ately thereafter, the regiment was sent to Donaldsonville with two brigades under command of Col. Dudley. On the 13th of July, while moving up the Bayou Lafourche, and when they were about to encamp, the Union troops were attacked by a large force of rebels. The Forty-ninth was sent forward to support a battery, and, owing to the falling-back of the rest of our forces, was nearly surrounded. By making a circuit of three miles through cornfields, it was enabled to join the rest of Col. Dudley's command, with a loss of twenty-two killed, wounded, and missing. Except participating in a few short expeditions, the regiment had no further active service until its return home.

Returning via Mississippi River, it reached Pittsfield Aug. 21, where it was publicly received with much enthusiasm by the citizens of Berkshire County.

By special permission of the Governor of the Commonwealth, the colors of the regiment were retained in the county, in the keeping of the clerk of the courts.

The record of the regiment is an honorable one, and worthy of the Revolutionary fame of Berkshire men.

THE FIFTIETH REGIMENT

Was composed, in the main, of the Seventh Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.

When the call for nine-months' troops was made, this regiment volunteered for the service in a body. It was ordered to Camp Stanton, Boxford, to recruit to the maximum. It was essentially an Essex-County regiment. Col. Messer and Lieut.-Col. Locke have long been connected with our Volunteer Militia, and have been raised from the ranks for their capacity and good conduct. Each of them commanded a company in the Fifth Regiment during the three-months' service, and were in the first battle of Bull Run, in July, 1861.

On the 19th of November, the regiment was ordered to New York to report to Gen. Banks, and was attached to the Depart

THE FIFTIETH AT NEW ORLEANS.

435

ment of the Gulf. The regiment was divided into three parts, and placed on board of small and unsafe vessels, two of which came near being foundered at sea.

becoming unmanageable, The troops were landed,

The third, the "Jersey Blue," put in at Hilton Head in distress. remained there about three weeks, embarked on board the bark "Guerilla," arrived at New Orleans Jan. 20, 1863, went into camp at Carrollton, and, on the 5th of February, proceeded by steamer to Baton Rouge.

Company I sailed from New York in company with the Thirtieth Massachusetts on the 1st of December, and arrived at Baton Rouge on the 16th. Company H was left at Park Barracks, awaiting transportation. The "Niagara," with field and staff officers and the five remaining companies, sailed on the 13th.

On the first night out, the steamer sprang a leak; and, her machinery becoming disabled, it was found necessary to put in at Delaware Breakwater. It being evident that the vessel could not proceed on her voyage without endangering the lives of the troops on board, Col. Messer ordered her to proceed to Philadelphia, where she arrived on the 16th. Col. Messer immediately ordered a survey to be held upon the steamer, and she was condemned. He then conferred with the military authorities at New York, who decided to send him a transport as soon as possible; and on the first day of January, 1863, the "Jenny Lind," with Company H on board, arrived at Philadelphia. On the 9th of January, the regiment left in the "Jenny Lind" for Fortress Monroe, where it arrived on the 13th. There it was found that the ship was incapable of accommodating all the troops; and Companies B, D, and H, were transferred to the "Montebello." The "Montebello' sailed on the 16th, and, after a passage of eleven days, arrived at New Orleans on the 27th.

Upon arriving at New Orleans, the small-pox broke out among a portion of the troops on board not belonging to the Fiftieth Regiment; and she was ordered to the quarantine station, twenty miles below New Orleans, where a portion of the Fiftieth suffered somewhat from the epidemic; but no deaths occurred.

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The Jenny Lind" arrived at New Orleans on the 9th of February, when the troops took passage per steamer "Iberville," and arrived at Baton Rouge on the 14th instant. The regiment was there assigned to the command of Acting Brig.-Gen. Dudley, of the first division, third brigade, Nineteenth Army Corps. Preparations were immediately made for increasing the efficiency of the

regiment by constant drills, and strict attention to all the duties belonging to a soldier's life. Nothing of special interest occurred until the 14th of March, when the regiment was ordered into active service, and accompanied the entire command of MajorGen. Banks on the expedition of that date to the rear of Port Hudson, some twenty miles distant. Here the regiment bivouacked for the first time upon the ever-memorable night, when, by the strategic movement made by Gen. Banks, Admiral Farragut was enabled to pass the batteries of Port Hudson with two of his war steamers, the " Hartford " and " Albatross.”

The object of the expedition being accomplished, the third brigade returned to Baton Rouge, where it took passage by steamer to Winter's Plantation, a point on the opposite bank of the Mississippi, three miles below, and in full view of the batteries of Port Hudson. There the regiment performed picket-duty to enable a communication to be made with Admiral Farragut; which being accomplished, it returned to camp at Baton Rouge on the 26th. On the 2d of April, the detachment under Lieut.-Col. Locke arrived from quarantine, where it had been about seventy days.

On the 9th of April, Companies A, B, C, and I, of the Fiftieth, accompanied an expedition, consisting of a force of artillery, cavalry, and infantry, six hundred strong, under command of Lieut.-Col. Everett of the Second Louisiana Regiment, to the Bayou Monticeno, about six miles distant from Baton Rouge, on the road to Port Hudson, for the purpose of destroying a bridge crossing that stream; which being accomplished, the regiment returned to Baton Rouge, after an absence of about five hours.

