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  HISTORY
  OF THE
  FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT
  _INFANTRY_,
  MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS,
  1862, 1863, 1864.

  BY
  SERGEANT-MAJOR CHARLES P. BOSSON.

  BOSTON:
  MILLS, KNIGHT & CO., PRINTERS, 115 CONGRESS STREET.
  1886.


  COPYRIGHTED BY
  CHARLES P. BOSSON.
  1886.




PREFACE.


This history of the regiment was undertaken by me at the special
request of several officers who knew I had written, soon after the term
of service expired, considerable matter relating thereto, for my own
amusement and instruction. Without this foundation to work on, written
when memory was fresh, it is doubtful if a history of the regiment
could be written, for references to many soldiers’ diaries disclosed
the fact that nearly all did not contain detailed accounts of events
occurring at the time entries were made. Few soldiers thought any
memorandum of theirs would ever become useful for a purpose of this
kind. Access to the regimental books and files of papers has greatly
facilitated this history.

I have not been able to write a satisfactory account of Companies C and
H on detached service, or of Company K on detached service, in charge
of pontoons. I found it impossible to obtain information in a way to be
of service.

I proposed to publish _Descriptive Lists_ of each company of the
regiment. Upon investigation, and a comparison of lists in possession
of the War Department, the regimental descriptive books, and orders
of detail, I found such a marked difference in Christian names and
surnames the idea was abandoned; besides, such lists would prove
misleading, as many men enlisted under a false age; those who were too
young gave in their age several years older than they were, others,
too old, made their age to meet the requirements of law. The original
_Descriptive Lists_ were made up in a hurried, loose manner, few
officers realizing their importance in after years.

It is probable certain facts in these pages will appear to some
readers at this day far different than they would had the history been
published within a few years after the war closed. We have grown older
and wiser than we were in 1862 and 1863.

If any of my old comrades in arms shall have passed a pleasant hour in
reading this history, I shall feel amply repaid for time and trouble in
its preparation.

  CHARLES P. BOSSON.




CONTENTS.


  CHAPTER I.

                                                                 PAGE.

  ORGANIZATION OF REGIMENT--CAMP AT READVILLE--DEPARTURE
    FOR NEW YORK                                                     1


  CHAPTER II.

  EN ROUTE--CAMP AT EAST NEW YORK--ON TRANSPORTS                    19


  CHAPTER III.

  ON BOARD TRANSPORTS--THE SAXON--QUINCY--CHARLES
    OSGOOD--SHETUCKET--QUINNEBAUG                                   38


  CHAPTER IV.

  GALVESTON                                                         61


  CHAPTER V.

  AT CARROLLTON--BOUND FOR GALVESTON--ARRIVAL OF COMPANIES--CAMP
    MANSFIELD--DETAILS                                             140


  CHAPTER VI.

  FEBRUARY--AT BAYOU GENTILLY--MORE DETAILS                        154


  CHAPTER VII.

  ENLISTED MEN PRISONERS AT HOUSTON--MARCH FOR THE FEDERAL
    LINES--ARRIVAL AT NEW ORLEANS                                  173


  CHAPTER VIII.

  AT BAYOU GENTILLY--MARCH--APRIL                                  197


  CHAPTER IX.

  AT BAYOU GENTILLY--MAY                                           226


  CHAPTER X.

  BAYOU GENTILLY--JUNE--FAREWELL TO GENTILLY CAMP--IN NEW ORLEANS  239


  CHAPTER XI.

  BRASHEAR CITY                                                    252


  CHAPTER XII.

  ACTION AT LA-FOURCHE CROSSING                                    286


  CHAPTER XIII.

  JULY--IN NEW ORLEANS--AT ALGIERS                                 310


  CHAPTER XIV.

  COMPANIES C AND H ON DETACHED SERVICE AT CAMP PARAPET            331


  CHAPTER XV.

