly all captured.
Reinforcements and recruits enabled the regiment to keep its organization, however, and
after several sharp encounters near Hatcher's run it went into winter quarters near Fort
Emory. The year of 1865 was not so disastrous as the preceding and, though it encountered
the enemy at several places near Petersburg, the losses were not great. After
participating in the grand review at Washington the regiment was ordered home, having for
four years performed most important services for the Union. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
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