1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Massachusetts

Originally the 14th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

The 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment lost 9 officers and 232 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 241 enlisted men to disease durng the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a monument on the Harris Farm battlefield near Spotsylvania Court House.

1861
July 5 Organized at Fort Warren and mustered in as the 14th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment under the command of Colonel William B. Greene, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel C. Oliver, and Major Levi P. Wright. It was made up of men from Essex County.

  • Company A – “Heard Guards of Ipswitch”
  • Company B – from Methuen
  • Company C – “Mechanic Phalanx of Lynn”
  • Company D – “Essex Cadets”
  • Company E – from Amesbury
  • Company F – “Scott Guards”
  • Company G – from Marblehead
  • Company H – “Andover Light Infantry”
  • Company I – “Putnam Guards of Danvers”
  • Company K – “Lawrence City Guards”
August 7 Left Massachusetts for Washington, D.C. Posted to Camp Kalorama
August 18 Moved to Fort Albany. Garrison duty in the Defenses of Washington
1862
January 1 Designation changed by order of the War Department to 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment. Attached to Wadsworth’s Command, Military District of Washington with garrison duty in the Defenses of Washington at Forts Albany, Runyon, Scott, Richardson, Barnard, Craig and Tillinghast
May Whipple’s Brigade, Military District of Washington
June 10 Major Wright was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
August 23 Moved to Cloud’s Mills
August 26-30 March to Manassas. Va.,
September Return to Washington and garrison Forts Albany, Craig, Tillinghast, Woodbury and DeKalb, Defenses South of the Potomac
October Companies B, C, H and I attached to Defenses of Upper Potomac, 8th Army Corps, Middle Department
October 11 Colonel Greene resigned.
October 27 Companies C, H and I detached September 27, 1862, and moved to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va.
December The regiment was attached to Artillery, District of Alexandria, Defenses of Washington
December 23 Company B ordered to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va. and garrison duty there
December 28 Colonel Thomas R. Tannatt of the 16th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was transferred to command of the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment. Captain Nathaniel Shatswell of Company A was promoted to major.
1863
February Regiment attached to Artillery, District of Alexandria, 22nd Corps
March Companies B, C, H and I attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 8th Army Corps, Middle Department
April Regiment attached to 1st Brigade, DeRussy’s Division, 22nd Army Corps
June Companies B, C, H and I attached to Maryland Brigade, French’s Command, 8th Corps
June 10 Company I moved to Winchester
June 13-15

Second Battle of Winchester

Company I participated in the battle and retreat to Harper’s Ferry.
June 16-July 1 Company I: Defense of Harper’s Ferry
July Companies B, C, H and I attached to Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac
July 1-2 Company I: Evacuation of Harper’s Ferry and march to Frederick, Md
July 11-22 Company I on duty with Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac
July 22 Company I moved to Harper’s Ferry and duty there
August Companies B, C, H and I attached to Maryland Heights Division, Dept. of West Virginia
December 1 Company I ordered to Washington to rejoin Regiment.
1864
April Regiment attached to 2nd Brigade, DeRussy’s Division, 22nd Corps
May The regiment was dismounted and attached to 2nd Brigade, Tyler’s Heavy Artillery Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 15-16 Moved to Join Army of the Potomac at Belle Plain, Virginia to fight as infantry.
May 19-21

Battle of Spottsylvania Court House

Major Shatswell was wounded in the head by an artillery shell.
May 19

Battle of Harris Farm, Fredericksburg Road

The regiment formed line of battle and fought for four hours agains Ewell’s Second Corps, defending the right flank of the army and Fredericksburg Road.

From the monument on the Harris Farm battlefield:

In commemoration of the deeds of the First Regiment Heavy Artillery Massachusetts Volunteers (Armed as Infantry) three hundred and ninety eight of whose members fell within an hour around this spot during an action fought May 19, 1864 between a division of the Union Army commanded by General Tyler and a corps of the Confederate forces under General Ewell.
May 23-26

North Anna River
May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12

Cold Harbor
June 16-19

First Assault on Petersburg

Colonel Tannatt was wounded by a gunshot to the head and Major Shatswell was wounded in the right side.
June 16

Siege of Petersburg
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road
July 15 Colonel Tannatt resigned
July 27-28 Deep Bottom
July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg (Reserve)
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains
September 29 –
October 2		 Peeble’s Farm
October 27-28 Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
December 7-12 Expedition to Weldon Railroad
1865
January 26 Lieutenant Colonel Wight was promoted to colonel. He was detached as Superintendent of Military Railroads in Tennessee for much of 1864 and 1865. Major Shatswell was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He was then promoted to colonel on January 27 but was not mustered.
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 13 Colonel Shatswell, who had not been mustered in the rank, was breveted colonel for faithful and meritorious services.
March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign
March 31 Crow’s House
April 2

Fall of Petersburg
April 6

Sailor’s Creek
April 7

High Bridge, Farmville
April 9

Appomattox Court House.

Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 11-13 March to Burkesville and duty there
May 2-15 March to Washington
May 15 Attached to Defenses of Washington, 22nd Corps; Camp at Bailey’s Cross Roads
May 23 Duty at Forts Ethan, Allen and Marcy
June 15 Grand Review
June 27 Duty at Forts C. F. Smith and Strong
July 19 Duty at Fort Bunker Hill
August 16 Mustered out
August 25 Discharged at Gallop’s Island, Boston Harbor