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                                HISTORY

                                OF THE

                         THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT

                       MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS.

                              1862-1865.


                   _BY A COMMITTEE OF THE REGIMENT._

                                BOSTON:
                   PRESS OF ROCKWELL AND CHURCHILL.
                            89 ARCH STREET.
                                 1884.

                                  TO

                             Our Comrades

                                OF THE

                _THIRTY-SIXTH MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS_

                  THIS RECORD OF A COMMON EXPERIENCE

                                  IS

                      _AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED_.

    _Ah, never shall the land forget_
      _How gushed the life-blood of her brave,--_
    _Gushed, warm with hope and courage yet,--_
      _Upon the soil they sought to save._

    _Now all is calm, and fresh, and still;_
      _Alone the chirp of flitting bird,_
    _And talk of children on the hill,_
      _And bell of wand'ring kine, are heard._

    _No solemn host goes trailing by,_
      _The black-mouthed gun and stag'ring wain;_
    _Men start not at the battle-cry;_
      _Oh, be it never heard again!_

                                  --WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.




PREFACE.


Not long after the close of the war a plan was proposed, by some of
the officers of the regiment, for the preparation of a history of the
Thirty-sixth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers; but the plan was
not carried into execution. At the regimental reunions, in subsequent
years, parts of such a history were read by Comrades White, Ranlett,
and Hodgkins, and the desire for a complete history of the regiment,
which found expression on these occasions, was so strong that, at the
reunion of the regiment at Worcester, in September, 1876, a committee,
consisting of Comrades White, Ranlett, Burrage, and Hodgkins, was
appointed to procure materials for a history of the regiment.

Some progress was made by the committee in the performance of the
work thus assigned to them; but it was not so great as they, or their
comrades of the Thirty-sixth, desired. At the reunion, September 2,
1879, the matter was again considered, and it was finally voted, "that
Comrades White, Ranlett, Hodgkins, Burrage, and Noyes, be chosen a
committee to have charge of the compiling, revising, and printing the
history of the regiment, to be ready for delivery at our next reunion;
and that the committee have power to procure any help they may need."

Many difficulties were encountered in the progress of the work, and it
was found that it would be impossible to prepare, within the limit of
time prescribed, such a history as would be worthy of the regiment. The
different members of the committee, amid the activities of busy lives,
could give to the work only such intervals of leisure as they could
find amid their daily tasks. At the annual reunions of 1880, 1881, and
1882,--testing the patience of their comrades who had entrusted to them
this important task,--they were compelled to report progress only. In
September, 1883,--the last reunion,--however, they were able to say
that the work was already in press, and would be ready for delivery in
the course of a few weeks.

In the table of contents will be found the names of the authors of
the different chapters. The work of Comrades White, Ranlett, Olin,
and Noyes, entitles them to the hearty thanks of all their companions
in arms. Especially, however, are such thanks due to Comrade W. H.
Hodgkins, not only for his own contribution to the history, but
also for his careful attention to the innumerable details which the
preparation of such a work required. Indeed, without his unwearied
endeavors in gathering materials, securing the coöperation of others,
and attending to the business of publication, the history would not so
soon, and might never, have been completed.

To the writer of these lines was assigned the editorial supervision
of the work. From the materials placed in his hands he arranged the
history of the regiment as it now appears. Two proofs of the entire
work have passed under his eye, and in this part of his task he has had
the invaluable assistance of Major Hodgkins. The history, of course,
is not free from errors of statement; and it will doubtless be found
that there are omissions which the writers of the different chapters,
as well as their comrades, will deeply deplore. Yet, with all its
imperfections, this volume is believed to be substantially a faithful
history of the part which the regiment had in the great conflict for
the preservation of the National Union, which was waged during the
years 1862-1865; and, as such, it is certainly a history of which all
those who participated in it may well be proud.

                                                                 H. S. B.
  PORTLAND, ME., Sept. 26, 1883.




CONTENTS.


  CHAPTER I.                                                        PAGE

  ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT.--ALONZO A. WHITE                    1-10


  CHAPTER II.

  TO THE FRONT.--ALONZO A. WHITE                                   11-18


  CHAPTER III.

  IN VIRGINIA.--ALONZO A. WHITE                                    19-36


  CHAPTER IV.

  THE KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN.--S. ALONZO RANLETT                        37-48


  CHAPTER V.

  IN THE REAR OF VICKSBURG.--S. ALONZO RANLETT                     49-57


  CHAPTER VI.

  THE MOVEMENT ON JACKSON.--S. ALONZO RANLETT                      58-72


  CHAPTER VII.

  THE RETURN TO KENTUCKY.--S. ALONZO RANLETT                       73-78


  CHAPTER VIII.

  IN EAST TENNESSEE.--S. ALONZO RANLETT                            79-87


  CHAPTER IX.

  THE RETREAT FROM LENOIR'S AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPBELL'S
  STATION.--HENRY S. BURRAGE                                      88-100


  CHAPTER X.

  THE SIEGE OF KNOXVILLE.--HENRY S. BURRAGE                      101-122


  CHAPTER XI.

  SUBSEQUENT OPERATIONS IN EAST TENNESSEE.--HENRY S. BURRAGE     123-134


  CHAPTER XII.

  REORGANIZATION.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                           135-145


  CHAPTER XIII.

  IN THE WILDERNESS.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                        146-159


  CHAPTER XIV.

  AT SPOTTSYLVANIA.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                         160-177


  CHAPTER XV.

  ON THE NORTH ANNA AND THE PAMUNKEY.--WILLIAM H.
  HODGKINS                                                       178-187


  CHAPTER XVI.

  AT COLD HARBOR.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                           188-200


  CHAPTER XVII.

  THE MOVEMENT ON PETERSBURG.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS               201-215


  CHAPTER XVIII.

  IN THE TRENCHES.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                          216-222


  CHAPTER XIX.

  DIARY OF THE SIEGE.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                       223-232


  CHAPTER XX.

  THE MINE AFFAIR.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                          233-241


  CHAPTER XXI.

  THE SIEGE CONTINUED.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                      242-252


  CHAPTER XXII.

  IN THE PINES.--EDMUND W. NOYES                                 253-257


  CHAPTER XXIII.

  THE ACTION AT PEGRAM FARM.--EDMUND W. NOYES                    258-265


  CHAPTER XXIV.

  AGAIN IN THE TRENCHES.--EDMUND W. NOYES                        266-275


  CHAPTER XXV.

  IN WINTER QUARTERS.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                       276-281


  CHAPTER XXVI.

  THE FINAL ASSAULT AT PETERSBURG.--WILLIAM M. OLIN              282-291


  CHAPTER XXVII.

  CLOSING SCENES.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                           292-311


  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  CONCLUSION.--WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                               312-315


  ROSTER AND RECORD OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT OF
  MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS, COMPILED AND CORRECTED
  BY WILLIAM H. HODGKINS                                             316

  RECAPITULATION                                                     385

  NAMES OF MEMBERS OF THE REGIMENT WHO DIED IN REBEL
  PRISONS                                                            386

  NARRATIVE OF ISRAEL H. SMITH                                       387

  INDEX                                                              391

                         THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
                       MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS.




CHAPTER I.

ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT.


Early in July, 1862, when the war of