Notices
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HTTPS
A note about https. My service provider told me that to change my site over to https, I would have to update every link on the site, including the hundreds of pictures. Essentially I would have to re-build the entire site. Needless to say, that is too much of a project to take on. Consequently browsers may display an "unsecure" message in the address bar when you navigate to 13thmass.org. That said, there is nothing on this site that requires encryption. Here is what they wrote to me when I inquired about this:
"We can't really predict how people will react to browsers now warning them that http sites aren't secure when they aren't doing anything that would seem to require security. It is a pretty new concept.
Updates & News
June 20, 2024
While gathering materials for the March 1864 page, I realized
I had accidentally missed some important letters to add to the February
page.
During the month Colonel Leonard was writing the Massachusetts
Governor and Adjutant-General about promotions. He also mentioned
he had hopes of getting enough men to re-enlist to keep the regiment in
the field for another 3 year term of service. I was unaware of
what his attitude was about this until I found these letters among the
documents I photographed from the Massachusetts State Archives;
Executive Correspondence collection for the 13th Regiment. It was
while taking inventory of these items for the coming pages, I found the
two February letters. One is dated February 6th, the other February
24th. They have been worked into the narrative, and will continue
through April & May, 1864. There were some other changes to
the page. With Colonel Leonard's letters, I found a better title
for one of the section titles on the page, and changed it from "Picket
Duty" to, "The 13th Will Come Home When Their Time Expires."
I've also added a menton of the big 2nd Corps Ball which took place on February 22nd. It was way beyond the reach of the men and officers of the First Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps. Only big-wigs attended, and by invitation only. But the letters of Commanding General Meade are very interesting to consider at this time. He was contemplating his future with the army under General Grant, while his enemies in Washington, Generals Dan Sickles and Abner Doubleday plotted against him. There are other very interesting things going on with General Meade, but for now, I've limited his comments to the Ball.
By the way, this website marked its 16th Anniversary on June
3rd, 2024.
May 6, 2024
I have updated the website with a page about the 2nd Corps
Skirmish at Morton's Ford, February 6, 1864. It links from the
1864 History Page, and the February, 1864 Page. Morton's Ford.
April 29, 2024
To build on what I said in the previous update a new page is
posted for February 1864. The 13th MA is comfortably situated at
Mitchell’s Station, though their location is a dangerous one, very
close to the enemy who are but a few short miles south across the
Rapidan River. Picket Duty takes up most of their time. So
there aren’t a lot of letters or stories for the month from the rank
and file. But this page is built around the daily journal entries
of Mary Ellen Pierce, who came to Culpeper for 7 weeks to be with her
husband Elliot. There were nearly 1,000 women in camp by February
6th, according to a Harper’s Weekly article.
Mary Ellen spent time taking horseback rides, touring camps,
attending reviews and dress parades, visiting Signal Stations, and
battlefields, and generally having a fun time, meeting several
interesting officers along the way. It was my task to track down
the identities of the people she interacts with, and I had surprising
good luck. Photos and short biographies of these officers and men
are sprinkled throughout this page and the previous page.
Many of these officers played a fairly significant role in the war ––
in other capacities outside the purview of 13th MA. ( How could this
be ?! ) Most of her visitors were doctors or
officers in the Ambulance Corps.
Within the regiment, there are, as usual, some amusing anecdotal stories from Austin Stearns on picket duty. There are newsworthy letters from Warren Freeman, and George Henry Hill, but not a lot of detail in their communications. The detail comes from Private James Ross, of the 9th NY.
Though he is not even in the same brigade, as luck would have
it, he is detailed to guard the lookout station at Garnett’s Peak, a
crucial post the 13th MA helped to guard. Ross visits the
First Brigade Camp (Col Leonard’s Brigade) and describes some of the
conveniences the 1st Brigade soldiers left out of their
narratives. For instance, the Sutler had a regular grocery store,
“he sells fish, sausage, sugar, tea spice butter cheese ale
&c &c at reasonable prices then they
have a bakery where hot pies and warm biscuits are
manufactured.” Ross’s train trip back to Culpeper after
being relieved from outpost duty is fun to read too. You can just
picture the soldiers riding along in the cars at night, singing songs
as they rolled into the Culpeper Depot. He passes through the
village streets at night, crowded with soldiers and shop lights as he
makes his way out of town in the darkness to search for his
regiment’s camp ground.
Pictures are a big part of this page.
I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the sight of the Signal Station on Garnett’s Peak in early February, when the foliage was down and the view was clear. Its on private property. The hill is overgrown with woods, the stockade is long gone but I took lots of pictures anyway. And the field where the New York Troops camped was pointed out to me. The Garnett estate that once stood nearby is long gone.
I have also taken advantage of my familiarity with the Battle of Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862, which took place at the northern end of the prominence, to post cleaned up then and now images of the battlefield ––and another surprise.
Since December 2023, I made plans to visit the sight of the First Brigade Encampment, and the Headquarters at the sight of Dr. Long’s House, but varied circumstances prevented it from happening. But it will happen one day.
I removed a long section on the 2nd Corps Skirmish at Morton’s Ford to a separate web-page. It should be refined and posted soon.
The February Page is long and eclectic but has lots of discoveries. I invite you to take it in slowly, and enjoy the little digressions it takes while exploring the 1864 Winter Encampment of the Army of the Potomac.
January 12, 2024
It does not seem so long ago since I posted my last webpage,
but it has been ten months. Wow, that took way longer than I thought it
would. But this latest post is a real milestone
for 13thmass.org ! It is the first page for 1864! It
started out without much source material from the regiment, and
originally included the months of January & February, but as I
found new material and it grew, it became longer and longer until I
split off the month of February to concentrate solely on chronicling
January, 1864. It is exactly 160 years ago when the First Brigade
to which they belonged camped at Mitchell's Station along the Orange
& Alexandria Railroad and did outpost duty for the Army of the
Potomac, just 5 miles from enemy pickets and Rebel camps across
the
Rapidan River. The page was initially built around a gossipy
January 11 letter, found in Col. Leonard's personal papers at the
Gilder-Lerhman Institute, from Captain Bill Cary to the absent
Colonel Leonard. William is acting commander of the 13th, and
offers snarky opinions on many of the officers present in Brigade and
Division. Also I am extremely pleased to be able to announce that
the family descendants of Sergeant George Henry Hill, Co. B, agreed to
share excerpts from his war time letters written at Mitchell's Station
between January and April, 1864. George Henry is an articulate,
opinionated soldier and his comments are a great addition to this
site. I now have a pretty good sprinkling of his letters and
memoirs from different souces, but mostly family, spread across the
website. Another unique additional source is the journal of Mary
Ellen Baker Pierce, who traveled from Massachusetts to Culpeper, VA to
spend several weeks with her husband Elliot C. Pierce, Captain,
Chief of Ambulance Train, 1st Corps.
Her journal, sheds light on the social scene and happy diversions
available to some officers when a bevy of women are present in
camp, eager to see the the sights. In addition, the usual voices
are present, Sam Webster, Warren Freeman, & Austin Stearns. We have
lost Calvin Conant but I hope that is temporary. I believe his
1864 diary exists in the Ridgeway Library at the Army Heritage Museum
in
Carlisle, PA.
January 1864, is a long and eclectic mix of topics, with a
sprinkling of humor. It is a break from the usual hard
campaigning. Winter Camp,
January 1864.
August 15, 2023
The "Search" function has been restored. My apologies
for any inconvenience encountered by visitors to this site while it was
down the past month and a half. I have not yet checked on the
"Contact" page, but will get on to it next.
Meanwhile, I am working on new pages - the first for the year
1864, titled, "Winter Camp, 1864." It will be a while before they
are near ready to be posted.
July 4, 2023
This past weekend I received a dire message from my Web
Service Provider; they were closing their doors after 25 years, and all
their clients had to move their websites to a new host server on or
before July 14. I can post more on this later, but I found a new
host provider and moved the site. The new location is more
expensive. I am not technical enough to understand the workings
of scripts so, although the actual html pages migrated to the new
server all right, and it seems most of the images, the Search and
Contact Us functions are not currently working. It may take some
time for me to address this via customer service. I am taking a
vacation, (already planned) so the site may experience some problems
for a while. If you enjoy the site please be patient. This
was a tough thing to do after having a home for 15 years with my former
host.