On the 12th of May, the regiment marched from Baton Rouge in company with the third brigade for Port Hudson. It arrived at White's Bayou, ten miles south-east of Port Hudson, and there was ordered to remain. It was necessary to hold that position, in order to prevent a flank movement of the enemy while our forces were concentrating and surrounding Port Hudson in its immediate rear. After our army had effected this, and were in a condition to attack, the Fiftieth was ordered to the front, and, on the 26th of May, marched to a position within range of the enemy's batteries. On the 27th, it took part in the assault on the fortress; and from that day to the 9th of July, when the fort surrendered, the regiment was principally engaged in supporting batteries.

On the 8th, it marched within the fortifications, and did garri son-duty until the 29th, when it took passage on board the steamer "Omaha" for home.

THE FIFTY-FIRST IN NORTH CAROLINA.

437

On the 3d of August, the steamer grounded near Helena, Ark.; and the men were transferred to the "G. M. Kennett," and arrived at Cairo, Ill., on the 5th. Thence it went by railroad to Boston, arriving there on the 11th; and was mustered out of the service of the United States at Wenham, Aug. 24.

FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT.

The Fifty-first Regiment was recruited at Camp John E. Wool, Worcester, of which Col. Ward, of the Fifteenth Regiment, was appointed commandant. He had lost a leg at the disastrous fight at Ball's Bluff, Va., where he had displayed great gallantry.

The Fifty-first was a Worcester-County regiment. Col. Sprague was one of our best militia-officers. He commanded a company in the Third Battalion of Rifles, under Major Devens, now briga-. dier-general, during the three-months' service. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel in the Twenty-fifth Regiment, and was present at the taking of Roanoke Island and Newbern, N.C., in both of which engagements he proved himself a brave and excellent officer.

When the Fifty-first had recruited to the maximum, Lieut.-Col. Sprague was elected colonel. On the 11th of November, the regiment received orders to proceed to Newbern, N.C., and report to Major-Gen. Foster. The names of its principal officers were as follows:

Colonel

Lieutenant-Colonel

Major.

Surgeon

Assistant Surgeon
Chaplain

Augustus B. K. Sprague.
John M. Studley.
Elijah A. Harkness.

George Jewett.

J. Homer Darling.
Gilbert Cummings.

Nov. 25, it embarked at Boston on board the United-States transport "Merrimack." It went to sea the same evening; and, after a rough voyage, arrived at Beaufort, N.C., on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 30, where, taking cars to Newbern, it went into quarters in the unfinished barracks on the south side of the Trent River. Here it was assigned to the brigade commanded by Col. T. J. C. Amory.

In obedience to Department General Orders, No. 77, and Brigade General Orders, No. 31, the regiment took its place in line at daylight on the morning of Dec. 11, and formed a part of the column in what is known as the expedition to Goldsborough. For

a detailed report of the duties performed during that ten-days' march, reference may be had to the official report of the command. ing officer, as published in the report of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts for the year 1862.

On the 30th of December, Company G, Capt. T. D. Kimball, was detached, and ordered to occupy the Block House, and perform outpost duty at Brice's Ferry. This post was garrisoned by this company as long as the regiment remained in North Carolina.

Assistant Surgeon Garvin was ordered on the 6th January to report for duty as post-surgeon at Roanoke Island, and there remained till after the regiment left the department.

The first death in the regiment occurred on the 11th of January, of the disease known in medical works as "Arcbro Spinal Meningitis." This singularly fatal malady, during the two months following, consigned to the grave about twenty from among the hardiest and best soldiers.

In conformity to Department General Orders, No. 18, of Jan. 15, 1863, the names "Kinston," "Whitehall," and "Goldsborough," were inscribed on the colors of the regiment.

On the 20th February, suffering severely from a steadily increasing sick-list and frequent deaths, six companies, as a sanitary measure, were moved from the barracks to Deep Gully, an outpost eight miles out, on the Trent Road. The weather being unfavorable, and the shelter-tents proving quite insufficient for the comfort of men suffering from malaria, the regiment returned to barracks Feb. 27.

In conformity to Special Orders, No. 46, "that Col. Sprague, commanding Fifty-first Massachusetts, with his regiment, relieve the companies stationed at different points along the railroad between Newbern and Morehead City, also those at Morehead City, Beaufort, and Evans's Mills," on the 2d and 3d of March, the regiment was distributed as follows:

Company G, Capt. T. D. Kimball, remaining at Brice's Ferry. Company K, Capt. D. W. Kimball, Evans's Mills. Companies D, Capt. Prouty, H, Capt. Hobbs, B, Capt. Bascom, and I, Capt. Thayer, Newport; Lieut.-Col. Studley. Companies A, Capt. Wood, and C, Capt. Goodell, Morehead City. Companies E, Capt. Wheeler, and F, Capt. Baldwin, Beaufort; headquarters at Beaufort. Major E. A. Harkness was designated as Provost-Marshal of Beaufort and Morehead City.

March 25, Lieut. Sanderson and twenty-two men were ordered to man the gunboat " Hussar," lying in Beaufort Harbor, and were instructed in naval gunnery.