United States Regiments & Batteries > Massachusetts
The 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 8 officers and 134 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 78 enlisted men by disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.
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1861
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| May 23 | Organized at Boston and mustered in Companies A, B, G and H under Colonel Robert Cowdin |
| May 24 | Companies D, F, K and I Mustered in |
| May 25 | Company E mustered in |
| May 27 | Company C mustered in |
| June 15 | The regiment left the state for Washington, D.C. |
| June 17 | Arrived Washington and attached to Richardson’s Brigade, Tyler’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeast Virginia, with duty at Camp Banks, Georgeton, D.C. |
| July 16-21 | Advance on Manassas, Va. |
| July 17 | Occupation of Fairfax Court House |
| July 21 |
Battle of Bull Run |
| July 22 – August 15 |
At Fort Albany |
| September 7 | Moved to Bladensburg; attached to Hooker’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac |
| September 7- October 7 |
Expedition to Lower Maryland. Attached to 1st Brigade, Hooker’s Division, Army of the Potomac |
| October 25-27 | Moved to Posey’s Plantation |
| October 28 | Duty at Posey’s Plantation and at Shipping Point |
| November 14 | Affair at Mattawoman Creek |
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1862
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| March | Assigned to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
| April 7 | Ordered to Fortress Monroe, Va., then to Yorktown |
| April 16-May 4 | Siege of Yorktown |
| April 26 | Affair at Yorktown (Companies A, H & I) |
| May 5 | Battle of Williamsburg |
| May 31-June 1 | Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines |
| June 25-July 1 | Seven days before Richmond |
| June 25 | Battles of Oak Grove |
| June 29 | Savage Station |
| June 30 |
White Oak Swamp and GlendaleMajor Charles P. Chandler was killed |
| July 1 | Malvern Hill |
| July 2 – August 15 | At Harrison’s Landing |
| August 15-26 | Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville |
| August 27 | Bristoe Station or Kettle Run |
| August 28 | Catlett’s Station |
| August 29 | Battle of Groveton |
| August 30 |
Second Battle of Bull RunThe regiment lost heavily in an attack on the Unfinished Railroad. |
| September – December | Duty in the Defences of Washington |
| September 1- 13 | At Fort Lyon |
| September 14 – October 20 | Near Fairfax Seminary |
| September 30 | Colonel Cowdin was promoted to brigadier general and gien command of a brigade in the Washington defences. His promotion was never confirmed by the Senate and expired in March of 1863, when he mustered out and returned home. |
| October 1 | 1st Lieutenant Napoleon B. McLaughlen of the 1st United States Cavalry Regiment was appointed colonel of the 1st Massachusetts. |
| October 21 – November 1 | At Munson’s Hill |
| November 2-25 | Duty at Fairfax Station |
| November 10-12 | Operations on Orange & Alexandria Railroad |
| December 12-15 |
Battle of Fredericksburg |
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1863
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| January 20-24 | “Mud March” |
| January – April 27 | At Falmouth |
| February 5-7 | Operations at Rappahannock Bridge and Grove Church |
| April 27-May 6 | Chancellorsville Campaign |
| May 1-5 |
Battle of Chancellorsville |
| June 11-July 24 | Gettysburg Campaign |
| July 1-3 |
Battle of GettysburgThe regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Clark B. Baldwin. It brought 384 men to the field, losing 16 killed, 83 wounded and 21 missing. From the monument beside Emmitsburg Road at Gettysburg: On July 2, 1863 from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. the First Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Lieut. Col. Clark B. Baldwin commanding, occupied this spot in support of its skirmish line 80 feet in advance. The regiment subsequently took position in the brigade line and was engaged until the close of the action. |
| July 5 – 24 | Pursuit of Lee |
| July 30-August 1 | Moved to New York |
| August – October 15 | Duty at Governor’s Island Ricker’s Island and David’s Island, New York Harbor |
| October 15 | Moved to Washington |
| October 17 | To Union Mills, Va. and rejoin Corps |
| November 7-8 | Advance to line of the Rappahannock |
| November 7 | Kelly’s Ford |
| November 26-December 2 | Mine Run Campaign |
| November 27 | Payne’s Farm |
| December | Duty near Brandy Station |
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1864
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| February 6-7 | Demonstration on the Rapidan |
| March | Assigned to 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 2nd Army Corps |
| May 3-20 | Rapidan Campaign |
| May 5 7 |
Battle of the Wilderness |
| May 8-21 |
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House |
| May 12 | Assault on the Salient at Spotsylvania Court House |
| May 19 |
Battle of Harris Farm or Fredericksburg Road |
| May 20 | Ordered home for muster out; Veterans and Recruits transferred to 11th Massachussetts Infantry |
| May 25 | Mustered out, expiration of term, under the command of Colonel McLaughlen. McLaughlen later became colonel of the 57th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. |