March 15, 2023
A third and final page of the Year End, 1863 section of this website is posted. This brings an end to the chronicles of the 13th MA Vols for the year 1863. The new page is eclectic and full of interesting details not contained within the overall narrative of the regiment in the field. It covers some of the behind the scenes correspondence at the MA State House between the Governor's office and anyone that had some concern regarding a soldier in the 13th MA. The page includes a discussion of MA Governor John Andrew's preferred policy regarding promotions and the assigning of officer's commissions to the troops in the field. Accompanying this are some very interesting letters from soldiers and families of soldiers, lobbying the Chief Executive for advancement in the form of a Lieutenant's commission. There are also letters of complaint regarding a variety of concerns. Private Thomas C. Restarrick, a recruit of '62 writes the governor over a rumor, that the recruits of '62 would not be allowed to return home to Boston with the Regiment in July, 1864 as promised. Also on the page are a couple of detailed medical reports (Gilbert Greenwood, and Philon Whiddon), from, The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, That is followed by Volunteer Nurse Martha Ehler's poignant account of assisting wounded soldiers at the College Church Hospital in Gettysburg immediately following the battle. She describes the last moments of Private Francis A. Gould, and his comrade George E. Sprague, both of Company K. Nurse Ehler tells how the wounded comrades of Gould gathered around his bedside as he breathed his last; and how his friends also constructed coffins for their two departed friends, Gould and Sprague. (There is a colorized photo of Frank published here for the first time, courtesy of Mr. Joseph Antos.) There is a lot more. This page brings my 10 year narrative of the regiment's history for the year 1863 to a close ! Enjoy.
February 24, 2023
A new page is posted to the website. It contains Massachusetts Adjutant General William Schouler’s summary report of the 13th Regiment’s year of service in 1863. The new page is patterned on the pages I did for the end of the year 1862. The records of those officers still with the regiment, and those that left during the year 1863, are posted at the top. The records of men who were discharged during the year 1863 are posted in tables by company. The records of men who were missing, transferred, killed, or deserted during the year, are posted in corresponding tables. One highlight of this new page are the soldier portraits that accompany the lists. There are at least 28 portraits of men new to the site.
Checking the records on this page was painstaking, and time consuming, yet they are the most complete of any I have yet posted on this website.
In addition to the Adjutant General’s Reports, and the Regimental Roster printed in 1894, I consulted digital copies of the pages from the original regimental books, downloaded from the site Family Search. These were a great source of information. I have not had the benefit of seeing them before now.
In addition to those sources I also consulted corrections to the original roster which were printed in the 13th Regiment Association Circulars, #8, #9 & #10 (1895-1897). Town histories were referenced when available.
This page turned out to be very long so I removed some content that will be posted on a third page of loose ends, ––just as was done on this website for the end of the year 1862.
Every time I post a new page to this website, ––after hours, days, and months of intense concntrated work, I imagine a great fanfare, (unheard) with a myriad of (unknown) fans eagerly waiting for the next chapter of the website to appear. The reality is the pages I have obsessed over for the past few months are posted in silence. Nothing changes. I move on to the next chapter, and wonder “why?” The only answer at this point, is simply, “to finish what I started.” I will be starting into the year 1864 soon.
The Site Map page has been updated to reflect the new material.
Here is the link to, Year End, 1863, Part 2.
January 14, 2023
A new page is posted to the website titled, “Year End, 1863.” Like the title implies this page brings the narrative of the 13th Mass. Vols. service record in 1863 to a close. There is a 2nd page coming soon to complete this section, which features the Adjutant General’s 1863 Summary Report for the regiment. There will be a few extras coming too.
The new page is a welcome milestone for the website, as the first 1863 detail page was posted in March, 2013, ten years ago.
Included on this new page are single portraits of 15 additional men, along with 15 other veterans who posed in front of their monument at Gettysburg in 1913. Collector Jeff Kowalis shared this image with me. There are 8 new faces in the group, although it’s not the clearest resolution, it’s still a good image. That brings the total of 23 new faces to the website.
After the Mine Run Campaign, (November 26 - December 3) the men of the regiment spent 3 weeks camped between Paoli Mills on Mountain Run and Kelly’s Ford on the Rappahannock River. The weather turned cold, and many men decided without official notice to build huts, thinking this was where they would probably spend the winter. Even the more cautious men, toughing it out in tents until they got the official word, began to build winter huts after 3 weeks passed. Everyone was writing home for boxes of clothing, supplies and food items to make life in camp more comfortable. Men planned Christmas celebrations. Not surprisingly, the army spoiled everything with orders to march 17 miles to Culpeper Court-House on Christmas Eve. The year ended at a cold wet dreary camp ground not far from Mitchell’s Station. After a few miserable days there, camp was moved again, to higher ground on New Years Eve.
Year End, 1863, “Send Me a Box”
April 11, 2022
A new page is posted: Mine Run, The Forgotten Campaign. This is the 65th "Detail-Page" for 13thmass.org. The Mine Run campaign is a fascinating story, and very few people know of it, or are interested in it. None of the 8 mile front is preserved. Payne's Farm is preserved, and many visitors to that field, see it and think that they have seen the Mine Run Campaign in its entirety. But Payne's Farm Battlefield, wonderfully preserved and interpreted as it is, is just a small, (though significant part) of the over all campaign. It occured during the march before the opposing armies were in position. This new page is an overview, given from the perspective of General Robinson's 2nd Division of the First Corps. This is a very narrow scope of the movement. And what is presented on the page is more of an illustrated story, rather than a serious study. But there is a great deal of drama to the story. And there is baseball, ––and also very cold temperatures.
Much of the battlefield land is in-accessible today, although untouched earthworks left over from the military operation are still present across a broad region of the landscape. I would very much like to explore this campaign in more depth, but time is pressing me to move forward and finish this web-history. For now, enjoy the photographs and narratives that are presented here. There are a few new voices added to the page from different regiments, the most interesting is that of James Ross, of Plattsburgh, NY. James was drafted in July 1863, just as he was preparing to enter Williams College in Western Massachusetts. But he was drafted and decided to go into the army and serve his country. He was assigned to the 83d NY, or 9th NY Militia, as they preferred to be called. This regiment was a unit much like the 13th MA in deeds, and in the character of its volunteers. Although James is in a different brigade from the 13th MA, he is in the same division, and his detailed letters bring the campaign to life. I was disappointed in not acquiring several letters written by George H. Hill, Co. B, which covered this period of the 13th MA history. George was an excellent letter writer too. But years of trying to get copies of them failed to yield results. The letters of James Ross are a worthy substitute.
Read about the Mine Run Campaign here.
February 2, 2022
Just for fun. While I work on the Mine Run Campaign page, which is closer to being finished than not, new materials from the early war period came my way. While searching the internet, I came across a photograph at Massachusett's Digital Commons, which I believe is Mysterious Captain Shriber, of Company I. Anyone familiar with the history of the 13th Regiment, will recognize Capt. Shriber as a colorful fraud, whom Charles E. Davis, Jr. described so wonderfully in the regimental history, as well as Sergeant Austin Stearns of Company K, who described Shriber in his memoirs. William R. Warner likewise chronicled the antics of Captain Shriber, as did Harper's Ferry historian Joseph Barry. These descriptions can be found on the Harper's Ferry page of this website (1861) in an article authored by the late Richard Humphrey, who I sadly learned died in September 2020, from injuries received in an auto accident.
The image is labeled, "Lt-Col. R. O. Shriver ?", with a "v" rather than a "b", but there is some hesitancy in the labeling, with the "v" over-written and emphasized, as if the designation was uncertain. This may seem like conjecture on my part, which it is, but the medals on the uniform, the elaborate foreign style hat, the matching rank of Lt-Col. which Shriber obtained, before his dismissal from the service, and the somewhat haughty expression of the photograph's subject, all correlate with the 26 year old Shriber. Since even his name is unclear, whether it be R. O. Schreiber, R.C. Shriber, or Charles H. R. Screiber, this image seems to me to be a very likely candidate for the good (?) captain's likeness.
