Organization and early service Initial organization and training The 2nd Regiment was the first volunteer organization in the state to begin to take form after the dispatch of the Massachusetts militia to the front in April, 1861. Under the direction of Major George H. Gordon of the
United States Army, recruiting offices for the 2nd Massachusetts were opened in
Boston immediately after the first group of volunteer regiments departed
Massachusetts for
Washington on Thursday, April 18. This enthusiasm was quickly dampened and the offices closed due to the fact that Massachusetts had filled its quota and therefore could neither recruit nor send any additional volunteer units until a call was issued by the
U.S. War Department. The unit's future second-in-command,
Lieutenant Colonel George Leonard Andrews, made a trip to Washington to meet with
Secretary of War Simon Cameron and obtained special permission to recruit a new three-years' regiment and wait until such time as it would be summoned by the federal government. The welcome permission was telegraphed home, the recruiting offices were re-opened, and others were added in different cities throughout the state, Major Gordon's headquarters being at Boston. To his discretion much-practically everything-concerning the composition of the regiment was entrusted, both men and officers being selected by him. Recruiting proceeded and the regiment began training at Camp Andrew, named in honor of the governor, located at Brook Farm in West Roxbury, on the estate of Rev.
James Freeman Clarke. Company A was the first to reach the spot, on Saturday, May 11, and was rapidly followed by other companies and detachments, so that a week later, May 18, four companies and parts of others had been mustered into the national service by Captain Amory of the United States Army. The commissions of the officers began to be issued the following Friday, May 24. There were the usual flag presentations, the first being battle flag on Wednesday, June 26, followed by a state banner the next Monday, July 1. At this time, the regiment was structured in ten companies with a 24-man regimental band. Major Gordon was promoted to Colonel and appointed commanding officer. The regimental staff was led by Lieutenant Colonel,
George L. Andrews. The professional Gordon and Andrews commenced a strict, disciplined course of constant drill. Prominent families were represented by Major
Wilder Dwight, Adjutant Charles
Wheaton, Jr., and Surgeon
Lucius M. Sargent, Jr. The companies were recruited from two existing militia company and eight raised new. Company A was from the Abbott Grays of Lowell commanded by Captain Edward G. Abbott; Company B commanded by Captain
Greely S. Curtis; Company C was from the Andrew Light Guard of
Salem commanded by Captain
William Cogswell; Company D commanded by Captain, James Savage, Jr.; Company E commanded by Captain
Samuel M. Quincy; Company F commanded by Captain, J. Parker Whitney;Company G commanded by Captain Richard Cary; Company H commanded by Captain, Francis H. Tucker; Company I commanded by Captain
Adin B. Underwood; and Company K commanded by Captain Richard C. Goodwin. A band of 24 members from different towns and cities was led by Charles Speigle of Boston.
Initial deployment and service On Saturday, July the well-drilled 2nd Massachusetts received orders to report as soon as possible at
Williamsport, MD, as reinforcements of General
Patterson. That Monday morning, July 8, the regiment entrained for South Station in Boston, and then took the
Boston and Providence and
New York, Providence and Boston Railroads to
New London, CT, and by New York and Norwich Transportation Company paddlewheel steamers to
New York. After the regiment disembarked near Battery Park and marched up Broadway to the armory for the night. The next morning, on the
Hudson riverfront, they boarded ferries which took the across the river to
Elizabethport, NJ. The 2nd Massachusetts then took the
Pennsylvania Railroad across
New Jersey and through
Pennsylvania, and then on the
Western Maryland Railway (WMRR) until on Thursday afternoon, July 11, it reached Williamsport on the
Potomac. Early Friday morning, the regiment forded the river into
Virginia and marched to
Martinsburg, where it joined Patterson's main body, and was assigned to the 6th Brigade under Patterson's son-in-law Col.
