The 16th Massachusetts was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Service

The 16th Massachusetts was organized at Camp Cameron in

North Cambridge North Cambridge, also known as "Area 11", is a neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts bounded by Porter Square and the Fitchburg Line railroad tracks on the south, the city of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville on the northeast, Alewife Brook ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on June 29, 1861 under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Powell Tremlett Wyman. The regiment was attached to

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

Department of Virginia The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departmen ...

, to May 1862, 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Department of Virginia, to June 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division,

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

, to March 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division,

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

, to May 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps, to July 1864. The 16th Massachusetts mustered out of service on July 27, 1864. Veterans and recruits were transferred to the 11th Massachusetts Infantry.

Detailed service

Left Massachusetts for Old Point Comfort, Va., August 17. Garrison duty at Fortress Monroe, Va., September 1, 1862 to May 8, 1862. Occupation of Norfolk May 10. Moved to Suffolk May 17, and joined the Army of the Potomac at Fair Oaks June 13. Nine-Mile Road, near Richmond, June 18. Seven Days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Oak Grove, near Fair Oaks, June 25. White Oak Swamp and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1 and August 5. Duty at Harrison's Landing until August 15. Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville August 15–26. Bristoe Station, Kettle Run, August 27. Battles of Groveton August 29, Second Bull Run August 30, and Chantilly September 1. Duty at Fort Lyon and at Fairfax Station, defenses of Washington, until October 30, and at Munson's Hill until November 2. At Fairfax Station until November 25. Operations on Orange & Alexandria Railroad November 10–12. Rappahannock Campaign December 1862 to June 1863.

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

, December 12–15. "Mud March" January 20–24, 1863. At Falmouth until April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

May 1–5. Gettysburg Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3. Wapping Heights, Va, July 23. Bristoe Campaign October 9–22. Advance to the Rappahannock November 7–8. Kelly's Ford November 7.

Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union A ...

November 26-December 2. Payne's Farm November 27. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6–7, 1864. Duty near Brandy Station until May 1864. Rapidan Campaign May–June.

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

May 5–7, Spotsylvania May 8–12, Spotsylvania Court House May 12–21. Assault on the Salient, Spotsylvania Court House, May 12. Harris' Farm, Fredericksburg Road, May 19. North Anna River May 23–26. Ox Ford May 23–24. On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28. Totopotomoy May 28–31. Cold Harbor June 1–12. Before Petersburg June 16–18.

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

June 16-July 11. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22–23. Left front for muster out July 11.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 245 men during service; 16 officers and 134 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 93 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Powell Tremlett Wyman - killed in action at the Battle of Glendale * Colonel Thomas R. Tannatt *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Waldo Merriam - commanded at the Battle of Gettsyburg until wounded in action on July 2, 1863 *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Gardner Banks - commanded at the Second Battle of Bull Run *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Matthew Donovan - commanded the Battle of Gettysburg after Ltc Merriam was wounded

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Fuller, Richard Frederick. ''Chaplain Fuller: Being a Life Sketch of a New England Clergyman and Army Chaplain'' (Boston: Walker, Wise and Co.), 1863. * {{CWR

External links