For an additional character sketch which isn't included in Mr. Humphrey's essay, I offer this anecdote:
I am told the staff officers have sent a paper to General Shields, stating their disbelief in Captain [R. C.] Shriber’s story of his single combat with a Virginia trooper. The Captain showed a hole in his hat from a pistol ball, which he says was fired by a trooper whom he slew by a thrust of the sword. Shriber’s two orderlies were killed and consequently there were no witnesses to the combat. The staff do not credit the story, and someone asking why Captain Shriber had wounded his hat instead of some other garment, the Prussian Captain [William] Scheffler replied, “Because it was the most cheapest part of his clothes.” ––from “A Virginia Yankee” Chapter 1, p. 23; by David Hunter Strother, or “Porte-crayon.”
I've added a close-up of this image to the Departure page of the website, with the caption, "Probably Capt. Shriber."
October 29, 2021
First, I have added some of Charles Wainwright's Journal entries to the previous page, "Autumn of 1863." Wainwright, Chief of 1st Corps Artillery adds some details to Kilpatrick's cavalry dust-up at Buckland Mills on October 19.
Now, Part 2 of the narrative encompassing the Autumn of 1863 is posted. The title of the new page is "Return to the Rappahannock." I decided to make these two new detail pages, (see Oct. 23, update) stand alone pages, rather than link them together as page 1 and page 2 of a series. They cover a lot of ground in a brief period of time and I think its better to let them stand alone. The 1863 History Outline page has been likewise updated with two separate links for these new additions to the website. The Site Map page is also updated.
The new material covers the Army of the Potomac's return to the Line of the Rappahannock River following the Bristoe Campaign, in which General Lee tried to flank Meade's army; (October 10-19). This caused a retro-grade move back to the earthworks around Centreville, near Washington D.C. for the Army of the Potomac. After Lee's flank maneuver failed, he retreated south, destroying the tracks of the Orange & Alexandria Railroad as he went. The Lincoln Administration was adamant that General Meade's Army of the Potomac re-assert itself and follow after Lee, rather than remain where it was at, or change its base of operations to Fredericksburg, which is what General Meade planned on doing. Consequently Meade was coerced into developing a daring plan to re-take lost ground. His plan worked brilliantly as the 6th Corps overran the Confederate bridge-head at Rappahannock Station, and the 3rd Corps seized Kelly's Ford, all on November 7, 1863. The 13th Mass, comprised part of Major-General William H. French's wing of the army, (1st, 2nd, & 3rd Corps) and marched to Morrisville, near Kelly's Ford in support of the 3rd Corps. Following a brief advance, they settled into a camp in the pines, where the Orange & Alexandria Railroad crosses Licking Run, to help hurry along railroad repairs. The O & A was the army's supply line. Many humerous anecdotes are recounted during this period. The page ends with a newspaper reporters account of the Dedication Ceremonies at the new National Cemetery at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863. There is an excellent new photograph on the page, of Commissary officer Melvin Smith, 13th MA, Company B, courtesy of Mr. Bryan Gashlin.
Continue reading, "Fall of 1863, Part II," or, "Return to the Rappahannock" here.
October 23, 2021
My time on the board at Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield cuts into the work and research I can do here at my first love, 13thmass.org. After taking a long break, I have completed the next page in the narrative of the regiment, bringing the chronology forward to November 5, 1863. The page covers the conclusion of the Bristoe Campaign. It is part one of two pages. The second page should be completed and posted shortly, and that will push the narrative forward to November 19, 1863, the day President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address. There is a lot going on at this time, (in the high command and in the war) and unlike the last page, there is a lot of source material from the soldiers of the 13th MA and others in their brigade on these new pages. The soldiers didn't have time to record their thoughts during the constant marching of the campaign itself, so they had to wait until afterward when they were in camp, to write home about it. I held off posting this material on the previous page, which chronicled the march as it happened. There are a lot of amusing camp life stories and incidents on this new page. Fall, 1863; or, "I'll Be Seeing You In All The Old Familiar Places."
December 27, 2020
A friend sent me a digitized newspaper, The Boston Globe, from July 29, 1913. The paper featured the reminiscences of several New England men at the Battle of Gettysburg, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the battle. Three men of the 13th MA, wounded at the battle, were included in the accounts; Charles Follen Adams, Co. A; Private Thomas J. Downey, Co. E, and George H. Lehman, Co. E. Their stories have been added to the Gettysburg Casualites page, in the appropriate place. Pictures, though poor in quality accompanied the stories, so images of Downey and Lehman were also posted with the articles. The Site Map page was indexed accordingly with the new material.
October 27, 2020
A new page is finished! "The Culpeper - Centreville Express," or, "The Bristoe Campaign, October 9, 1863 - October 14." The campaign actually extends beyond that date, to the 19th of October, but this page ends with the Battle of Bristoe Station on the 14th.
For the 13th MA soldiers, this campaign is reduced to a long fast march. It starts with two consecutive night marches down along the Rapidan River. The first is in expectation of an advance, the 2nd is an unexpected retreat. The Campaign continues thus, for a few days. General Lee was trying to flank General Meade''s army, –– twice. The fighting in the campaign was done by Cavalry and General G. K. Warren's 2nd Corps. Warren would later exercise direct command of the 13th MA regiment in the Overland Campaign of 1864, but that is yet to come.
The campaigns of late 1863, after Gettysburg, have been largely ignored for many years, but that is beginning to change. Jeffrey William Hunt has 2/3 of a trilogy of books published now, covering this interesting period with the attention it deserves, and "A Want of Vigilance" recently appeared by Bristoe Battlefield Historians Bill Backus and Robert Orrison. I took a guided tour of the Bristoe Battlefield in Northern Virginia, on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, as part of my final research for this web-page. The battle was fought on Wednesday, October 14, 1863!
The page is a bit of a photo-essay. I've posted 41 pictures, taken over the past few years, of locations all over Central Virginia, where these events happened and where the 13th MA marched. I have created 11 custom maps to illustrate the marches and battles.
This page is a bit of a mile-stone for me, as not long ago, I never thought I would get this far into the history of the regiment.
Click here to see "The Bristoe Campaign."
April 22, 2020
Wow! that was fast. I've quickly updated the fourth, and last page in the latest series that covers the Army of the Potomac's advance into Culpeper County in September, 1863. The new page has two primary subjects. The first, concerns the execution of a 13th MA deserter, which was scheduled to take place, (and reported as such) in late September, 1863. All the newspaper reports were wrong, some of the soldiers accounts were vague or contradictory, and at times confused. This was one of the earliest puzzles to solve when I began researching this period two years ago. The facts are this: Daniel Sullivan of Co. E, one of the recently arrived draftees, deserted and was sentenced to death. The papers said he was executed but in fact he was not. Sullivan had powerful friends in New York City, and Arch-Bishop Hughes interceded on Sullivan's behalf to get President Lincoln to grant a reprieve. Another soldier, William Smitz or Smith, of the 90th PA Vols. was executed a week after Sullivan's execution and it was described as a morbid affair. Oddly enough, it is accompanied by one of the most poignant tributes printed in the pages of the 13th Regiment Association Circulars, 1888-1922. It is a tribute to Assistant Surgeon, Dr. Lloyd W. Hixon. Dr. Hixon, an educator at heart, inspired many of the young soldiers to think about what they wanted to do with their lives after the war. He conducted classes in his spare time while in the service, and many of the veterans attributed their success in later life to Dr. Hixon's encouragements.
(Originally this section was 4 pages long, but I separated the "Cavalry" page apart from the rest. There are still 4 pages, but only 3 of them are linked. ––your confused editor).
The Dr. Hixon Memorial has 3 new post-war images; Elliot C. Pierce, Edwin H. Brigham, and William R. Warner.
Hope you like the completed package. Here is Part 4, of Advance To The Rapidan.