Abercrombie. Early Friday morning, the regiment forded the river into Virginia and marched to Martinsburg, where it joined Patterson's main body, and was assigned to the 6th Brigade under Col. Abercrombie. On July 3, Patterson had occupied Martinsburg, but remained inactive until July 15 when he marched to Bunker Hill. Instead of continuing to
Winchester, Virginia, Patterson turned east and then retreated to Harpers Ferry. This took pressure off of
Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in the
Shenandoah Valley and he was able to march his troops and reinforce the Confederates under
P.G.T. Beauregard at the
First Battle of Bull Run. Thursday, the 2nd Massachusetts was sent back to
Harpers Ferry and three days later, Patterson learned Johnston had eluded him and gone to
Bull Run, he fell back with his whole force. Col. Gordon was made commander of Harpers Ferry, with the regiment as garrison. While the 2nd Massachusetts was in the mill town, the loyal women of the town presented the regiment with a flag, which they had secretly made and kept for such an occasion.
Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks succeeded Patterson in command of the forces around Harpers Ferry on Thursday July 25, withdrawing to Pleasant Valley on the Maryland side with the few troops that remained after the departure of the three-months' men. Gordon remained in command at Harpers Ferry, with three companies of the 2nd Massachusetts, while the other six companies bivouacked on Maryland Heights securing the artillery there. Soon afterward Banks' command was extended down the Potomac covering the different fords and crossings. The 2nd Massachusetts was relieved on August 20, and marched three days and rejoined the brigade near
Hyattstown, MD on Friday, August 23. The 2nd Massacusetts camped nearby at
Darnestown for even more drilling, and the brigade remained for about two months. Soon after Gordon took temporary command of the brigade, which at that time consisted of the
12th Massachusetts,
12th and
16th Indiana Infantry Regiments, in addition to the 2nd Massachusetts. Reinforcements soon arrived and necessitated a reorganization, in which the 2nd Massachusetts went to the 3rd Brigade and joined the
5th Connecticut,
9th and
28th New York,
46th Pennsylvania, and
Battery A, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment. On Tuesday, Octobert 15, Brig. Gen.
Williams took command of the brigade. After several preliminary orders during the following Monday, October 21, one came in the early evening to march immediately upriver, and the 2nd Massachusetts led the column, which moved rapidly toward Leesburg, meeting on the way survivors from across the river at
Ball’s Bluff. These men had been defeated on Monday, and the survivors were struggling to escape capture and get back across the Potomac. Before daylight, Tuesday morning, the column had reached
Conrad’s Ferry, and the regiment manned the riverbank, where during the cloudy day they helped rescue comrades who were still trapped on the opposite side.In the evening, the regiment was sent to Edwards Ferry to reinforce the brigades covering the withdrawal. During the night, the 2nd Massachusetts marched there. The weather cleared Wednesday morning, and the Rebels realized the U.S. forces had been reinforced and withdrew. The AoP commander, McClellan arrived at Edwards' Ferry to take personal command, and that evening he ordered all forces on the Virginia side of the river at Edwards' Ferry to withdraw. The regiment joined the column and marched back to camp.
Winter camp On Saturday, the regiment rejoined back to Abercrombie’s brigade now numbered the 1st. On the same day, the entire division went back to Darnestown, and the 2nd Massachusetts encamped after two days' march at Seneca Creek, from the town. For the remainder of the fall, the regiment picketed the upper Potomac and again continuing the constant drilling. The health of the men suffered from malaria due to the mosquito-infested creek, but a change of camp shortly after gave no relief from the disease.. Amid the hardships in the camp, the regiment managed to observe Thanksgiving due to the kindness of friends at home and the care the officers took to ensure a “very creditable feast. with proper accompaniment of devotion and recreation, made the day memorable.” The brigade was relieved on Wednesday, December 4, and set out for Frederick, where after three days of marching and waiting, their winter camp, Camp Hicks, was pitched in a pleasant wood where warm huts had been built with fireplaces, four miles east of the city beside the macadamized Baltimore pike, where the winter months passed with very little to break the monotony of camp life, though the proximity of Frederick and the friendliness of the people, as well as the ease of communication with their families and friends back home made the situation agreeable. On Saturday, January 4, “the very coldest part of the winter,” the chain of command ordered the regiment should cook two days' rations and get ready to march. The order came in writing on Sunday, and the 2nd Massachusetts was still on alert to move a week later on January 12. For the remainder of the month, the men kept their two days' rations cooked and in readiness.
