29th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Massachusetts > 29th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

The 29th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment lost 4 officers and 53 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 officers and 95 enlisted men to disease durng the Civil War.

1861
December 13-17 Organized at Newport News, Virginia under the command of Colonel Ebenezer Pierce, from the seven companies of the 1st Battalion Massachusetts Infantry and 3 new Companies (F, G and H) which joined regiment at Newport News, Virginia. Attached to the Department of Virginia.
1862
January 17 Duty at Newport News, Virginia
March 8 Sinking of the USS Cumberland and USS Congress by the ironclad CSS Virginia
March 9 Battle between USS Monitor and CSS Virginia
May 10 Occupation of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Department of Virginia
June Attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac, the only non-Irish regiment in the Irish Brigade.
June 6-7 Moved to Suffolk, then to Portsmouth and White House Landing
June 8 March to Fair Oaks
June 15 Near Seven Pines
June 24

Fair Oaks
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 27

Gaines’ Mill
June 29

Peach Orchard and Savage Station
June 30

White Oak Swamp and Glendale
July 1

Malvern Hill
July 2 At Harrison’s Landing
August 16-30 Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Alexandria and Centreville
August 31-
September l		 Cover retreat of Pope’s army from Second Battle of Bull Run
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The 29th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Barnes. It attacked the Sunken Road but suffered less than the other regiments of its brigade, being somewhat protected by a fold of the ground. Private Samuel Wright was awarded the Medal of Honor when, according to the citation, he “voluntarily advanced under a destructive fire and removed a fence which would have impeded a contemplated charge,” being wounded in the process but remaining with the regiment until the end of the battle.

From the monument to the Irish Brigade at Antietam:

On 17, September 1862, the Brigade crossed Antietam Creek (9:30 a.m.) at Pry’s Ford. As it formed at the edge of a cornfield Father William Corby, Chaplain rode along the line, giving absolution to the soldiers. The 69th New York occupied the right then the 29th Massachusetts, the 63rd and 88th New York crossing the cornfield, the command encountered a rail fence which was torn down under severe fire an opposing Confederate column advanced within 300 paces of the brigade . After several volleys, the Irish Brigade charged with fixed bayonets. At 30 paces it poured buck and ball into General George B. Anderson’s Brigade (2nd, 4th, 14th and 30th North Carolina Infantry Regiments) which fell back to “Bloody Lane”. After fierce combat its ammunition exhausted the Irish Brigade was relieved.

From the brigade marker at Antietam:

Meagher’s Brigade led the advance of Richardson’s Division and, in the field just north of this, became engaged with the Confederate Brigade of Geo. T. Anderson, which was forced to retire to the Bloody Lane.

At this point, Meagher’s advance was checked and a severe contest ensued, but 30 yards separating the opposing lines.

Its ammunition having been exhausted, the Brigade was relieved by Caldwell’s but, later in the day, advanced to a position on the high ground, south of this point, in suport of Caldwell and Brooke.
September 18 –
October 29		 At Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.
October 29 –
November 19		 Advance up Loudoun Valley and movement to Falmouth
December Assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac. The 29th, a Yankee regiment, was swapped for the 28th Massachusetts Infantry, an Irish regiment.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24

“Mud March”
February 12-14 Moved to Newport News
March 21-26 Moved to Kentucky and duty at Paris, Kentucky.
April Assigned to 2nd Brigade. 1st Division, 9th Corps, Deptartment of the Ohio
April 27-29 Moved to Nicholasville, Lancaster and Stanford
May 6-8 March to Somerset
June 4-10 Movement through Kentucky to Cairo, Ill.
June 14-17 To Vicksburg, Mississippi and attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Tennessee
June 17-July 4

Siege of Vicksburg
July 4-10 Advance on Jackson, Mississippi.
July 10-17 Siege of Jackson, then moved to Milldale.
August 12-23 Moved to Covington, Kentucky and attached to 2nd Brigade. 1st Division, 9th Corps, Department of the Ohio
August to October

Burnside’s Campaign in East Tennessee
October 10 Action at Blue Springs, then at Lenois
November-
December

Knoxville Campaign
November 16

Campbell’s Station
November 17-
December 4

Siege of Knoxville
December 7-28

Pursuit of Longstreet and operations in East Tennessee
1864
March 21-31 Veterans marched to Nicholasville. Kentucky.
March 31-April 9 Veterans moved to Covington, Kentucky; then to Cincinnati, Ohio; and to Boston, Mass.
April 9 – May 15 Veterans on furlough
May 16-20 Moved to Washington, D.C.; then to Belle Plain, Va.
May 28 Joined the Army of the Potomac and attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac. Non-Veterans were attached to 36th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
June 1-3

Bethesda Church
June 1-12

Cold Harbor
June 15-19

First Assault on Petersburg
June 16

Siege of Petersburg begins
July Assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac.
July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg
August 18-21

Weldon Railroad
September Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac.
September 29 –
October 2

Poplar Springs Church, Peeble’s Farm
October 8 Reconnaissance on Vaughan and Squirrel Level Roads
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
1865
March 25

Battle of Fort Stedman
April 2

Fall of Petersburg
April 3 Occupation of Petersburg
April 21-28 Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
May – July Provost duty at Washington and Alexandria
July 29 The 29th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment mustered out