April 21, 2020
The Kansas Essay is Done! This is page 3 of a series of 4, narrating the few weeks the 13th MA was in camp picketing the Rapidan river in September and October, 1863. The original version of this page was completed in December, 2019 but I delayed its posting so that I could dig a little deeper into the Stringfellow brothers, 'General' Ben, and [Colonel] Dr. John H. of Missouri, and their especial roles in the Bleeding Kansas saga of our country's history. The officers of the 39th MA, and 16th Maine, thought their encounter with Dr. John Stringfellow worth mentioning in their respective regimental histories. The 13th MA did not mention Colonel Stringfellow in their history, but Lt. Edward Fay Rollins wrote an especially interesting article about his meeting with the doctor, while picketing the river in October, 1863. Rollin's story was published anonymously in Bivouac magazine in 1885. While researching Kansas in the 1850's, I found that Dr. John published a newspaper between 1854 and 1857, and that it was digitized at the Library of Congress. Consequently "the Kansas essay," took over my life, and required 3 months to complete. Its long, but it reads like a classic Western Movie, with deadly confrontations, dramatic rescues, marauding militia, ambushes, corrupt sheriffs, rowdy public meetings and heroic figures. The essay grew so long, I had to remove most of the 13th MA material to page 4, (yet to be completed). It is mostly finished and should be up soon. So, ...here it is...I dare you to read it.
February 29, 2020 (Happy Leap Year!)
Suddenly its Leap Year & New Pages Appear! It has been more than 3 years since the chronology of the regiment has moved foward on this website. This is why I was reluctant to post updated pages, but I believe the additional material posted to older pages was worth it. I am posting 2 new pages (of a series of 4) that have been in development for 3 years. Hopefully the effort shows in the work. These pages advance the chronology of the regimental history to September 27th, 1863. There are two more 'nearly complete' pages to this section which will bring the history up to October 10th, 1863, but they are not finished. The reason for the partial posting is that I began writing an introduction to an incredibly fascinating reminiscence written by Edward F. Rollins of the 13th MA, found in the pages of Bivouac Magazine, 1885, ––and that introduction turned into a 40 page essay, which is still unfinished. Rather than hold the rest of the website hostage to my folly, I am posting the work that is finished so far. Half is better than none, though it is all of a kind, and I regret it remains unfinished. A lot of effort went into these very eclectic pages. Perhaps I will write about it sometime. I am too tired to explain it all now. Pages 3 & 4 should follow as soon as I sort out my 'introduction' problem. but in the meantime, there is plenty here to enjoy. The new pages add the welcome voice of Calvin H. Conant, Company G to the narrative. And for the first time on this website, there is a peak into the lives of a family whose estates lay between the contending armies, on the Rapidan River. –– Brad Forbush.
I have also added a new 13th MA letter via the Boston Journal, dated October 7th, 1861, to the Camp at Darnestown page.
October 18, 2019
Work on the next sequential 'section' of the 13th MA narrative is proceeding at a very slow pace. I have been very involved with the Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield of late. However, the newest section titled, "Advance to the Rapidan," is nearly done.
In the meantime, a fellow 13th MA enthusiast, has been feeding me rare photographs of soldiers in the regiment. And, recently sent me a picture of Dan Simpson and Si Smith, the War of 1812 Veterans, whose fife and drum tunes, summoned the raw recruits at Fort Independence each morning. The image has been added to the Fort Independence page, next to the wonderfully descriptive text of Charles E. Davis, jr.
September 21, 2018
A long anticipated update of the Battle of Fredericksburg is posted. The original material, contained on 1 page, has been supplemented with several additional accounts and reminiscences of the battle by members of the regiment. The section now contains 3 pages. The first page holds much of the original material —with fewer typos! Page 2 features three wonderful new narratives. First, a newspaper account written by a veteran of the 13th Mass. in 1870 which tells of events leading up to the battle, and freezes in time the emotions of the men as they marched to the field of battle, uncertain of what fate awaited them there. Next is Private Bourne Spooner's lengthy and detail filled reminiscence of his experiences on the battle-field. Spooner was in Company D, which took the highest number of casualties. He recounts everything from how his comrades were killed or wounded, to the type of clouds present in the sky on December 13th, 1862. The third new piece on page 2 is an article from Bivouac magazine, 1885, which retells a fateful conversation between two men the day before the battle. Page 3 of the new section has official reports at the Brigade, Regimental and Company level. The story of the death of Charles J. Taylor is also told. Taken all together the new material has something about 3 of the 4 men killed in the regiment at Fredericksburg; Edmond Kendall, George Armstrong, and Charles Taylor. The 4th casualty, George Bigelow is profiled on a separate page. See the update for August 4, 2018 for information.
August 4, 2018
A new section is posted to the website, titled, "Year's End, 1862." This is a retro-grade move for the history, but it is a page I've always planned. The incredible story of George E. Bigelow, recruit of 1862, is the highlight of the section, found on page 1. It is a remarkable collection of 4 letters carefully preserved by Bigelow's descendants. George died December 19, 1862, from "friendly fire" wounds received at the Battle of Fredericksburg. PLEASE DON'T MISS IT.
Page 2, contains hard data, with Massachusetts Adjutant General William Schouler's complete summary report of the regiment's history for the year 1862. Included with this report are several charts, culled from an 1865 A.G. report, which lists all the names of men mustered-out for disability, transferred, died, missing deserted, or dropped. There are also an additional 40 or so, portraits of men posted on this page, whose images have not yet appeared on the website.
Page 3 contains a few loose ends, as an addendum to the year. It includes the story of 2d Lieutenant Walter H. Judson, and also 2d Lieutenant Edwin R. Frost. By way of contrast the stories touch upon the fates of many of the early war soldiers whose health broke down when the campaigning got hard. Transcriptions from original discharge papers for 10 Company I men are also posted on page 3.
The post-Battle of Fredericksburg letters of Charles E. Leland, and Warren Freeman have been removed from the Battle of Fredericksburg page, and posted on page 1 of this new section. This makes room to add Bourne Spooner's account of the Battle of Fredericksburg to that page.
This new section formally brings the hard year of campaigning, 1862, to a close.
May 28, 2018; Memorial Day
A new SPECIAL SECTION has been posted on this site. It is titled, “Around Washington,” 1862-1863. It's a stand-alone section featuring soldiers' letters & stories that don't fit neatly into the chronology of the regiment. The 3 new pages tell the stories of Private Albert Liscom, Company C, Private George S. Cheney, Company E, and William H. H. Rideout, Company B. Other members of the 13th Mass. are woven into the tale.
Page 1 is Albert Liscom's story. His health broke down during hard campaigning in the summer of 1862. He spent months languishing in government hospitals hoping to get a discharge. In the meantime, he contemplates a "French Leave" and enjoys occasional jaunts into the city with friends. On page 2, Cheney's letters to the Roxbury Gazette under the pen-name "Azof " describe the miserable conditions endured by soldiers at Camp Convalescent outside Alexandria, and the subsequent relocation and construction of a more permanent camp. This story is a little known tragedy of the war. The full history of the camp is given on this page, taken from the 1st edition of the camp's own newspaper, “The Soldiers' Journal.”
Page 3 features 7 letters written by William H. H. Rideout, Company B, between February and October 1863. Rideout worked as a supervisor for the Quarter Master Department. The recipient of his letters is somewhat of a mystery, but some (if not all) are written to his Miss Lydia Waymouth of Braintree, MA. They reveal a developing romance. The interesting travels of Private John B. Noyes are also featured on this page. Noyes passed through Washington on two separate occasions in 1863. His visits with friends in the regiment, and to various theatres and public buildings prove interesting reading.
The city of Washington provides the back-drop to these stories, and I have tried to provide a glimpse into life in the city during this time. So thats the new special section. Enjoy the ride. There are lots of surprises along the way. Around Washington, 1862-1863.