Operations in 1862 The Shenandoah Valley To win the war, the United States needed to defeat the Confederate armies in the field. To win the war, the rebels had to break the will of the Federals to fight. The Shenandoah Valley, between the
Blue Ridge Mountains and the
Appalachians, figured in both of those war aims and ergo its control was strategically important. Known as the
breadbasket of the
Confederacy, the Shenandoah Valley provided a route for rebel attacks into
Maryland,
Washington, and
Pennsylvania, thereby cutting the link between Washington and the midwest — directly attacking the United States' will to fight. Second, any U.S. army entering Virginia could be attacked on its right flank through the many
wind gaps across the Blue Ridge. The valley "was rich in grain, cattle, sheep, hogs, and fruit and was in such a prosperous condition that the Rebel army could march itself down and up it, billeting on the inhabitants." which meant that Yankee control of the valley would weaken the rebel armies helping to defeat them. If U.S. forces could reach
Staunton in the upper Valley, it could possibly sever the vital
Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, which ran from Richmond to the
Mississippi River. Because of its strategic importance it was the scene of three major campaigns. The valley, especially in the lower northern section, was also the scene of bitter
partisan fighting as the region's inhabitants were deeply divided over loyalties, and Confederate partisan
John Mosby and his
Rangers frequently operated in the area. Due its strategic importance, the valley saw an ebb and flow between the contesting armies until the last autumn of the war. Transport of goods from the valley to the east was done via a network of
macadamized pikes/turnpikes and rail between the larger towns supported by numerous smaller dirt roads and canals knitting them further. Much of this system had been put in place by
Virginia Board of Public Works (VBPW) under the guidance of
Claudius Crozet. The main north–south road transportation was the
Valley Turnpike, a public-private venture through the VBPW running from
Martinsburg up through
Winchester,
Harrisonburg, and ending at
Staunton. There were several other macadamized roads, like the Berrryville Pike, running between the larger towns and railroads. Three rail lines were the main east–west routes with B&O in the lower valley,
Manassas Gap in the middle/upper, and the
Virginia Central in the upper, southern end all connecting to the Valley Pike. The B&O met it at Martinsburg, the Manassas Gap met it at
Strasburg after passing through the Blue Ridge Mountains at Manassas Gap at
Front Royal, and the Virginia Central met it at Staunton after coming through the mountains in Crozet's
Blue Ridge Tunnel.
Initial advances This alert status at Camp Hicks, came to an end on Thursday morning, February 27, 1862, when the regiment was ordered to enter Frederick to entrain. The regiment had been on alert 53 days, a testament to its discipline. The regiment took the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&ORR) to
Sandy Hook, east of Harpers Ferry on the Maryland side. The men marched upstream and crossed a pontoon bridge into the mill town and found quarters in some of the deserted dwellings that afternoon. Company F was detailed for provost duty and Lieut. Col. Andrews was made the base’s provost marshal. On the following day, Friday, the 2nd Massachusetts received orders to reconnoiter
Charles Town, to the west-southwest, and the regiment entered that historic town to the music of "John Brown." McClellan at once ordered a permanent occupation of the place, and the following Sunday, the regiment held religions services in the courthouse where John Brown had been condemned to death, the chaplain occupying the seat used by the judge in the trial. Banks's army began
threatening Jackson at Winchester, in the
Shenandoah Valley, on Sunday, March 9; Jackson's remained confident and his troops were in "excellent spirits," The 2nd Massachusetts moved toward the valley via
Berryville, where they met the macadamized
Berryville Pike running west into Winchester, which the regiment “with the usual contradictory orders, countermarches, and skirmishes”, soon headed for. On arrival, Wednesday, March 12, Banks' men found that the Confederates had retreated to the west, leaving Winchester’s fortifications unmanned. The 2nd Massachusetts remained there some ten days. While serving as an independent command in the Shenandoah Valley, Banks’ division technically belonged to McClellan. On March 14, President Lincoln ordered McClellan to form all troops in his department into corps making Banks commander, in charge of his own former division, now under Williams, and the division of Brig. Gen
Shields, to comprise the