  COMPANY K IN CHARGE OF PONTOONS--BATON ROUGE--TECHE
    CAMPAIGN--SIEGE OF PORT HUDSON--DONALDSONVILLE--RETURN
    TO REGIMENT                                                    352


  CHAPTER XVI.

  AUGUST--AT ALGIERS--BOUND NORTH--ON BOARD
    “CONTINENTAL”--ARRIVAL HOME                                    378


  CHAPTER XVII.

  ADVENTURES OF CORPORAL WENTWORTH AND PRIVATE HERSEY              389


  CHAPTER XVIII.

  OFFICERS IN CONFEDERATE PRISONS--HOUSTON--STATE PRISON--CAMP
    GROCE--CAMP FORD--EN ROUTE HOME--AT HOME                       415


  CHAPTER XIX.

  IN SERVICE FOR ONE HUNDRED DAYS--ORGANIZATION--READVILLE--OFF
    FOR WASHINGTON--AT ALEXANDRIA--AT GREAT FALLS--RETURN HOME     442




ILLUSTRATIONS.


                                                                 PAGE.

  FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS                                           1

  KUHN’S WHARF, GALVESTON                                           81

  HEADQUARTERS AT BAYOU GENTILLY                                   161

[Illustration:

  LIEUT-COL. STEDMAN.      COL. BURRELL.      CHAPLAIN SANGER.]




CHAPTER I.

ORGANIZATION OF REGIMENT--CAMP AT READVILLE--DEPARTURE FOR NEW
YORK.


At the time (August 4th, 1862) a draft was ordered by President
Lincoln for three hundred thousand militia to serve for a period of
nine months, Colonel Isaac S. Burrell was in command of the Second
Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia--an old militia organization
of the State. General Orders No. 25, issued July 1st, 1862, by the
Commander-in-Chief of the State troops, Governor John A. Andrew,
notified the militia to prepare for a call to service. General Orders
No. 34, issued August 13th, 1862, by the same authority, notified the
volunteer militia they would be accepted for nine months service.

In common with other organized and uniformed militia organizations
in the State, the colonel was instructed by officers and men of
his command to tender the regiment as volunteers for nine months
service, and to obtain permission to recruit up to the requisite
strength. Public opinion was opposed to a draft at that time, and
Governor Andrew, by accepting the services of such militia bodies as
volunteered, affording every facility in his power to enable them to
recruit up to the full maximum of strength, avoided the necessity for
a draft, made available the services of those officers who eventually
recruited their companies to a war strength, and the rank and file
already enlisted in the militia--a very fine nucleus to commence with.
The intermixing of raw recruits with men of some experience of the
duties of a soldier tended to greatly facilitate the mobilization of
the States’ quota, and hastened the departure of regiments to the field
in a tolerable good condition for immediate duty.

The Second Regiment, M. V. M., was one of the regiments accepted.
As there was already a Second Regiment (three years troops) in the
field, orders were issued designating the regiment as the Forty-Second
Regiment, M. V. M., and was ordered into a camp of instruction at
Readville, August 26th, 1862.

The old Second Regiment, M. V. M., a part of the First Brigade, First
Division, State Militia, had just completed the five days camp duty
with the brigade at Medford, required by law, from August 13th to
18th, and the regimental guard, Company C, Captain Leonard, left at
Medford in charge of the camp equipage, since that encampment ended, in
anticipation that the regiment would be immediately ordered back, was
ordered August 22d to strike camp, proceed to Readville early next day,
and pitch tents upon high ground very near to the Boston & Providence
Railroad track. The camp was laid out by Quartermaster Burrell and
Adjutant Davis, assisted by men of Company C. Colonel Burrell assumed
command of all troops rendezvousing there until Brigadier-General
Peirce was placed in command.

In addition to this guard, the first detachment of about one hundred
men, occupied this camp on the afternoon of August 26th, and from that
time until the regiment was complete (November 11th), recruiting,
equipping, and instruction occupied the time. The Ninth Battery,
Captain De Vecchi (enlisting for three years), Eleventh