January 4, 2018
I have added a roster of the troublesome recruits of August, 1863, to the 'Conscripts' page. Deserters names are listed in red, so it is easy to take in at a glance how many of the drafted men deserted. ROSTER
November 18, 2017
The third page of the “On The Rappahannock” trilogy is uploaded today. This page includes letters from “13th Mass” soldiers, George Spaulding, Charles W. Manning, and Warren H. Freeman. Spaulding, is flirting with a girl back home, Manning describes the execution of 5 deserters to his brother, and Freeman rejoins the regiment after his sojourn as a paroled prisoner of Gettysburg. Boston Transcript correspondent “CLARENCE” keeps things up to date with 3 letters home that describe camp life.
A detailed description of the execution of 5 deserters of the 5th Corps dominates the page, as described by a soldier in the 44th NY, and detailed illustrations by artist Edwin Forbes. There is also a section about the beautiful Tiffany Sword that was presented to Commanding General George Gordon Meade, by his old division of Pennsylvania Reserves on August 28, 1863, (the evening before the executions). Rounding things out are short news reports on a variety of subjects in the Boston newspapers. These include promotions and resignations in the 13th Regiment, a tally of Massachusetts casualties at the battle of Gettysburg, and the on-going negotiations of the Prisoner Exchange Cartel between North and South, that decided the fate of so many captured men languishing in prison. The period covered on this page extends between late August and mid-September, 1863. After this, the regiment pulled up stakes and advanced into Culpeper County on September 16. Many weary miles of marching and arduous campaigning into early December was just ahead, but they had had this time to rest. On The Rappahannock, part 3: The Consequences of Deserting
October 24, 2017
Another page is added to the website history, and it is a very entertaining one. It is part 2, of the section titled “On The Rappahannock.” The subject matter deals with the 186 conscripted men sent to the regiment in August, 1863, the result of the newly implemented draft. Most of these 'recruits' caused nothing but trouble in camp, and deserted as soon as opportunity afforded, with a few notable exceptions. Brief news clippings presented on this page, chronicle the progress of the draft in Boston, the draft riots in that city, and the gathering of the drafted men in camp. The results of their distribution among the various companies of the “13th Mass” is related by soldiers in the regiment. The stories are mostly of a humorous bent as the exploits of trouble makers are always entertaining — from a distance. Of all the stories presented, the remarkable history of John Parra, as told by Melvin Walker, Co. K, is truly worth reading. On The Rappahannock, part 2: The Conscripts
October 14, 2017
The latest addition to this website, finds the regiment back at Rappahannock Station, on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, in late July, 1863. The immediate task at hand was to secure the river crossing for the Army of the Potomac. When they arrived, the few soldiers left of the 13th Massachusetts Regiment witnessed General John Buford's cavalry division in action, as he cleared the enemy's pickets from the south side of the river. The regiment was here before a year earlier, in August, 1862, in the midst of General John Pope's disastrous retreat. The soldiers reflected on the lack of progress in the war since that time, as they marked the 2nd Anniversary of their leaving Boston for the front, in 1861. Return to Rappahannock Station.
August 12, 2017
Ms. Carolyn Wainwright, descendant of Abel B. Hastings, Co. F, has sent to me a newspaper clipping of the Boston Traveler, July 10, 1863, with Lt.-Col. N. Walter Batchelder's list of regimental casualties at Gettysburg, dated July 5th, which was sent by Batchelder to the Massachusetts Adjutant General's Office. I have posted this on the Gettysburg Casualties page. The list is very complete. Casualties.
July 23, 2017
Good News Everyone ! A new page is up! Two new pages are up ! After a long interlude in Pennsylvania, [for me] the Army of the Potomac pursued General Lee into Maryland and then Virginia. These new pages include summaries of the many cavalry battles which occured as Generals Buford and Kilpatrick harrassed the Confederate Wagon train en-route to Williamsport. Diary excerpts from Private William Henry Forbush, who was there with the 3rd U.S. Artillery, are included on these pages. Once the infantry gets moving, the narrative resumes with descriptions from Charles E. Davis, Jr., Sam Webster, and Sergeant Austin C. Stearns. A new voice then appears, that of correspondent 'CLARENCE' whose several reports from the regiment were published in the Boston Evening Transcript. The narratives are exciting and move along quickly as Lee acted, and Meade re-acted. These pages are enhanced with my photographs of some of the locations the army marched through.
The Pursuit of Lee's Army, or "Verily, We Must Make Better Time."
March 21, 2017
I have updated the Gettysburg Casualties page with more accurate information and additional notes. It required moving some pictures and biographies around on the page layout to correspond with the changes.
I have also added a new category to the 'Site Map' page. Under 'Soldiers Letters & Memoirs' I have added 'Biographies.' If biographical notes were posted for a soldier, I included a link under the soldier's name in the index. Most of these short biographies were added to the 'Gettysburg' pages, with statistical information provided by Mr. Art Rideout, and sometimes family descendants. The links are not comprehensive, as I have occasionally posted short biographies on older pages of the website. If you are looking for information on a particular soldier not listed in the index, I would suggest scanning through the list of 'newspaper articles' and 'other articles' sections of the 'Site Map' or, try using the search function.
March 19, 2017
I have uploaded a new page to the website which contains the official reports of the battle of Gettysburg for the 1st Brigade regiments and commanders of Brigadier-General John C. Robinson's 2nd Division; First Army Corps. One highlight is the letter Lt.-Colonel N. Walter Batchelder, 13th Mass., wrote to Massachusetts Governor John Andrew, describing the regiment's part in the battle. Batchelder names all the '13th Mass' officers present at the engagement. I have re-enforced Batchelder's list by posting images of these men on the page; provided I had one to post. There are several named officers for whom I have no image. Any help locating additional likenesses is appreciated. I can be reached via the 'Contact Us' page.
I have grouped this new page with the previously published, 'Aftermath of Battle' pages. This completes my 'Trilogy' on the Battle of Gettysburg, except for a few planned updates for the 'Casualties' page. Then its onto 'The Pursuit of General Lee's Army.' I hope you enjoy the new page. Here is the link: Official Reports; 1st Brigade, 2nd Division.
February 26, 2017
A great new page is posted, 'Gettysburg, The Fate of the Prisoners.' There is a lot of exciting primary source material on this page, including Morton Tower's memoir, 'Escape From Libby Prison.' There are vivid descriptions of the captured Union soldiers' forced march south from Gettysburg to Staunton; the train ride over the rickety Virginia Central Railroad from Staunton to Richmond, and the various fortunes of '13th Mass' captives at wretched Belle Isle Prison, or Libby Prison. The Fate of the Prisoners.
January 22, 2017
Well, its a small but important thing. I corrected two typos on a page posted in January, 2013. In the following passages, George Henry Hill writes of recently removed General McClellan,
"Yes I
received your letter containing the outrageous
& unjust slanders
on McClellan.
In the above quote, I had transcribed the word 'certain' for 'contain.' I don't know why it took this long to discover the error, or whether the fault lies with me or auto-correct, but its all right now. The other typo was less significant.
January 11, 2017
Two new pages are posted regarding the 'Aftermath' of the Battle of Gettysburg. The first page resumes Charles Davis, Jr.'s narrative for the Regiment, on July 4 & 5, 1863. The heavy losses in General Paul's Brigade are presented through the poignant writings of the 13th Mass soldiers, Major Abner Small of the 16th Maine, Colonel Adrian Root of the 94th N.Y., and Chaplain F.D. Ward of the 104th N.Y. A biography of Surgeon John Theodore Heard is on this page. Heard began his volunteer service with the regiment and rapidly advanced to First Corps Medical Director.
The second page, relates to Field Hospitals and care of the wounded there interred. Highlights include Sarah Broadhead's journal entries, July 4 - 11; Private John Shaw's letters home, (Company A) and a lengthy expose on Captain Moses Palmer, whose military career ended at Gettysburg when he received his bad wound in the right knee.
The two pages link to each other in sequence. A third page regarding the captured men of the regiment will be published soon. Aftermath of Battle.