V Corps of the AoP. In this reorganization, the 2nd Massachusetts At this time another reorganization of the division took place, the regiment transferred to the 3rd Brigade in Williams’ Division, of which Colonel Gordon took command and Lieut. Col. Andrews took over the regiment. The other regiments in the brigade were the
27th Indiana,
29th Pennsylvania, and
3rd Wisconsin. On Thursday, March 20, Williams’ Division was ordered toward Washington, and two days later arched as far as Snicker's Ferry, where a broken-down ponton bridge prevented their crossing. While waiting for it to be repaired the regiment was ordered back toward Winchester on account of renewed activity on the part of the enemy, reaching that place on Monday, March 24, after a sharp march, to find that Shields had driven off
Jackson's threatening forces at the
First Battle of Kernstown on Sunday. Banks was ordered to pursue Jackson up the valley, to prevent him from reinforcing Rebels defending
Richmond. Tuesday evening Williams’ Division joined the pursuit. The 2nd Massachusetts went as far as Strasburg down the pike where Banks called off the pursuit while supply problems were addressed. For the next three days the Union forces advanced slowly while Jackson retreated to Mount Jackson. On Wednesday, April 1, Banks lunged forward, up the valley (or south), and the regiment led the 3rd Brigade’s column in a running fight with Jackson’s troops, a further up the Valley Turnpike. Gordon reported by a battery of three 10-pounder and one 24-pounder rifled guns, which halted his column’s progress three times. Capt. Cochran, in every instance, succeeded without much difficulty in silencing and dislodging them, at times forcing them to temporarily abandon their pieces and take cover. The final halt was at
Edinburg while the 2nd Massachusetts and 1st Michigan skirmishers were moving into the town. The Rebels took position on an rise covered by a small wood, and opened fire on the advancing U.S. forces. Taking position on a hill overlooking the town from the north, Cochrane’s battery silenced the rebel battery within a half-hour. At Edinburg, the Rebels halted the 2nd Massachusetts and its following brethren by destroying the bridge over
Stony Creek a large tributary of the
North Fork of the Shenandoah River. The next morning, the Rebel artillery bombarded The 2nd Massachusetts and its brigade in the morning and again the New York artillerymen’s counter-battery fire drove them from their positions. For the next two weeks, the men in the 2nd Massachusetts and the others in Banks’ V Corps watched the Confederates across the river between them, while Banks’ staff completed preparations for another advance against Jackson were completed. Jackson took up a new position at
Rude's Hill near
Mount Jackson and
New Market. Banks advanced again on April 16, surprising
Ashby's cavalry by fording Stony Creek at a place they had neglected to picket, capturing 60 of the horsemen, while the remainder of Ashby's command fought their way back to Jackson's position on Rude's Hill. On Thursday, April 17, Banks sent the 2nd Massachusetts and its brigade to fall upon the Confederate left flank. The attack caused Jackson’s men to retreat and a Gordon, with the 2nd Massachusetts in the lead, followed, across the North fork of the Shenandoah and through Newmarket. Jackson assumed that Banks had been reinforced, so he withdrew quickly up the Valley to
Harrisonburg on April 18. On Saturday, April 19, his men marched east out of the valley to
Swift Run Gap. Banks occupied
New Market and crossed
Massanutten Mountain to seize the bridges across the South Fork in the
Luray Valley, once again besting Ashby's cavalry, who failed to destroy the bridges in time. From that point, the regiment advanced on April 25, to near Harrisonburg, where the enemy were reported, but a reconnaissance of two days later, Sunday, April 27, showed the Confederates were gone. Banks now controlled the valley as far south as Harrisonburg. Banks’ report on the loss of contact and the vulnerability of his supply line, however, elicited a concerned reaction from Lincoln who recalled them to
Strasburg, at the northern end. On Sunday evening, May 4, the regiment marched a short distance north on the evening of and the following day retreated to Newmarket. At midnight they were aroused to climb the Massanutten range on false information, returning to camp after two days passed on the eastern slope, finally reaching Strasburg on Tuesday, May 13.. Although Banks was aware of Jackson's location, he misinterpreted Jackson's intent and thought that he was heading east to aid Richmond. Without clear direction from Washington as to his next objective, Banks proposed his force also be sent east of the Blue Ridge, telling his superiors that "such [an] order would electrify our force." Instead, Lincoln decided to detach Shield's division and transfer it to Maj. Gen.
