| 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! |
48th
Massachusetts Infantry
in the Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Forty-eighth Infantry. — Col., Eben F. Stone; Lieut.-Col., James
O'Brien; Maj., George Wheatland. It was originally intended to recruit the 48th as a nine
months' regiment from Essex county. Eight companies had been already formed at Camp
Lander, Wenham, Mass., when the plans were modified on account of the immediate demand for
troops for the Banks expedition. Two companies were detached to complete the organization
of the 4th Mass. infantry (militia) which was being formed at Lakeville for the nine
months' service, and four Irish companies which had been recruited by James O'Brien at
Lakeville to form part of an Irish regiment, were consolidated with the six remaining
companies to form the 48th infantry. Co. A was mustered on Sept. 16, 1862, six more by
Oct. 1, and Co. K was finally mustered on Dec. 9. The field and staff were mustered Dec.
8. The regiment numbered 47 officers and 780 enlisted men. The regiment left on Dec. 27,
1862, for New York, whence it sailed for Fortress Monroe, Jan. 4, 1864. After a delay of a
week there it embarked again for New Orleans, arriving there Feb. 1. Two days later it
arrived at Baton Rouge and became a part of the 1st brigade, 1st division, 19th corps. Its
first active service was on March 13, when it participated in a reconnaissance to within a
short distance of the Confederate lines about Port Hudson. The next day it advanced with
its division for a demonstration against the land defenses of that place, and on the 20th
returned to Baton Rouge. The general advance on Port Hudson began on May 21, and the 48th,
now attached to the 3d brigade under Col. Dudley, was engaged at Plains Store, where it
lost 2 killed, 7 wounded and 11 captured. It furnished 93 men for the storming party of
200 which led the assault on the works of Port Hudson, among the volunteers being
Lieut.-Col. O'Brien, who was killed, and 15 line officers. It lost here 7 men killed and
41 wounded. While temporarily attached to the 3d division under Gen. Dwight, it took part
in the assault of June 14, losing 2 killed and 11 wounded. It shared in the work of the
siege, but without further loss in battle. It then moved with Augur's division, commanded
by Gen. Weitzel, on the evening of July 9, against the enemy's works below Donaldsonville,
La. ; was engaged at Bayou La Fourche on the 13th, where it met with a loss of 3 killed, 7
wounded and 23 captured; remained encamped near Donaldsonville until Aug. 1, when it once
more returned to Baton Rouge and occupied its former camp until Aug. 9. Its term of
service having now expired, it left for Massachusetts by way of Cairo, Ill., and reached
Boston on Aug. 23. It was mustered out at Camp Lander Sept. 3, 1863. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us
|