October 25, 2016
Not to overshadow the significant 'Gettysburg Casualties' page added last week, but the Harper's Ferry page, (1861) has been updated (yet again) with new information. The original extremely long page has been divided into two pages. The first deals with events at the Ferry; the second page covers the October 16, 1861 engagement at Bolivar Heights. New maps and pictures have been added, and also the letter of my Great-Great Grandfather, William Henry Forbush dated Sept. 17, 1861. His letter describes the funeral of John L. Spencer, first man of the regt. killed by enemy fire. Harper's Ferry
October 19, 2016
A new page is up, titled 'Gettysburg Casualties.' The page aggregates the '13th Mass' soldiers Killed, Wounded, Captured, and Missing, at the battle. The information was compiled and arranged by historian/re-enactor, Mr. Ed Welch. Anyone who has attempted to tabulate such a list from War Records and other sources knows how frustrating, time-consuming and difficult it is. Errors abound in the data, and records contradict each other. Cross checking for errors is tedious. This page would not exist had not Mr. Welch shared his work with me. His charts were the page foundation. I cross-checked certain entries against other sources I had found. Because so many men of the regiment were included on the lists, I thought it a good place to add some random photographs of soldiers not yet pictured on this site. There are 19 new images of '13th Mass' men posted on this new page. Many are Company B men, from an album generously donated to me by collector Mr. Scott Hann. Biographical information was also included when possible, in addition to a soldier's record in the regimental rosters and records of the Massachusetts Adjutant General's Reports.
An excellent opportunity is presented here, to share information descendants of soldiers have provided me over many years of research. Ms. Lisa Munn-Haynes and Ms. Nancy Martsch sent along information on soldiers Thomas Jefferson-Munn and John Best, respectively. Mr. Nate Grove provided family lore, much of which proved true, regarding his ancestor Frank Gould. I always welcome new information from other descendants, should they be so inclined to share it. Mr. William Beale, a relation of Selah B. Alden, shared several digital pension files of various '13th Mass' that aided greatly to the stories of their surviving family members.
Mr. Art Rideout, descendant of W. H. H. Rideout, Company B, answered my requests for records outside my reach, and thus provided biographic information on soldiers, Charles Clement, Edwin Buswell, Albert Lynde, James A. Young, Charles H. Collins, Joseph Morrill, Elias Hodge, Algernon Auld, and Herschel A. Sanborn.
Mr. Tom Doyle, Archivist of the Woburn Public Library responded enthusiastically to my request for information about Huntington Porter. The Woburn Library maintains an on-line photo exhibit of Civil War Veterans from the town of Woburn.
Essential data on Rollin T. Horton, George F. Ford, and George F. Leslie, was found at the website Find A Grave. In Leslie's case, it was enlightening. He is buried under the wrong name at Gettysburg Cemetery.
Gettysburg Historian and Guide, Mr. Roy Frampton, in a video post dated September 7, 2009 on the website Gettysburg Daily, presented facts about Charles Trask and Charles Wellington, two of the three '13th Mass' casualties of the Battle of Antietam that are buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Here is the link, 'Gettysburg Casualties.'
September 8, 2016
I have demoted Sergeant Bourne Spooner to Private on the 'Gettysburg' page. It was not his fault. I was dealing with so many sergeants that I included him. But he was a private throughout his service. My apologies Bourne.
September 6, 2016
A new web page for July 3rd 1863 is posted which completes my narrative trilogy of the 13th Mass and Robinson’s Division at the Battle of Gettysburg. There were some surprises in the research. For years I was under the misapprehension that the regiment spent the night of July 2nd in front of Wiedrich and Ricketts batteries on East Cemetery Hill, because Charles E. Davis, Jr. wrote so in the regimental history. But such is not the case. The maps of Gettysburg historian John Bachelder help unravel the mystery but taken alone they create some false perceptions of their own. It is with the regimental writings from other units in the division used in conjunction with the maps that the clouds begin to part and the real story starts to emerge.
The page includes general information on the battle for
Culp’s Hill, and Pickett’s Charge which illuminates the reasons for the
orders General Robinson received as he was directed around the
battlefield by Commanding General Meade.
Highlights of the page include adjutant Abner Small’s entertaining observations of brigade commander Richard Coulter’s antics, and Lt. William R. Warner’s short but graphic description of surviving the third day’s chaos. Private Bourne Spooner’s lengthy recollections as a prisoner of war are entertaining, as is prisoner Sergeant Austin Stearns’ ramble through the town during the battle. A new voice from the regiment is presented with comrade Edward Fay Rollins story, “Picket Duty on the Battlefield at Night.” Here is the link, Gettysburg, July 3rd.
July 13, 2016
A new page about the Battle of Gettysburg is posted. This page explores the role of the 13th Mass., on July 2nd, a day when Robinson's Division was held in reserve because of the hard fighting and heavy losses suffered on the first day's battle. Still, they were rushed from place to place on the battlefield as emergencies arose, and there were plenty of emergencies on July 2nd. A highlight of the page is discovering exactly where they were positioned on the battlefield this day. I was fortunate to be able to walk the battle field at Gettysburg with some very knowledgable people to help sort this out. I hope you enjoy this page, it was another difficult one to construct, because the regimental history is somewhat confusing and vague for July 2. Gettysburg, July 2nd.
February 23, 2016
A second page of stories has been added to the
'Gettysburg'
section of this website. The page includes additional
experiences
of soldiers and townspeople after the retreat from Oak Ridge on July
1st. Narratives from Mary McAllister and Jennie McCreary
mention
members of the 13th Mass. A brief military biography of
Brigadier-General G. R. Paul is given. The wound General Paul
received at Gettysburg ended his long military career. The
stories of Chaplain Horatio Howell, and Surgeon Edgar Parker,
two
non-combatants shot on the steps of Christ Lutheran Church is
included.
There is more. Click
Here.
January 19, 2016
An exciting new page is posted which covers the regiment's part in the battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. It is the culmination of more than a years research and work. Highlights, not to be missed, include three unpublished, detailed accounts of the fighting from three participants in the battle. Premiering here are, Second-Lieutenant William R. Warner's memoir, Sgt. George Henry Hill's letter to his father, and Private Bourne Spooner's memoir, "In The Ranks'. The Warner and Spooner manuscripts were provided by their custodians, family descendants who generously shared these narratives with me and then granted permission for their use on this site. These previously unpublished narratives provide crucial insights into the role the regiment played in the confused fighting on Oak Ridge, July 1st. Historians still struggle with interpretation on this part of the field. I would like to add that copies of these important materials have been sent to the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park Library for the benefit of other researchers.
There are 4 more pages to come, regarding the regiment's
experiences at this epic battle. They include supplemental
stories from the first day's fight, a page for the 2nd and
3rd
days fight, a page for the aftermath of the battle, and a page listing
casualties of the regiment at the battle. These are all in
various stages of completion, but precedence was finally given to the
first page in order to update the website as soon as
possible.
See the new page here: "Gettysburg."
December 6, 2014
IMPORTANT
All the 'main pages' of the website have been re-built! This includes, HOME, ABOUT US, HISTORY, CONTACT US, SITE MAP and more. The pages are more consistent and better organized, and the information in the 'outline history' pages is more detailed and accurate. A splash of color has been added too. But the best thing is there is now a SEARCH page ! Check it out and see how it works. Let me know if there are problems. Write to me via the CONTACT US page.
The re-build will continue into the future with all the 'detail' pages, but it will be less confusing !
October 5, 2014
The new section of the website, (3 pages) is up. The first page of the new section follows the regiment as they march north June 12th - 24th, 1863. Charles Davis, Jr., Austin Stearns, Sam Webster, John Boudwin, and Warren Freeman narrate. A highlight is Captain Charles F. Morse's paper, "Why We Wouldn't Meet Mosby." Morse's hatred of Mosby persists well into the post-war years.
Page 2 of this section explores the cavalry battles at Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville, June 17 - 21, 1863. These engagements have nothing to do with the '13th Mass.' except that William Henry Forbush, former member of Company K was there, with the 3rd U.S. Artillery, Battery C, Captain William D. Fuller, commanding. The page broadly summarizes each battle with an emphasis on the role of Fuller's battery. Highlights include memoirs of Henry C. Meyer, 2nd NY Cavalry, on the staff of General David M. Gregg, and a letter of Daniel Townsend, 1st U.S. Artillery, Randol's Battery, and, the memoirs of Heros Von Borcke, (with which I have much fun) who was on the staff of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart. There are many excerpts from my Great Great Grandfather's 1863 diary. Also on the page is a brief biography of the war correspondent Alfred R. Waud who brilliantly covered the cavalry battles in the Loudoun Valley that week.