Irvin McDowell at
Fredericksburg, leaving Banks in the Valley with only a Williams’ division.
Jackson's counterstroke At Strasburg, the Manassas Gap Railroad met another macadamized road, the Winchester-Front Royal Pike, that ran along the eastern side of the valley and met Valley Pike at Winchester. Heading north, or down the valley, Valley Pike passed over
Cedar Creek down to
Middletown, further to
Newtown (present day Stephens City), and finally into Winchester where it met Winchester-Front Royal road. Several dirt roads ran between these to paved roads on either side of the valley. Banks’ reduced V Corps got to know the lay of the land during patrols and fatigues in the upper Shenandoah Valley in the next couple of weeks. They learned who the Unionists were and where the back roads went. Shield’s departure had stripped V Corps of men and artillery so that the force of 23,000 on May 1, was down to 9,000 by Wednesday, May 21. Soon, Banks started getting intelligence from the local Unionists and black population that Jackson's corps of 17,000 men, fresh from beating
Frémont's at
McDowell was heading his way Since Jackson was now positioned to block him from joining with Fremont, Banks began wondering if his now reduced force, at that time, of the Confederate approach, of about 6,500 men in Strasburg, about 1,000 in Front Royal, led by Col.
Kenly.and 1,000 in Winchester. Jackson did not know the exact Union strengths, but was aware that the force at Front Royal, on the east side of the valley, was weaker than that at Strasburg. Front Royal and Strasburg were separated by about on the more direct railroad route, although longer paths existed on roads. On May 23, Banks received reports of
Jackson attacking the garrison getting word that Kenly was wounded before the telegraph link was severed. He fired off telegrams to Stanton keeping the Secretary updated on intelligence on the Front Royal attack until early morning when he decided his outnumbered force's best option was to begin withdrawing to Winchester taking the Valley Turnpike so that he could take as much of his supply train with him as possible. By 3:00 a.m., on May 24 the twelve-mile-long column of Banks' wagons began to roll north down the Valley Turnpike to Winchester. At dawn, Banks wired Secretary Stanton when he confirmed that Jackson's 17,000 had completely routed the garrison at Front Royal "with considerable loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners". and were closing on him,
turning his position. Under these circumstances, Banks knew he was basically in a race to reach Winchester, preserve his lines of communication, and increase the odds of reinforcement before contact. At dawn, Banks had his cavalry push patrols to south to
Woodstock, east along
Manassas Gap Railroad, and across the fields to the Winchester-Front Royal Pike. He also tasked his cavalry commander,
Hatch, to round up any stragglers and put to torch any supplies of military value that could not be carried off. He then joined his retreat north toalong the Valley Pike. When he did not hear from his scouts from the east of the valley, in "one of the smartest moves he made all day", Banks erred on the side of caution, and sent further scouts, elements of the
1st Maine and
1st Vermont Cavalry, north to
Newtown to turn east down Chapel Road until they met, identified, and observed any Rebels. Feeling a bit more secure, at 09:00, Banks ordered the last of his wagon train to begin the 20-mile trek to Winchester. The 3rd Brigade were among the troops preceding the trains; but at Newtown, just after Banks and the headquarters element had cleared the town, the Rebels appeared among the wagons, cutting off a considerable number. The 2nd Massachusetts and the rest of the brigade were sent back to reopen the way. Andrews and the regiment returned and drove the Confederates back off the Pike. Companies A and C deployed as skirmishers, and held the road open for some hours. Col. Andrews then burned any wagons that lacked horses, and at twilight continued the retreat. Three or four companies of the 2nd Massachusetts formed the rear guard of the column and rebuffed several Rebel attacks. At
Kernstown, Andrews halted, and the wounded of the regiment gathered in one of the houses, because no ambulances could not be obtained. Jackson’s men attacked again and the 2nd Massachusetts began a fighting withdrawal back to Winchester, which was reached at 2:00 a.m. After skirmishing through the rest of the night, Banks formed his line of battle at daylight with 3rd Brigade facing south on the right side of the Pike, the regiment on the right flank. During the night, the advance of Maj. Gen.
