27th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 27th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
recruited in Massachusetts
for service in the American Civil War
.
between Sept. 19 and 27. The original recruitment of each of the 10 companies were centered in the following communities: Company A (Northampton), Company B (Athol), Company C (large variety of Western Mass. towns), Company D (Amherst, Hadley), Company E (Great Barrington, Lee, Pittsfield), Company F (Westfield, Granville, Southwick, Tolland), Company G (Chicopee, Northampton, Holyoke), Company H (Adams, Williamstown), Company I (Ludlow, Wilbraham, Brimfield, Palmer), Company K (Springfield).
Once fully outfitted, they were sent south to Annapolis, Maryland
. in November and remained there undergoing instructions and drill for two months. In January, 1862, the regiment was shipped to North Carolina and assigned to Foster's (1st) Brigade. The regiment's first battles were fought at Roanoke Island
and New Berne in December.
The regiment remained in North Carolina
during the next two years. Because Colonel Horace C. Lee was in command of the brigade most of the time, the regiment was mostly under the direct command of Lieutenant-Colonel Luke Lyman. During its stay in North Carolina it was engaged with credit in numerous minor battles and skirmishes. In April, 1863, it aided in the siege of Washington, North Carolina
. After the return to New Berne an expedition to Gum swamp was undertaken and in an engagement there a number of prisoners were captured. New Berne was the regiment's headquarters until Oct. 10, 1863, when it was ordered to Newport News and was for a time occupied with routine duties at Norfolk and Portsmouth.
In April, 1864, the 27th Massachusetts was assigned to the Army of the James
. It embarked for Virginia, docking at Yorktown, thence to Williamsburg, Fortress Monroe and Bermuda Hundred, where it landed and marched to Cobb's hill. Soon afterward, the 27th was sent into action. The battles of Dunn's farm and Port Walthall Junction followed and during one day the regiment had 5 wounded, while 50 were disabled by sunstroke. At Arrowfield Church the 27th was engaged as well.
On May 16, the 27th was engaged at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff
. After a brave defense of their position, much of the regiment was surrounded while fighting in a dense fog, losing in addition to its killed and wounded, 252 of its number taken prisoners. Among the captured were the Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and General Heckman. Among those capture, some 120 would later die in prison suffering appalling conditions at Andersonville
.
On May 26, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Potomac
. Within a week, Major William A. Walker was killed leading the regiment in the bloody assault on Confederate positions at Cold Harbor
on June 3. In this battle, an additional 22 were killed, 68 wounded, and 4 missing.
The remnants of the regiment were ordered to Petersburg to join in on the assault this city. In the assault on Petersburg, June 15, 1864, the 27th sustained a further loss of 13 killed, and 30 wounded, and was briefly left without any officer to lead them. After a very short rest, they were returned to active duty before Petersburg, which was the last service of those who had not reenlisted.
The reenlisted men and recruits of the 27th were sent south to Beaufort, North Carolina, encamped at Carolina City, thence to Beaufort, Plymouth and Jamestown, where the enemy's skirmishers were encountered. The Confederates disputed the possession of the bridge at Foster's mills, but after the 27th crossed, retreated and the regiment pushed forward and captured a Confederate force at Butler's bridge.
It returned in January 1865 to New Berne. On March 8, it was attacked at Southwest Creek (Wise's Forks), where the whole brigade, with a few exceptions, was captured, after resisting for an hour in an engagement with Confederate General Hoke's entire division of 8,000 men. The national and state colors barely escaped capture. Color Sergeant John McCleary (national) and Color-Corporal William W. Cummings were both wounded and the colors taken over by Cpl Lafayette Babb and Pvt Leverett Clarke. When capture became certain, these two men wrapped the colors around the staffs, hid them under a rotten log, and covered it with leaves and grass. When the prisoners were exchanged in April they told other members of the regiment at New Berne where to find the flags and they were recovered. The captives were taken to Richmond, paroled and then furloughed. The few who escaped, reinforced by recruits and convalescents, were assigned to guard duty at New Berne until mustered out.