Page 3 resumes the narrative of the '13th Mass' as they continue their march north into Maryland. During this period, General Hooker resigns command of the Army of the Potomac, and General George Gordon Meade replaces him. Highlights of this page include Colonel Leonard's short statement regarding the change of commanders, Charles Leland's last letters home, Charles Davis, Jr.'s humorous article "You Have Insulted Ze Gener-al," Comrade David Sloss' recollections of nicknames the soldiers gave each other, Historian John A. Miller's article "Emmitsburg Before the Battle of Gettysburg," and a character sketch of beloved flag-bearer Roland Morris, cut down at Gettysburg. A transcript of Morris' court-martial just prior to the battle is included, culled from Colonel Leonard's personal papers at the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of New York.
The page ends on the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg. I hope you enjoy this new section.
March 6, 2014
I have divided up the very long page, "Winter Camp" into 3 shorter pages. I have updated the "Site Map" page also. (Hopefully the new links from the "Site Map" will work correctly).
March 2, 2014
The Darnestown Page of the website has been updated wtih exciting new material from the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society - the correspondence of Sergeant-Major Elliot C. Pierce. Included in the collection is a sketch of Pierce by Co. D artist Henry Bacon. Bacon studied painting in Paris after the war and became an accomplished artist. New pictures, maps, newsclippings and letters were also added to the page.
Until 2012, I did not have any information on Company C's detachment at Monocacy, or Frederick City Junction in September, 1861. I now have enough material to add a new page.
This page includes a discussion on the arrest of several members of the Maryland Legislature. There is also a report of Captain John Kurtz to Col. Leonard. Kurtz was soon offered a higher commission in the 23rd Mass. and left the 13th.
January 30, 2014
The updated Hancock, MD page is posted. As with all the updated pages, the original material is still there, its just been re-organized. There is a lot of new material on this page.
January 29, 2014
The structure of the website is undergoing an overhaul. Professional Web Designer Walter Barry has re-structured the format of the 'detail' pages to end layout breaks and other oddities that occur due to various web browsers' idiosynchracies. The update also tightens up the layouts of the earliest pages & makes them conform to the better designed later pages. It will take a while for all the pages to be updated.
Meanwhile these pages have been revised with new material added to all of them.
There is a new section on how the regiment received the designation '13' on the 'Organization' page. The 'Sharpsburg' page (1861) has a lot of new material. The 'Departure' page has new illustrations from Charles Roundy, and some new material. The 'Stonewall Attacks Dam No. 5' page was re-formatted only. New material will be coming soon for the 'Hancock,' 'Darnestown,' and 'Williamsport 1861' pages.
October 19, 2013
The new section of the website is posted, "Hooker in Command." This is actually 3 new pages covering the period from April 1st - June 11th 1863. The first page covers April, with the many reviews as Hooker prepares to launch his new campaign; the second page is the Battle of Chancellorsville; the third page covers the period after the battle up to June 11, 1863. There are new buttons on the left to navigate to pages 2 & 3, etc. Also at the bottom of each page is a "Continue Reading" link.
Highlights of this section include an unpublished letter written by Sgt. George Henry Hill, on the battlefield May 5th, (page 2) then continued May 9th, (page 3). And, the original authorized story of "Sallie" the mascot of the 11th PA, commissioned by Brevet Brigadier-General Richard Coulter, commander, (page 1). Page one also has a brief write up of one of my favorite personalities, Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, and the Balloon Corps. The section ends on page 3 with one of the most compelling memoirs in the annals of the '13th Mass.' the article "Libby Prison" by Sergeant John S. Fay. The story I put together combines an earlier version of Fay's story with a later version. Each version provides details left out of the other. I hope you enjoy this section.
March 7, 2013
The latest page of the website is posted, 'Winter Camp.' This is the first page to link from the '1863' history page. It covers the period January - March, 1863. Highlights include, commentary on General Burnside's Mud March, January 20th - 23rd; and letters of Charles Leland, Charles Adams, & Elliot C. Pierce. John B. Noyes predominates with a walk through the muddy camps of the Army of the Potomac & General Hooker's Headquarters.
November 7, 2012
I have made a slight revision to the Battle of Fredericksburg page. I added another letter of Charles Leland, and a letter of President Lincoln to the Army following the battle.
I have also added a December 31st quote from the diary of George Gates, Co. K, to end the outline history page, '1862'.
I contemplated building a new page for the end of the year 1862, but I don't have that much material. Instead, I am now ready to continue the history into the year 1863. It has taken nearly 3 1/2 years to complete the history for the complicated campaigns of 1862. I started in June, 2009.
November 4, 2012
At last the new page for the Battle of Fredericksburg is up. Highlights include letters from Charles Adams, Co. A, George Hill, Co. B, Battle Reports from Co.'s B and G, George Jepson's tale of N.M. Putnam and the Washbasin, John S. Fay's narrative, and much more.
The 13th Mass were skirmishers for the 'Left Grand Division' at the Battle. Consequently there is not much information about the valient charge of theirBrigade or Division. I intend to post an article on Gibbon's Division at the battle in the future.
September 27, 2012
I've added pictures of Charles H. Roundy, and James Gibson, of Co. F, to the website. See Site Map Page.
September 22, 2012
It has been a long time since I updated or worked on the site. I had been working on the Battle of Fredericksburg last Spring. Everything was suspended to prepare for my presentation at the July, 2012 Chambersburgh Civil War Seminar on the 13th Mass. at the Battle of Antietam. Consequently I have up-dated that page of the website. The Introduction has been revised, to be more balanced toward General McClellan, and his actions arise in a more favorable light as a result. This would be in keeping with a more contemparary view of him at the time directly before and during the battle. New material in addition to the introduction, includes a new comment by private John B. Noyes under the banner, a quote of Robert Bruce Henderson regarding George Smalley's newspaper report, and 3 new images of the location where Hartsuff's Brigade fought. One taken by Alexander Gardner a couple days after the battle, and two contemporary views of the same spot. The Maryland Campaign. I may add another page about the veterans researching the battle in the future.
March 25, 2012
The new page "Hard March to Fredericksburg" is completed. This takes the detailed history to the end of 1862. Yet to come is the Battle of Fredericksburg. The narrative on this page is taken up by John S. Fay, Sam D. Webster, and others.
January 27, 2012
I've added a new page giving Major Jacob Parker Gould's testimony to the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. Gould appeared January 2nd 1862, and answered questions about his command at Harper's Ferry, September - October, 1861.
January 16, 2012
I have added a page with the text and various newspaper reaction, to the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
January 11, 2012
The new page Camp at Sharpsburg, 1862, is up.
November 24, 2011
I've updated the Harper's Ferry, 1861, page. Correspondence with Harper's Ferry Historian David Fox in 2010, and Marlboro Historical Society Trustee Paul Brodeur this summer, have made locations, events, and the role of some soldiers clearer. There is a lot of new information, including a section on engineer Lauriman Russell, photos of California 49er Chandler Robbins, William R. Warner, and George Marshall. I have also restored correspondence from Captain R.C. Shriber, which I initially edited out of Richard Humphrey's original research for the purpose of keeping a strict chronology. There is still some overlap with the Sandy Hook page because events occured simultaneously. Nine Weeks at Harper's Ferry.
September 10, 2011
The new web page for the Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam is up. Highlights include John S. Fay's Memoirs, Lt. Charles B. Fox's casualty report, and the article "Short Service." Antietam.
May 19, 2011
I had enough material to fit a new page between the 2nd Bull Run battle and the next page to come, -the Antietam Campaign. This page is interesting for its list of '13th Mass.' men interned at various hospitals around Washington, D.C. The list was compiled for the Surgeon General in response to the disastrous battle of 2nd Bull Run. Aftermath.
April 1, 2011
The Fort Independence Page has been updated with new material and pictures. Fort Independence.