Richard S. Ewell's division (four brigades) reached Buffalo Lick. Jackson moved three of Ewell's brigades to the left to participate in the advance on the Valley pike, leaving Ewell with just one brigade and a regiment. In conjunction with Ewell's advance on the Front Royal Pike, Jackson advanced on the Valley Pike at early dawn in a heavy fog over a hill to the left of the pike, driving off the Banks’ skirmishers who held it. Jackson quickly placed a section of artillery on the hill to engage Union artillery on
Bower's Hill at a range of less than half a mile. In response, Andrews sent Companies D and G forward to a stonewall along Abrams Creek, and they began picking off the Rebel artillerymen. Jackson then brought up the remainder of his brigades to flank Banks’ right. Despite numerous officers being wounded, Jackson's forces marched under fire to a position overlapping the Union right and then attacked Bower's Hill. The Confederate assault, led by the
Stonewall Brigade, swept irresistibly forward over the crest in the face of the 2nd Massachusetts and its briade’s determined resistance. With three enemy brigades in its front and three coming at its right flank, the 3rd Brigade gave way, and the regiment retired through Winchester, fired· upon from the houses as they passed, and out upon the Martinsburg Road, forming the rear of the retreating army. Confederate pursuit was lethargic, as the troops were exhausted from the non-stop marching of the previous week under Jackson's command. Nevertheless, many Union prisoners fell into Confederate hands. Jackson’s cavalry was disorganized from the actions of May 24 and could not execute an effective pursuit of a defeated enemy, yet Banks marched without a halt, threatened often by the pursuing enemy, and brought his column to Martinsburg, where the pursuit ceased. The 2nd Massachusetts received hard tack rations before the withdrawal renewed further to Williamsport, where the Potomac was crossed and Banks' V Corps was safe. Four companies of the 2nd Massachusetts with an equal detail from the 3rd Wisconsin and a section of artillery guarded the approaches to the river for three days while the crossing was effected and the camps were established on the Maryland side. The regiment had been severely tested ; constantly serving as rear guard, it had marched in 33 hours, besides fighting in one pitched battle and in frequent skirmishes. Banks was criticized for mishandling his troops and performing inadequate reconnaissance in the campaign, while his political allies sought to pin the blame for the debacle on the War Department. Despite these criticisms, Banks had managed to keep his outnumbered force whole and organized in its withdrawal. The 2nd Massachusetts had lost seven killed, six mortally and 41 otherwise wounded and 94 taken prisoners, 17 of whom were wounded. Among the captured were Maj. Dwight who had stopped to assist a wounded man, Surgeon Leland in charge of the wounded at Kernstown, and Assistant Surgeon Stone at the hospital in Winchester; all of whom were paroled within a few days. Because of his distinguished performance in the retreat, Gordon was made a brigadier general, Andrews and Dwight advanced one grade, and Company D’s Capt. Savage became Major.
Recovery and return to the Shenandoah While across the Potomac River, Brig. Gen.