Springfield (124)
Northampton (86)
Amherst (72)
Chicopee (61)
Adams (60)
Athol (56)
Westfield (54)
Granville (35)
Hadley (34)
Ludlow (34)
Great Barrington (31)
Lee (29)
Pittsfield (29)
Pittsfield (29)
Wilbraham (28)
Montague (24)
Brimfield (20)
Easthampton (20)
New Salem (19)
Williamsburg (19)
Belchertown (19)
Williamstown (18)
Holyoke (18)
Southwick (17)
Greenfield (16)
Leverett (16)
Palmer (16)
Worthington (16)
Blandford (15)
Tolland (14)
Wendell (14)
Deerfield (13)
Ware (13)
Charlmont (12)
Erving (12)
Granby (12)
Northfield, (12)
Huntington (11)
Shelburne (11)
Shutesbury (11)
Enfield (10)
Monterey (10)
Pelham (10)
South Hadley (10)
In addition, 49 men were discharged for wounds, and another 265 for disability. An additional 56 men were transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. Three men were discharged by court martial. Five officers left the 27th Massachusetts to accept commissions as officers in U.S. Colored Troops.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
recruited in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
for service in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
History
The ten companies of the 27th Massachusetts Volunteers were recruited in the western part of the State in the late summer and fall of 1861. The original recruits were officially mustered in for 3 years at SpringfieldSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
between Sept. 19 and 27. The original recruitment of each of the 10 companies were centered in the following communities: Company A (Northampton), Company B (Athol), Company C (large variety of Western Mass. towns), Company D (Amherst, Hadley), Company E (Great Barrington, Lee, Pittsfield), Company F (Westfield, Granville, Southwick, Tolland), Company G (Chicopee, Northampton, Holyoke), Company H (Adams, Williamstown), Company I (Ludlow, Wilbraham, Brimfield, Palmer), Company K (Springfield).
Once fully outfitted, they were sent south to Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. in November and remained there undergoing instructions and drill for two months. In January, 1862, the regiment was shipped to North Carolina and assigned to Foster's (1st) Brigade. The regiment's first battles were fought at Roanoke Island
Battle of Roanoke Island
The opening phase of what came to be called the Burnside Expedition, the Battle of Roanoke Island was an amphibious operation of the American Civil War, fought on February 7–8, 1862, in the North Carolina Sounds a short distance south of the Virginia border...
and New Berne in December.
The regiment remained in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
during the next two years. Because Colonel Horace C. Lee was in command of the brigade most of the time, the regiment was mostly under the direct command of Lieutenant-Colonel Luke Lyman. During its stay in North Carolina it was engaged with credit in numerous minor battles and skirmishes. In April, 1863, it aided in the siege of Washington, North Carolina
Battle of Washington
The Battle of Washington took place from March 30 to April 19, 1863, in Beaufort County, North Carolina, as part of Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's Tidewater operations during the American Civil War.-Background:...
. After the return to New Berne an expedition to Gum swamp was undertaken and in an engagement there a number of prisoners were captured. New Berne was the regiment's headquarters until Oct. 10, 1863, when it was ordered to Newport News and was for a time occupied with routine duties at Norfolk and Portsmouth.
In April, 1864, the 27th Massachusetts was assigned to the Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
. It embarked for Virginia, docking at Yorktown, thence to Williamsburg, Fortress Monroe and Bermuda Hundred, where it landed and marched to Cobb's hill. Soon afterward, the 27th was sent into action. The battles of Dunn's farm and Port Walthall Junction followed and during one day the regiment had 5 wounded, while 50 were disabled by sunstroke. At Arrowfield Church the 27th was engaged as well.
On May 16, the 27th was engaged at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff
Battle of Drewry's Bluff
The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling, or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Five American warships, including the ironclads and , steamed up the James River to...
. After a brave defense of their position, much of the regiment was surrounded while fighting in a dense fog, losing in addition to its killed and wounded, 252 of its number taken prisoners. Among the captured were the Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and General Heckman. Among those capture, some 120 would later die in prison suffering appalling conditions at Andersonville
Andersonville, Georgia
Andersonville is a city in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. The population was 331 at the 2000 census . It is located in the southwest part of the state, about southwest of Macon, Georgia on the Central of Georgia railroad...