March 18, 2011
The Sandy Hook page has been re-built with css. New material has been added to the page including serveral letters and photos. A few bits from the Official Records shed new light on events described, including the engagement at Beller's Mill, Sept. 2nd. There is some overlap now with the Harper's Ferry Page, which will be rectified when that page is updated. Camp at Sandy Hook.
February 7, 2011
I've re-built the "Williamsport '62" page using css. There should be no difference in the page other than a tighter layout & hopefully, better design. The page design now matches the later pages rather than the earlier pages. I plan to 'retro-fit' all the earlier pages with the css layout as time permits.
January 27, 2011
The latest web page has
been added to the history section. This is "The Battle of 2nd Bull
Run."
The page describes the bloody action on Chinn Ridge during the climax
of the battle, August 30, 1862, and what the soldiers of the 13th
Mass., experienced during and after the battle.
This is a
milestone page for me. Second Bull Run was the first major action
the regiment saw, and it has long been my desire to share these
collected stories with a broad audience. The page
concludes
with a list of men killed during the battle. As
usual, comments are appreciated.
November 13, 2010
Its been a long while, but the latest page is up, General Pope's Retreat. This was the most challenging page to build to date & I'm very proud of it. It contains the usual collection of soldiers' letters and memoirs, but I have added more narration to explain this complex campaign, where strategic events happened daily. The page initially ended with a short account of the 2nd Battle of Bull Run, but since I will devote an entire page to that event, it ends with the engagement at Thoroughfare Gap, August 28th, 1862. Charles Roundy's reflections on General Pope's campaign end the page. The next page won't take nearly as long to build, or post. I hope you enjoy my account of Pope's Retreat. Comments are appreciated.
May 16, 2010
The new page "General Pope Takes Command" (June 26 - August 9th, 1862) is posted. This page covers the creation of Major-General John Pope's Army of Virginia, and ends with The Battle of Cedar Mountain. The battle/battle-field is described by Austin Stearns and John B. Noyes.
I've added a new feature to the page; a sidebar that lists other brigades and regiments that served with the 13th Mass. I've also simplified the Table of Contents into broader categories. Individual letters and articles are indexed on the 'site map' page.
Again, I would ask that any bugs, layout breaks or broken links be reported to me via the 'contact us' page. Please tell me the browser & version you are using, The layout looks good in my firefox browser. But the layout broke up in Explorer. This happened to me with the last page. I just think my version of Explorer is buggy. Comments are always appreciated.
March 1, 2010
The new Page "To Front Royal & Back" (May 29 - June 22, 1862) is posted. Sitemap and links pages are updated accordingly. This covers part of Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862.
February 5, 2010
I've added an image of the Steamer "Nelly Baker" to the Fort Independence page with a bit from Austin Stearn's memoirs.
January 31, 2010
I have added the transcription of an article from a Southern newspaper, The Staunton Spectator, to the Williamsport '62 page and the Site Map. The article gives a southern slant to Jackson's movements at Hancock and Romney.
January 25, 2010
The Harper's Ferry Page was updated with new information about the "Shenandoah City" iron foundry burned by Col. Geary following Bolivar Heights. Information was provided by Harper's Ferry Park Ranger David Fox.
December 31, 2009
The new page "A Change in Plans" is posted. This covers the history from May 12th - May 28th when General Irvin McDowell took command of Hartsuff's brigade and advanced to Falmouth near Fredericksburg. The page has a better css template than the previous page posted in September, and I will be working to correct the "Old Crummy" page with the new layout. The Site Map and History, 1862 pages have been updated with links to the new page.
September 7, 2009
The new page "With Old Crummy to Camp Misery" is posted. This page chronicles the short period of time when the regiment's brigade was commanded by General John J. Abercrombie, who marched them from Winchester to Warrenton Junction, Va. This is a large page, with many large images. This is also the first page using a CSS stylesheet with html code. The CSS is not as efficient as it could be but I will make future improvements as I get more familiar with the code. The page looks best if you have at least 800 pixels in the viewing window. As always, comments are welcome and please report any errors or problems to me using the "contact us" page. This will probably be the last update for a while.
I have started a new blog dedicated to research I come across while building the website. The link is: http://13thmass.blogspot.com/
August 28, 2009
The "Advance to Virginia" page has been uploaded and linked to the history '1862' page.The Site Map has also been up-dated to link to the new material. Please report any errors, typos etc. to me using the "contact us" page.
June 25, 2009
The 'Williamsport, 1862' page has been uploaded, (a most ambitious page). It is linked off of the 'History' > '1862' page. The Site Map has been updated with new links to this page.
My screen resolution is set at 1280 x 1024. Mozilla Firefox is my browser. Most of the content fits within a box of 816 pixels wide. The pages will react differently in different browsers. Please use the 'Contact Us' link in the left-hand navigation bar to report any problems you may have accessing pages, or any other technical difficulties experienced so I can address them. Hope you enjoy the site.
June 10, 2009
The new page, 'Williamsport, 1862' is completed but not posted. I am awaiting permission to use an image from the West Point Military Museum on the page. The new page will be the first link from the history for the year 1862.
New material has been added to the following pages at this site: Fort Independence, Departure, Sharpsburg, Darnestown, & Williamsport 1861. There are lots of new photographs and text.
New text icludes excerpts from the history of the 39th Illinois Volunteers; letters and photographs of 13th Mass band-member Edwin Rice; letters of Oliver H. Walker, Co. C; and articles by Major Elliot C. Pierce, Charles H. Bingham, Co. D, and Charles Roundy, Co. F. The Rice letters come from a small booklet published in 1975, titled "Civil War Letters of Edwin Rice" Edited by Ted Perry. Three letters of Oliver Walker, Company C were received from the curator of the Western Maryland Room, Hagerstown Library. Images from the Boston Public Library & the Library Company of Philadelphia have also been added.
The Fort Independence page has several new photographs of the fort & a letter of Edwin Rice. One of the new photos is an aerial shot from the Boston Public Library Prints Department.
The Departure page - a beautiful vintage photograph of the Boston Waterfront that includes the area known as 'Long Wharf" has been added, courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Prints Department. There is also a new illustration of the Cooper Shop Refreshment Saloon in Philadelphia, courtesy of the Library Company of Philadelphia. There are two new newspaper accounts from the Philadelphia Inquirer, August 1st, & August 2nd, 1861, chronicling the 13th's arrival and passage through the city.
The Sharpsburg page now includes an historic photo of the town. Two letters of Oliver H. Walker, Company C, obtained from the Western Maryland Room of the Hagerstown Library have been added to the page, as well as an article by Elliot C. Pierce; "A Midnight Ride." The page contains a photograph of Pierce.
The Darnestown page now has a graphic diagram of the camp created after an original drawn by band member Edwin Rice.
The Williamsport 1861 page has a new image of the town, albeit a poor one, taken from a magazine issue of North and South. Excerpts from the book "The History of the 39th Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, "Yates Phalanx" in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, by Charles M. Clark, M.D., have been added to this page, detailing the arrival of the 39th Illinois at Williamsport, and their inter-actions with the 13th Mass Regiment. Four letters of Edwin Rice and a letter of Oliver H. Walker have been added to this page. A short biography of Walker is included. New photographs include a portrait of William Blanchard, Co. B, and Sgt. George Pfaff, boss teamster. I have added the only known war-time image of the 13th Mass Band, touched up in Photoshop. The image comes from the wonderful collection of Edwin Rice's letters edited by Ted Perry.
The Hankcock page now includes a wonderful new vintage photograph of the town, circa 1910 provided by Mr. Wayne Keefer of the Hancock Historical Society. There is also a contemporary photo of the town. Two new articles from the history of the 39th Illinois have been added. One titled "Dr. Clark and the Rebel Flag" features Capt. Joe Cary, Co. B whose photo has been added. Dr. Clark of the 39th IL is also pictured. A vintage photograph of the B& O railroad bridge over the Cacapon River is also added.
May, 2009
The website folder structure was re-organized. This caused a problem with many broken links for which I apologize. Hopefully these have all been fixed. Please report a broken link by contacting me from the feedback page.
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