Greene, formerly colonel of the 60th New York, took temporarily took command of 3rd Brigade. The retreat from the Valley caused fear in Washington that Jackson threaten the capital, as well as a fluirry of activity back home in Massachusetts. President Lincoln, who was exerting day to day strategic control over his armies in the field, took aggressive action in response. Not yielding to panic and drawing troops in for the immediate defense of the capital, he ordered Frémont to march from Franklin to Harrisonburg to engage Jackson and Ewell, to "operate against the enemy in such a way as to relieve Banks." He also sent orders to McDowell at Fredericksburg to stop his move on Richmond and send 20,000 men at once for the Shenandoah attack Jackson and Ewell. Lincoln's plan was to spring a trap on Jackson using the three armies of Banks, Frémont, and McDowell. Banks would recross the Potomac and pursue up the Valley. McDowell detachment would move to Front Royal positioned to join in attacking Jackson's column as it passed by and then crushing him against Frémont. Unfortunately for Lincoln, his plan was complex and required synchronized movements by separate commands. McDowell reluctantly sent Shields’ division back to Banks, to be followed by
Edward Ord’s division. Frémont, the real problem for Lincoln's plan, rather than marching to Harrisonburg as ordered opted to go
Moorefield because of the exceptionally difficult road conditions to Harrisonburg This meant instead of a figurative hammer striking on an anvil, Lincoln could only hope for a pincer movement catching Jackson at Strasburg, requiring intricate timing for success. Jackson learned of Shields's return march on Monday, May 26, but Lee had urged him to threaten the line of the Potomac. While the bulk of his army stayed near Charles Town, he ordered the Stonewall Brigade to demonstrate against Harpers Ferry on May 29–30. On May 30, Shields recaptured Front Royal and Jackson began moving his army back to Winchester. Lincoln's plan continued to unravel as Banks declared his army was too shaken to move in pursuit. Frémont moved slowly on poor roads while Jackson used paved roads in the valley, and Shields would not leave Front Royal until Ord's division arrived. Jackson reached Strasburg before either any of the three federal armies could attack with the Stonewall Brigade catching up with Jackson's after noon on Sunday, June 1. Banks V Corps was finally ready and recovered to move on Tuesday, June 10. That morning, the force crossed the Potomac, and the 2nd Massachusetts bivouacked that night at Falling Waters and Wednesday night at Bunker Hill. On Thursday, June 12, the regiment and its division marched through Winchester with drums beating before continuing south on Winchester-Front Royal Pike outside Winchester to encamp, where a halt of six days followed. On Wednesday, July 18, the regiment moved to near Front Royal then halted until Sunday, July 6, during which Brig. Gen. Gordon returned to the command of the brigade. On that Sunday, the 2nd Massachusetts marched by slow stages to and through Front Royal through the Manassas, moving to Chester Gap. After four days, Banks V Corps had moved the roughly to Warrenton by Friday, July 11. The regiment had now joined the Army of Virginia, commanded by Maj. Gen. Pope, who redesignated Banks' troops as his II Corps. The 1st Division now consisted of two brigades, Crawford’s 1st Brigade and Gordon’s 3rd while Augur’s 2nd Division had three brigades.
The Virginia and Maryland campaigns After the collapse of McClellan's Peninsula campaign in the Seven Days Battles of June, Lincoln appointed John Pope, who had had some success in the
Western Theater, to command the newly formed Army of Virginia. Lincoln hoped he would be more aggressive general than McClellan, but did not work well with his subordinate commanders although some of his enlisted men were encouraged by Pope's aggressive tone. The army consisted pf the existing departments operating around Virginia: Frémont's, McDowell's, Banks’.
Sturgis's brigade from the Military District of Washington, and
Cox's division from the Kanawha Valley in western Virginia. It was reorganized into three corps of 51,000 men, under
Sigel (
I Corps); Banks (II Corps); and McDowell (
III Corps). Sturgis's Washington troops constituted the Army reserve. Three cavalry brigades under
Beardsley,
Hatch and
Bayard were attached directly to the three infantry corps. Parts of three of McClellan's AoP corps (
III,
V, and
VI) and
Burnside's
IX Corps (commanded by Maj. Gen.
