56th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
56th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry | |
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Stephen Minot Weld, Jr. |
Massachusetts U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiments 1861-1865 | ||||
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The 56th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was a
Formation and early duty
The 56th Massachusetts became part of the 1st Brigade (commanded by Col.
Overland Campaign
Battle of the Wilderness
The night of May 5, 1864 Carruth's brigade, including the 56th Massachusetts, camped near the Wilderness Tavern. In the early morning of May 6 they were ordered forward with their brigade towards the sound of constant musket fire. With the
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
As Grant ordered a movement by the left flank in an effort to outflank Lee's army, the IX Corps (including the 56th Massachusetts) marched the widest arc, first moving east towards
Battle of North Anna
The 56th Massachusetts marched for three days with their brigade after Grant decided to disengage at Spotsylvania Court House and again attempted to move around Lee's flank. On May 24, they were heavily engaged in the Battle of North Anna during a phase of the battle which took place at Ox Ford. Their brigade under the command of Gen. Ledlie made a flanking march upriver and crossed at Quarles Mill. When their brigade reached open fields on the south side of the North Anna River, they deployed in lines of battle. They advanced in battle line for about three quarters of a mile until they encountered the Confederates.[7] They believed they had encountered a small rear guard of the retreating Confederate army however the whole of Grant's army had in fact been lured into a trap as Lee had set up a strong defensive position south of the North Anna River. Ledlie's brigade, including the 56th Massachusetts, advanced on the strongest portion of Lee's line.[8] The 56th Massachusetts charged to about 100 yards of the Confederate works and stopped due to the intensity of fire. Lying prone, the regiment remained in this position for between two and three hours, under constant fire from sharpshooters. When a thunderstorm erupted, Ledlie's brigade made a retreat under heavy artillery fire. Lt. Col. Weld commanding the 56th Massachusetts later wrote that Ledlie had "botched" the entire advance and was apparently drunk.[9] The 56th Massachusetts suffered 7 killed, 40 wounded and lost 17 as prisoners.[10]
Battle of Bethesda Church
As Grant again disengaged and made another wide flanking move around the Confederate left flank, the 56th Massachusetts went back across the North Anna River by a
Battle of Cold Harbor
Again Grant moved his army around Lee's right and engaged the Confederates in the
Siege of Petersburg
After more than a month of very hard fighting and severe casualties, the 56th Massachusetts was reduced to a small number of men. Prior to the June 17 assault, the regiment numbered only 130 men in contrast to the roughly 1,000 that had left Boston in March.[13] The regiment would lose still more men in heavy engagements during the Siege of Petersburg.
Assault of June 17
In the days leading up to the June 17 assault on the Confederate entrenchments around Petersburg, Virginia, the 56th Massachusetts endured long marches as Generals Grant and Meade arrayed their troops for an offensive. The regiment crossed the James River on June 15. On June 17 as a general assault got underway, the 56th Massachusetts was in the front line of their brigade during a charge across 200 yards of ground. Under heavy infantry and artillery fire, they managed to take the Confederate entrenchments in their front. A Confederate counter-attack soon drove them back to their original position.[14] The Union assaults up and down the lines were similarly repulsed. During this attack, they captured 50 Confederates but lost 19 killed, 40 wounded and five missing.[10]
Battle of the Crater
In late June and early July, the 56th Massachusetts occupied the trenches outside Petersburg with the rest of the Union army. During this time, the
Remainder of the siege
In August 1864, a large expedition force commanded by Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren severed the Weldon Railroad, the main supply line for the Confederate army, during the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad. The 56th Massachusetts had one man killed and nine wounded during this engagement.[16] The regiment remained encamped near the railroad until the end of September. During this time, their division was discontinued due to its severe depletion. The remaining men of the 56th Massachusetts were attached to the Second Brigade, Second Division of the IX Corps.[16]
The regiment participated with two divisions of the IX Corps and two divisions of the V Corps in the Battle of Peebles' Farm on September 30. This effort to pressure the right flank of the Confederate lines led to calamity for parts of the IX Corps. In the late afternoon, troops under Confederate Maj. Gen. Henry Heth mounted a sweeping counterattack which took IX Corps division under Brig. Gen. Robert Potter (including the 56th Massachusetts) completely by surprise. Three Union regiments were encircled and forced to surrender.[17] The 56th Massachusetts escaped with the rest of their brigade but lost one killed, eight wounded and 30 captured.[4]
The 56th Massachusetts spent the winter of 1864–1865 at Fort Alexander Hays, a fortification near the left flank of the Petersburg siege lines. They remained there conducting picket duty without much incident until the general Union assault on the Petersburg lines which took place on April 1 and 2, 1865. The 56th Massachusetts captured a Confederate fortification across from their position known as Battery 27 and held it against counterattacks. The regiment lost three killed and 13 wounded in their final engagement.[16]
Return and mustering out
The regiment took part in the
The 56th Massachusetts was mustered out at Camp Meigs near Boston on July 22, 1865.[19]
Notable members
- George Willard Coy, first sergeant
See also
- Massachusetts in the Civil War
- List of Massachusetts Civil War units
Notes
- ^ a b c d Bowen (1889), p. 693.
- ^ Weld (1912), p. 286.
- ^ Rhea (1996), p. 366.
- ^ a b c Massachusetts Adjutant General's Office (1931), p. 762.
- ^ Rhea (2000), p. 138.
- ^ Weld (1912), p. 294.
- ^ Weld (1912), p. 296.
- ^ Rhea (2000), p. 336.
- ^ Rhea (2000), p. 342.
- ^ a b c Bowen (1889), p. 694.
- ^ a b Weld (1912), p. 299.
- ^ Weld (1912), p. 303.
- ^ Weld (1912), p. 313.
- ^ Weld (1912), p. 312.
- ^ Weld (1912), pp. 356–357.
- ^ a b c d Bowen (1889), p. 695.
- ^ Bearss & Suderow (2014), pp. 34–36.
- ^ Weld (1912), p. 397.
- ^ Bowen (1889), p. 696.
References
- Bearss, Edwin C.; Suderow, Bryce A. (2014). The Petersburg campaign: the western front battles, September 1864-April 1865. Vol. 2. El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie. ISBN 9781611211047.
- Bowen, James L (1889). Massachusetts in the War 1861–1865. Springfield, MA: Clark W Bryer & Co. OCLC 1986476.
- Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines: Dyer Publishing Co. OCLC 247098372.
- Headley, Phineas Camp (1866). Massachusetts in the Rebellion : a Record of the Historical Position of the Commonwealth, and the Services of the Leading Statesmen, the Military, the Colleges, and the People, in the Civil War of 1861-65. Boston, MA: Walker, Fuller & Co. OCLC 8406829.
- Massachusetts Adjutant General's Office (1931). Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War. Vol. 4. Boston: Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCLC 34938610.
- Rhea, Gordon C. (1996). The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864 (2004 ed.). Baton Rouge: LSU Press. ISBN 9780807118733.
- Rhea, Gordon C. (2000). To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13–25, 1864. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0807125350.
- OCLC 277225083.