United States Regiments & Batteries > Massachusetts > 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
The 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment lost 11 officers and 148 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 89 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a monument at Antietam at Burnside’s Bridge.
1861
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July 19 – August 19 |
The 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was organized at Worcester under the command of Colonel Augustus Morse, Lieutenant Colonel Maggi and Major William S. Clark. |
August 23-25 | Moved to Baltimore, Maryland. |
August 29 | To Annapolis, Maryland and duty there |
1862
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January 6 | Attached to Reno’s 2nd Brigade, Burnside’s Expeditionary Corps |
January 6- February 7 |
Burnside’s Expedition to Hatteras Inlet |
February 8 |
Battle of Roanoke IslandCommanded by Lieutenant Colonel Maggi, the regiment lost 5 enlisted men killed and 2 officers and 37 enlisted men wounded |
February 9 – March 11 |
At Roanoke Island |
February 28 | Major Clark was promoted to lieutenant colonel. |
March 11-13 | Moved to New Berne |
March 14 |
Battle of New Berne |
April | Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Department of North Carolina |
April 17-19 | Expedition to Elizabeth City |
April 19 |
Battle of Camden, South Mills |
April 20 – July 6 |
Duty at New Berne |
May 15 | Colonel Morse resigned. Lieutenant Colonel William S. Clark was promoted to colonel. |
May 17 | Expedition to Pollocksville to relief of 2nd Maryland |
July | Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac |
July 6-9 | Moved to Newport News, Va. |
August 2-4 | To Fredericksburg |
August 12-15 | March to relief of Gen. Pope |
August 16 – September 2 |
Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia |
August 28 |
Battle of Groveton |
August 29-30 |
Second Battle of Bull Run |
September 1 |
Battle of ChantillyThe battle was fought in a blinding thunderstorm. After running into Confederate positions in a woods and taking casualties, the regiment was ordered to the center of the line by General Kearny. The skirmishers quickly came under heavy fire and Colonel Clark halted his advance. General Kearny rode up and demanded the advance resume. When told that the woods ahead was full of rebels he refused to believe it and rode forward to prove he was right, only to be shot down. The Confederates then attacked, nearly surrounding the 21st Massachusetts. After everyone around him was shot Colonel Clark moved forward through the Confederate attackers, taking three bullet holes in his clothes but evading capture. He was missing and reported dead, with his obituary published in his hometown newspaper and his wife telegraphing to ask that his body be found and returned to Massachusetts. Four days later he returned to the regiment, reassuring his wife he would return his body in person. |
September- October |
Maryland Campaign |
September 14 |
Battle of South Mountain |
September 16-17 |
Battle of AntietamThe 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel William S. Clark and totaled about 150 men. From the monument on the Antietam battlefield near Burnside’s Bridge:The following Comrades were killed near this bridge: Co. D Priv. Wm. B. Boynton From the War Department marker for Ferrero’s Brigade at Burnside’s Bridge:On the morning of the 17th Ferrero’s Brigade was in position about a half mile northeast of this point on the Rohrback Farm. About 9 A.M. it moved to the left and, after several changes of position, was ordered to carry the bridge. The 51st Pennsylvania and the 51st New York were formed under cover of the hill overlooking this point; skirmishers were thrown forward to the stone fence above the bridge and behind fences and trees along the stream below it; and, under cover of the fire from the Federal Artillery, the two Regiments charged down the hill, carried the bridge and formed, under cover of the bluff, in the road beyond it. The 35th Massachusetts, closely supported by the 21st Massachusetts, followed and ascended the bluff on the right where, later in the day, it was joined by the remainder of the Brigade and led the advance to the Otto farm lane, where it became severely engaged and lost heavily in killed and wounded. Late at night the Brigade was relieved by Welsh’s Brigade of Willcox’s Division and fell back to the banks of the Antietam. From the War Department marker for Ferrero’s Brigade on Branch Avenue:After Ferrero’s Brigade carried the stone bridge it formed under cover of the high ground north of it. Nagle’s Brigade formed on its left. Willcox’s, Scammon’s and Rodman’s Divisions formed in advance of them and moved on Sharpsburg. On the repulse and retirement of the three Divisions, Ferrero and Nagle advanced to check Confederate pursuit. The left and center of Ferrero’s Brigade halted under cover of the crest of the ridge beyond the ravine, the right (35th Massachusetts) continued its advance to Otto’s lane, 270 yards distant, and engaged the Confederates posted on this line behind the stone walls right and left of it and in the 40 acre cornfield south. The engagement continued into the night, Ferrero’s Brigade suffering much loss, the principal part of which fell to the 35th Massachusetts, which had 214 officers and men killed and wounded. |
September 17 – October 27 | The 21st Massachusetts was at Pleasant Valley, Maryland. Colonel Clark was sent home for “a minimum of 30 days” with “intermittent fever, accompanied with diarrhea, emaciation and general debility.” |
October 27- November 17 |
Movement to Falmouth, Va. |
November 15 | Warrenton, Sulphur Springs |
December 12-15 |
Battle of Fredericksburg |
1863
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January 20-24 |
“Mud March” |
January 25 | At Falmouth |
February 19 | Moved to Newport News, Va., and duty there |
March 26-April 1 |
Moved to Covington, Kentucky |
April | Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Corps, Dept. of the Ohio |
April 1-5 | At Paris, Ky. |
April 6 | At Mount Sterling |
April 22 | Colonel Clark resigned due to the “reduced condition of my regiment and the belief that I can be more useful at home than in the army under existing circumstances.” |
June | Unassigned, 1st Division, 23rd Corps, Department of the Ohio, then 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps |
July 6 | At Camp Nelson |
September 12-20 | March to Knoxville |
October | Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Corps, Dept. of the Ohio |
October 22- November 4 |
Operations in East Tennessee |
November 4-December 23 |
Knoxville Campaign |
November 17- December 4 |
Siege of Knoxville |
December 16 |
Campbell’s Station |
December 5-29 |
Pursuit of Longstreet |
December 29 | The regiment reenlisted. |
1864
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January to March | Veterans absent to Massachusetts on furlough |
April | Moved to Annapolis, Maryland and attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac |
May-June |
Campaign from the Rapidan to the James |
May 5-7 |
Battle of the Wilderness |
May 8-21 |
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House |
May 10 |
Ny River |
May 12 |
Assault on the Salient |
May 23-26 |
North Anna River |
May 24 | Ox Ford |
May 26-28 | Line of the Pamunkey |
May 28-31 |
Totopotomoy |
June 1-12 |
Battle of Cold Harbor |
June 1-3 | Bethesda Church |
June 16-18 |
First Assault on Petersburg |
June 16- October 21 |
Siege of Petersburg |
July 30 |
Mine Explosion, Petersburg |
August 18 | Non-Veterans left front |
August 30 | Non-Veterans mustered out |
August 18-21 | Weldon Railroad |
September | Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps |
September 29- October 2 |
Poplar Springs Church, Peeble’s Farm |
October 21 | Veterans and Recruits of the 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment were transferred to the 36th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment |