Ipswich in the Civil War Edited by Scott A. Jewell Ipswich Museum Ipswich, Massachusetts 2012 2 Copyright 2012 by the Ipswich Museum First Edition 2012 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronically, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, except for brief quotations properly sited, without the written permission of the Ipswich Museum. Ipswich Museum 54 South Mains Street Ipswich, MA 01938 USA Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jewell, Scott A. (1969-) Ipswich, MA Civil War American Military History Source of the image on the cover: Beyer, Walter & Keydel, Oscar. (1901) Deeds of Valor, How America’s Heroes Won the Medal of Honor. Detroit: The Perrien – Keydel Company. P. 294 3 Table of Contents I Preface 3 II Introduction 4 III Over view of Ipswich’s involvement in the Civil War 5 Company A- 14th Mass. Company L - 1st Mass. H. A. Company I, - 23rd Mass. Replacements IV 23rd Massachusetts 20 Burnside’s Expedition to North Carolina May 6, 1864, Bermuda Hundred Va. May 16, 1864, Drewry’s Bluff Va. June 3, 1864, Cold Harbor Va. June 15, 1864, Petersburg Va. V Medal of Honor 42 Joseph S. Manning Thomas F. Ellsworth VI 48th Massachusetts 48 Port Hudson La. Letters Home VII 2nd Massachusetts 61 July 3, 1863, Gettysburg Pa. VIII 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery 66 May 19th 1864, Harris Farm Va. June 16th 1864, Petersburg Va. June 18th 1864, Petersburg Va. June 22nd 1864, Petersburg Va. IX Nathaniel Shatswell 91 X Monuments 103 XI Ipswich Enlistments 107 XII Bibliography 146 4 Preface It has been over ninety years since the last time a historian has written and published information on the involvement of Ipswich, Massachusetts in the American Civil War. There is a story that has been lost over the years that needs to be told. The aim of this book is to continue Thomas Franklin Waters and Luther Wait’s work and be a bridge for some future scholar who would like to learn more about Ipswich and the Civil War. This book has been mostly compiled of excerpts from books written by the veterans of the Civil War whether regimental histories, personal war sketches, official reports, letters sent home and local history. Where I have added information for clarification, I have used italics. Four-hundred-sixty-two men who lived in Ipswich before, during or after the war served in the military. Sixty of these men died during the Civil War, twenty-five were killed in action and thirty-five died of disease. Seventy-five men were wounded, ten deserted, eighteen were captured and seven of those died in prison. Ninety-two men were discharged for disability, which means they were not able to perform their duties as a soldier due to wounds or illness. I have included the following in order to help the reader better understand the size of the different military organizations during the Civil War. The most common unit referred to during the Civil War was a regiment. A regiment comprised of approximately 1,000 men was commanded by a colonel, lieutenant colonel and a major. The size of a regiment would shrink as it went to the front and saw action; after a year of service, a typical veteran regiment would shrink to about 350 men because of illness and casualties. Regiments comprised of ten companies. A company is usually made up of a captain, two lieutenants and 100 enlisted men and was commonly recruited from one geographic area. A heavy artillery regiment was a little unusual in that it had twelve companies of 150 men each; during the last year of the war these heavy artillery units were converted into infantry. A typical brigade had three to six regiments commanded by a brigadier general. As the war progressed and the size of each regiment became smaller, brigades tended to have more regiments. A division would be comprised of three to four brigades and was commanded by either a brigadier or major general. The typical corps would have two to four divisions and was commanded by a major general. Union armies tended to be named after major rivers in their area of operations. For example, the Army of the Potomac operated in northern Virginia, while the Army of the James was just outside of Richmond, Virginia and the Army of the Mississippi was in Louisiana. An army was typically commanded by a major general. 5 Introduction The following introduction was written by Luther Wait for the book, “Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Massachusetts, Personal War Sketches of Members of Gen. James Appleton Post 128 of Ipswich.” His introduction clearly articulates the need to tell the story of Ipswich in the Civil War. Luther Wait served three years during the war in Company A, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery and one year in the Navy on the Sloop of War Saratoga. After the war, he served as a selectman and postmaster in the town of Ipswich. Introduction During the past seventy five years there has been a great demand for genealogical records pertaining to the services of those who, since the first settlements in what now constitutes the United States of America, have taken part in those great events which have led up to the founding and establishing of this great republic, thousands have searched both public and private records to get trace of some one in whom they were interested and in no case has the search been more earnest than in the matters relating the two wars with Great Britain, namely, the war of the revolution and the war of eighteen hundred and twelve and that search has shown most conclusively, that many things of which we have traditionally knowledge, were not to be found as a matter of record, and in order that future generations may have a better knowledge of one of the greatest events in our national history, (the civil war from 1861 to 1865) than we have of the earlier wars of the country, it has been deemed advisable by those who took part in that war to leave for the information of those who are to come after them, such date as may be necessary, to enable them to know who it was that did their part towards maintaining and preserving this great republic of ours and General James Appleton Post 128, Department of Massachusetts, Grand Army of the Republic, having been presented with a book in which to record the names and services of the members of the Post, and the names of those who served on the quota of the town, the duty has fallen upon me, by vote of the Post to compile such record, and while I realize my inability to give such a record as might be given by one having experience in such matters, I shall try to give only such facts as I have good reason to believe are true. While the Republic has preserved and that with great pride, the histories of her prominent Statesmen, and her leading Generals, it is well that the memories and deeds of the rank and file, that great bulwark of the nation, who contributed so much toward the preservation of the Union, should also be remembered, and to those are these pages dedicated. Luther Wait Ipswich, Mass. January 18th 1923 (Everts, 1890, p1) 6 Over view of Ipswich’s involvement in the Civil War The following brief history of Ipswich’s involvement in the Civil War is taken from the book “Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Volume II,” by Thomas Franklin Waters, the first president of the Ipswich Historical Society. Waters was a prolific researcher and author of Ipswich history. This book was written in 1917 while many of the veterans were still living and his work provides a concise but thorough introduction. On April 12, 1861, Fort Sumter was attacked by the Confederates and the Civil War was begun. The President issued a call for 75,000 troops on April 15th, for a three months period. A telegram from Washington on that day required 20 companies to be sent from Massachusetts to Washington and there mustered for service. Four of the militia regiments of the State were called out, the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th. The 4th Regiment was the first to leave, by the afternoon train to Fall River on April 17th, the 6th took a train direct for Washington later in the day, and the 3rd and 8th Regiments went on the following day. Colonel Thomas H. Higginson tells the story vividly. Massachusetts was better prepared than any other State, but little provision had been made here for actual war. Governor Banks had developed the regimental organization of the militia. Governor Andrews, his successor, was inaugurated on Jan. 5, 1861. He ordered at once an accurate levy of the militia and recommended, against disapproval and even derision that the State should contract for overcoats, knapsacks, blankets and ball cartridges for 2,000 troops. In the arsenal at Springfield, 3,000 Springfield rifled muskets of the best pattern were ready for instant delivery. “Trivial as this provision now seems, it enabled Massachusetts to be first in the breach and perhaps to save Washington.” The Salem Light Infantry, Co. I. of the 8th Regiment known also as The Salem Zouaves. Capt. Arthur Davereux in command, left Salem on the 18th, mustering about 62 muskets, part of the men without uniform. The Newburyport City Guards were in the same regiment and left on the same day.