Jesse L. Reno), eventually joined Pope for combat operations, raising his strength to 77,000. Pope had been tasked in early June to demonstrate toward Gordonsville and Charlottsville and draw off as much as possible of the force in front of General McClellan, who then occupied the line of the Chickahominy, and to distract the attention of the enemy in his front so as to reduce as far as practicable the resistance opposed to his advance on Richmond. As a result the 2nd Massachusetts found itself in Warrenton and Little Washington in the heat of the 1862 summer as Pope gathered his forces Meanwhile, Lee sent Jackson and Longstreet north to get between Pope’s gathering army and Richmond while leaving a smaller force to buffer McvClellan and his beaten army on the Peninsula.
With Pope In August, the regiment became part of the 3rd Brigade (commanded by Gordon), 1st Division (commanded by Major General
Alpheus S. Williams), II Corps (commanded by Banks), of
Maj. Gen. John Pope's Army of Virginia. On August 9, Banks's Corps fought at the
Battle of Cedar Mountain as part of Pope's
Northern Virginia Campaign, where the corps was again up against Jackson, and was again defeated, the 2nd Massachusetts suffering 173 casualties. However, the II Corps did not reach the
Second Battle of Bull Run until after the battle was over.
Antietam On September 17, the II Corps was redesignated as the
XII Corps,
Army of the Potomac, with the 2nd Massachusetts remaining in the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division. During the Battle of Antietam, the XII Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen.
Joseph K. Mansfield supported General
Joseph Hooker's advanced through the cornfield during the morning phase of the battle and received heavy casualties including Lieutenant Colonel Dwight, who was mortally wounded. The regiment lost 12 killed and 51 wounded, among the wounded were Captains Francis and
Robert Gould Shaw along with Lieutenants Crowninshield and Mills. General Mansfield was also killed in the battle and command of the XII Corps passed to General
Henry W. Slocum.
Fredericksburg and Burnside Later in the year, they marched to
Fredericksburg, Virginia, but did not participate in the
Battle of Fredericksburg. During this time, at Stafford Court House, Captain Shaw left the regiment to become colonel of the
54th Massachusetts Infantry. In May, 1863, the regiment participated in the
Battle of Chancellorsville. In the battle, Stonewall Jackson's corps executed a surprise flanking movement and smashed into the right flank of the Army of the Potomac, severely damaging the unsuspecting
XI Corps. The neighboring troops, including the XII Corps with the 2nd Massachusetts, entrenched hastily and was able to stop the Confederate advance before it overran the entire army.
Battle of Gettysburg After Chancellorsville, the regiment marched north to
Pennsylvania following
General Robert E. Lee's
Army of Northern Virginia. It participated in the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 3, the third day of the battle, it made an attack against the Confederate troops at the base of Culp's Hill, near Spangler Spring. The regiment's commander, 23-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Mudge, replied to the order to attack, "Well it is murder, but it's the order." In the charge a bullet struck Mudge just below the throat and killed him instantly. The regiment suffered 137 casualties in the assault. After the battle, the regiment was sent to
New York City to help end the
Draft Riots that were going on. Cpt.
Charles Fessenden Morse of Company B was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
Atlanta Late in 1863, the XII Corps, with the 2nd Massachusetts included, along with the
XI Corps was placed under the command of General
Joseph Hooker and sent west to join the
Army of the Cumberland. Hooker's two Corps played a decisive role in the
Battle of Wauhatchie, which opened up the "Cracker Line" to the besieged Union army, and seized
Lookout Mountain in the famed "Battle Above The Clouds" during the early stages of the
Battle of Chattanooga. In 1864, it participated in General
William T. Sherman's
Atlanta campaign. Later, the XI Corps and XII Corps were combined to form the
XX Corps. It participated in the
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, The
Battle of Peachtree Creek and the
Siege of Atlanta. In September, it was part of the forces the occupied Atlanta, with Lt. Col. Morse serving as
provost marshal of the city.
March to the sea In November, the 2nd Massachusetts was part of
Sherman's March to the Sea. The regiment was in
Raleigh, North Carolina, when General
Joseph E. Johnston's Confederate army surrendered to Sherman on April 26, 1865. The regiment was mustered out in July. The 2nd Massachusetts Regiment lost during service 14 Officers and 176 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 96 Enlisted men by disease for a total of 288. ==Affiliations, battle honors, detailed service, and casualties==