10th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Massachusetts > 10th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

The 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 10 officers and 124 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 55 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
June 21 Organized at Springfield under the command of Colonel Henry S. Briggs.
July 25-28 Moved to Washington, D.C., and attached to Couch’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac;
Duty at Kalorama Heights and Camp Brightwood, Defenses of Washington, D.C.
October Attached to Couch’s Brigade, Buell’s (Keyes’) Division, Army of the Potomac
1862
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 11-15 March to Prospect Hill, Va.
March 25 Embarked at Alexandria for the Peninsula, Virginia
April 5-May 4

Siege of Yorktown
May 31-June 1

Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines

Colonel Briggs was wounded in both thighs. He would not return to the regiment, being promoted to brigadier general while convalescing.
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 25

Oak Grove, near Seven Pines
June 30

White Oak Swamp
July 1

Malvern Hill
July 2 –
August 16		 At Harrison’s Landing
July 28 Colonel Briggs was promoted to brigadier general.
August 5-6 Reconnaissance to Turkey Island
August 8-11 Reconnaissance to Haxall’s Landing
August 16-
September 1		 Movement to Alexandria
August 21 Henry Eustis, first in his class at West Point (West Point Class of 1842) and a professor of engineering at Harvard, was appointed colonel of the regiment.
September Attached to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps
September 3-18 March into Maryland
September 18

Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Colonel Eustis, the regiment was in reserve and suffered no casualties.

From the War Department marker for Couch’s Division:

On the 16th, Couch’s Division was drawn up across Pleasant Valley near Rohrersville, observing McLaws’ Command. On the morning of the 17th, the Division marched nearly to Harpers Ferry, then counter-marched and bivouacked that night on the Huffer Farm about a half mile south of Keedysville.

It reached the field about 11 A.M., on the 18th, Cochrane’s Brigade relieved Irwin’s Brigade of Smith’s Division, Sixth Corps, behind the ridge east of the Hagerstown Pike and the Brigades of Devens and Howe formed in rear of Brooks’ Brigade of Smith’s Division, Sixth Corps and French’s Division, Second Corps.

The Division was not engaged in the action.
September 18- October 20 At Downsville
October Assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Corps
October 20-
November 18		 Movement to Stafford C. H.
December 5 To Belle Plains
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24

“Mud March”
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Franklin’s Crossing
May 3

Maryes Heights, Second Fredericksburg
May 3-4

Salem Heights
May 4

Banks’ Ford
June 6-7

Franklin’s Crossing
July 2-4

Battle of Gettysburg

The 10th Massachusetts was commanded at Gettysburg by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph B. Parsons. It marched 35 miles miles in 18 hours under a sweltering July sun to reach the battlefield on July 2nd. They were put in a support position behind the Round Tops, amd shifted north on July 3.

The regiment brought 416 men to the field, losing 4 men wounded and 5 missing to artillery even though it did not fire a shot.
September 12 Colonel Eustis was promoted to brigadier general.
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign
November 7

Rappahannock Station
November 26-
December 2

Mine Run Campaign
December 3 At Brandy Station
1864
January Attached to 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Corps
February 27-
March 2		 Reconnaissance to Madison Court House
May-June

Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21

Battle of Spottsylvania Court House
May 12

Assault on the Salient
May 23-26

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

Totopotomoy
June 1-12

Cold Harbor
June 17-19

First Assault on Petersburg
June 19 Ordered home for muster out
July 6 The 10th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment mustered out