The 49th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. It was one of the 18 Massachusetts regiments formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's August 1862 call for 300,000 men to serve for nine months. The regiment was recruited in

Berkshire County Berkshire County (pronounced ) is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded in 17 ...

and rendezvoused for mustering in at Camp Briggs in

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfi ...

. William F. Bartlett, a veteran of the 20th Massachusetts was voted

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in command of the regiment. The 49th Massachusetts was assigned to the

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and saw heavy combat during the

Siege of Port Hudson The siege of Port Hudson (May 22 – July 9, 1863) was the final engagement in the Union (American Civil War), Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. While Union General Ulysses S. Grant, Ulysses Grant was S ...

Formation and early duty

Companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

began assembling at Camp Briggs in Pittsfield on September 7, 1862. The final of the ten companies arrived on October 14 and the 49th Massachusetts was mustered in to federal service on October 28. The regiment moved to a larger and better outfitted training camp at

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

known as

Camp Wool Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

on November 7. Soon after arriving, on November 10, the unit elected officers in the tradition of Massachusetts militia. William F. Bartlett was placed in charge of the regiment as colonel and commanding officer. Bartlett, a veteran of the 4th Battalion Massachusetts Infantry and the 20th Massachusetts Infantry, was already considered a war hero. At age 20, he set aside his studies at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

to enlist as a

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in the 4th Battalion. After serving his 90-day term, Bartlett became a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the 20th Massachusetts. He was shot in the knee during the

Siege of Yorktown The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...

. The wound required the amputation of his left leg. Bartlett returned to Massachusetts to recuperate during the summer of 1862 and completed his studies at Harvard, though he suffered very much from his wound. He took charge of Camp Briggs on September 20 and so impressed the men of 49th Massachusetts with his soldierly bearing and his apparent ease in training them in the manual of arms on one leg that they unanimously elected him colonel. He was fitted with an artificial leg shortly before the regiment departed but still depended on the use of a crutch. The regiment departed Massachusetts on November 29, 1862. After arriving in

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by steamship, they marched down

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, crossed to

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and arrived at Camp Banks. At that site gathered the various regiments assigned to reinforce the

in preparation for Major General

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local ...

's planned expedition against

Port Hudson, Louisiana Port Hudson is an unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located about northwest of Baton Rouge, it is known primarily as the location of an American Civil War battle, the siege of Port Hudson, in 1863. ...

. It was not until January 23, 1863 that the regiment boarded the steamship ''Illinois'' and departed for Louisiana. They passed

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via the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

and went into camp at

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

on February 16. On March 13, 1863, the 49th Massachusetts participated in a reconnaissance toward Port Hudson with their division commanded by Maj. Gen. Christopher C. Augur. The regiment did not engage in any combat during this reconnaissance. They afterward returned to their camp in Baton Rouge and for the next two months conducted uneventful guard duty in and around the city. During this time, the unit suffered greatly from disease. By May, 300 men of the unit which originally numbered roughly 1,000 were on the sick list. Just prior to the Siege of Port Hudson, only 450 men turned out for duty.

Siege of Port Hudson

The advance on Port Hudson got underway on May 21, 1863 and the 49th Massachusetts left Camp Banks as part of the expedition on May 21. The regiment saw its first combat before the day was out as Union forces just outside of Baton Rouge encountered a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

column from Port Hudson precipitating the Battle of Plains Store. The 49th Massachusetts engaged in

skirmishing Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They may be deployed in a skirmish line, an irreg ...

with the enemy and a few men were wounded. During this engagement, Union troops succeeded in cutting off the last route of escape from Port Hudson. On May 27, the 49th Massachusetts took part in the first assault on Port Hudson. A call was made for 200 volunteers for what was known as a "forlorn hope"—a storming party to lead the division's charge and lay down

fascine A fascine (pronounced ) is a rough bundle of wikt:brushwood, brushwood or other material used for strengthening an earthen structure, or making a path across uneven or wet terrain. Typical uses are protecting the banks of streams from erosion (a ...

s to allow passage over ditches and trenches. The 49th Massachusetts supplied 65 of the 200 for this dangerous duty. The rest of the regiment advanced with the main body of the division. During the assault on May 27, the extremely rugged ground and tangle of felled trees proved too difficult and neither the storming party nor the main assault made sufficient progress. The 49th Massachusetts reached the foot of the Confederate earthworks gained the most advanced position of any unit in their division that day. The regiment lost 16 killed and 64 wounded. Due to the amputation of his leg and the extremely rugged ground, Col. Bartlett was required to remain on horseback during battle, making him an easy target for Confederates. During the May 27 assault, Bartlett was shot twice— a bullet shattered his left wrist, while

buckshot A shotgun cartridge, shotshell, or shell is a type of rimmed, cylindrical (straight-walled) ammunition used specifically in shotguns. It is typically loaded with numerous small, spherical sub-projectiles called shot. Shotguns typically use a ...

struck his right leg. The regimental surgeon, Dr. Frederick Winsor, was able to remove the bullet and save his hand, but the wounds effectively removed him from command until the end of the 49th's term of service in September 1863. During the second assault on Port Hudson, the 49th Massachusetts remained in support, firing on the Confederate position as other units attempted to take the earthworks but failed. The regiment lost one killed and 17 wounded during the second assault. The Confederate troops in Port Hudson eventually surrendered on July 9, 1863.

Battle of Cox's Plantation

Following the surrender, the 49th Massachusetts moved with their division to

Donaldsonville, Louisiana Donaldsonville (historically ) is a city in, and the parish seat of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, Ascension Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located along the River Road of the west bank of the Mississippi River, it is a part of the Baton ...

as part of operations to engage the remaining Confederate forces in western Louisiana. The regiment fought in the Battle of Cox's Plantation on July 11 and 12. Confederate forces pushed superior Union numbers back six miles during this engagement. During the retreat, the 49th nearly became surrounded. The unit lost three killed, five wounded and 16 prisoners. This was the regiment's final engagement.

Mustering out

On August 1, 1863, the regiment returned to Baton Rouge and boarded the steamship ''Temple'' and traveled up the Mississippi River to

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...

. From there, they traveled by railroad to Pittsfield, arriving on August 21. They were mustered out on September 1. The total number of deaths consisted of 31 killed in action and mortally wounded and 84 men lost due to disease.

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* * * * {{American Civil War , expanded=CTCBS Units and formations of the Union army from Massachusetts Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1863