3 Month Tour

9 Month Tour



The Leaders
Company A
Company B
Company C
Company D
Company E
Company F
Company G
Company H
Company I
Company K
Company L
Company M



Surnames
Descendants
News Item
 

3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry



HISTORY



The story of the 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry begins with the very start of the Civil War. On Monday, April 14th, 1861, President Lincoln asked his states for 75,000 volunteer troops to serve him for three months. The Third Regiment Mass Voluntary Militia, "Minute Men", was summoned to Boston by Adjutant General Schouler.


Company C was the first company anywhere actually raised for the war - the Third Regiment was composed at this time of Companies A, B, C, G, H, K, and L. They guarded Fort Monroe. Companies D, E, I, and M joined them soon thereafter, having enrolled for three years (they went on to join the Mass 29th). They primarily guarded the fort until they mustered out three months later.

Fort Monroe is a REALLY interesting fort in Virginia that is basically an island - and within it is a full moat and yet ANOTHER island. You can read More about Fort Monroe at their website. Read the Full Details of the 3 month tour.

Fort Monroe Virginia

There was a call for nine-months' troops in 1862. These were mustered from Sept 22nd - 26th. The companies gathered here were A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and K. This poor group had a number of setbacks. First they had to wait for overcoats. Next, after arriving in Newbern, NC, they were armed with inferior Austrian rifled muskets. They remained for a month at a picket station there. In a fight on Dec 10th, they lost the only man they would lose to the enemy (they lost 17 to disease).


2 spots in North Carolina where the 9 mo tour spent its time

They were in the background at Kinston, Whitehall, and helped tear up railroad track in Goldsboro. At the end of December they joined the 18th Corps, but were told their muskets were not good enough. They then were sent to Colonel Jourdan's Brigade, and moved to Camp Jourdan. By April they were digging trenches. There was a bit more small fighting before they sailed back to Boston in June. You can read More Details about the 9 Month Tour.

If you have a particular company you're interested in, Contact Lisa Shea and I'll make it a priority to put up their roster. Read through the new Letters of the Mass 3rd that we have on line. If you're related, add your name to the Mass 3rd Infantry Descendant listing!

Note that this is the INFANTRY site. The cavalry and artillery were quite separate, and I don't have any information on them.



All Other Massachusetts Regiments
Letters of the Civil War: on line for you to read!
Lisa's Geneology Pages