| If this website has been useful to you, please consider
making a Donation.
Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do
more research. Thank you for your support! |
45th
Massachusetts Infantry
in the Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Forty-fifth Infantry. — Col, Charles R. Codman; Lieut.-Col, Oliver
W. Peabody; Maj., Russell Sturgis, Jr. This organization was known as the "Cadet
regiment," from the fact that its field officers, and several of its line officers,
were taken from the 1st corps cadets. It was recruited at Camp Meigs, Readville, and was
mustered into the U. S. service for nine months on varying dates between Sept. 26 and Oct.
28, 1862. While the officers were from Boston and the immediate vicinity, the ranks were
recruited from over 200 cities and towns in the state. It numbered 40 officers and 918
men. Its loss during service was 20 killed and 27 who died by accident or disease. It
embarked for New Berne, N. C, Nov. 5, and on its arrival there was assigned to Col.
Amory's brigade, consisting of the 17th, 23d, 43d and 51st Mass. infantry. It remained
inactive until Dec. 12, when all but Cos. C and G (on detached service) participated in
the Goldsboro expedition. It was actively engaged at the battles of Kinston and Whitehall,
winning praise for its gallantry and efficiency in both actions, and suffering a loss of
15 killed and 43 wounded at Kinston, and 4 killed and 16 wounded at Whitehall, but was not
in action at Goldsboro. In Jan., 1863, it took part, with two other regiments, in a five
days' reconnaissance to Trenton, N. C., and on the 26th was detailed for provost guard at
New Berne, in which capacity it served until April 25. With its brigade it took part in an
expedition to Core creek, on the Atlantic & North Carolina railroad, on April 28, and
engaged the enemy on the Dover road, where it met with a loss of 1 killed and 4 wounded.
This ended its active campaigning, and it remained encamped in the neighborhood of Fort
Spinola until June 24, when it broke camp and returned to Massachusetts, reaching Boston
on the 30th. It was mustered out at Readville, July 8, 1863. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us
|