.
On May 26, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
. Within a week, Major William A. Walker was killed leading the regiment in the bloody assault on Confederate positions at Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
on June 3. In this battle, an additional 22 were killed, 68 wounded, and 4 missing.
The remnants of the regiment were ordered to Petersburg to join in on the assault this city. In the assault on Petersburg, June 15, 1864, the 27th sustained a further loss of 13 killed, and 30 wounded, and was briefly left without any officer to lead them. After a very short rest, they were returned to active duty before Petersburg, which was the last service of those who had not reenlisted.
The reenlisted men and recruits of the 27th were sent south to Beaufort, North Carolina, encamped at Carolina City, thence to Beaufort, Plymouth and Jamestown, where the enemy's skirmishers were encountered. The Confederates disputed the possession of the bridge at Foster's mills, but after the 27th crossed, retreated and the regiment pushed forward and captured a Confederate force at Butler's bridge.
It returned in January 1865 to New Berne. On March 8, it was attacked at Southwest Creek (Wise's Forks), where the whole brigade, with a few exceptions, was captured, after resisting for an hour in an engagement with Confederate General Hoke's entire division of 8,000 men. The national and state colors barely escaped capture. Color Sergeant John McCleary (national) and Color-Corporal William W. Cummings were both wounded and the colors taken over by Cpl Lafayette Babb and Pvt Leverett Clarke. When capture became certain, these two men wrapped the colors around the staffs, hid them under a rotten log, and covered it with leaves and grass. When the prisoners were exchanged in April they told other members of the regiment at New Berne where to find the flags and they were recovered. The captives were taken to Richmond, paroled and then furloughed. The few who escaped, reinforced by recruits and convalescents, were assigned to guard duty at New Berne until mustered out.
Western Massachusetts and the Twenty-Seventh Regiment
During the course of the Civil War, there were three regiments that were recruited from towns located in the four western-most counties of Massachusetts (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire). These included the 10th, 27th, and 46th Volunteers. In the 27th Massachusetts, the towns that supplied at least 10 men to the regiment include:Springfield (124)
Northampton (86)
Amherst (72)
Chicopee (61)
Adams (60)
Athol (56)
Westfield (54)
Granville (35)
Hadley (34)
Ludlow (34)
Great Barrington (31)
Lee (29)
Pittsfield (29)
Pittsfield (29)
Wilbraham (28)
Montague (24)
Brimfield (20)
Easthampton (20)
New Salem (19)
Williamsburg (19)
Belchertown (19)
Williamstown (18)
Holyoke (18)
Southwick (17)
Greenfield (16)
Leverett (16)
Palmer (16)
Worthington (16)
Blandford (15)
Tolland (14)
Wendell (14)
Deerfield (13)
Ware (13)
Charlmont (12)
Erving (12)
Granby (12)
Northfield, (12)
Huntington (11)
Shelburne (11)
Shutesbury (11)
Enfield (10)
Monterey (10)
Pelham (10)
South Hadley (10)
Roll of Honor
The total number of men who served under the flag of the 27th Massachusetts was 1,543. Of this number, 329 did not survive the war. This total includes 121 killed or mortally wounded in battle, 132 who died in prison, 68 who died by disease, and 8 that died by accident.In addition, 49 men were discharged for wounds, and another 265 for disability. An additional 56 men were transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. Three men were discharged by court martial. Five officers left the 27th Massachusetts to accept commissions as officers in U.S. Colored Troops.
Flags
Between October 18, 1861, and June 15, 1864, eight flags were presented to the Massachusetts 27th Infantry Regiment. Of the eight flags, three are presently on display in the Hall Of Flags in Boston, Massachusetts.See also
- List of Massachusetts Civil War units
- Massachusetts in the Civil WarMassachusetts in the Civil WarThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts played a significant role in national events prior to and during the American Civil War. Massachusetts dominated the early antislavery movement during the 1830s, motivating activists across the nation. This, in turn, increased sectionalism in the North and South,...