The 25th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
(Three Years)
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Unit History
The 25th Regt. Mass. Vol. W. was a Worcester County unit, organized at Camp Lincoln, Worcester, Mass., in the early fall of 1861. It was formed largely under the supervision of A. B. R. Sprague, an officer of the old 3d Battalion Rifles, who became its lieutenant colonel. The men were mustered in on various dates between Sept. 26 and Oct. 12, with Edwin M. Upton of Fitchburg as colonel of the regiment, On Oct. 31 it received its colors from the ladies of the city of Worcester, and left for the seat of war. On Nov. 8 it reached Annapolis, Md., where it was attached to Foster's Brigade, Burnside's Coast Division. It sailed Jan. 9, 1862, as a part of the Burnside expedition to the coast of North Carolina.
Landing Feb. 7, on the following day it was engaged in the battle of Roanoke Island, losing 48 men, 8 of whom were killed or mortally wounded. At Newbern, March 14, it was in action with further loss. From this time until May 9 it was on guard and provost duty in Newbern. In April, 1862, when the 9th Corps was organized, the 25th became a part of Amory's (1st) Brigade, Foster's (1st) Division. Leaving Newbern May 9, it went to Red House thirteen miles to the westward and did picket duty until June 1, when it returned to Newbern and camped near Fort Totten. On July 24 it went on an expedition to Trenton, and Sept. 15 on another to Plymouth, and Oct. 30 on still another to Tarboro. It joined the Goldsboro expedition Dec. 10, and was engaged at Whitehall and Goldsboro with little loss.
The regiment now remained in or near Newbern until March 18, 1863, when it was sent to Plymouth, N. C., returning to Newbern May 3. An expedition to Gum Creek, May 21, and another to Washington, July 3, were its chief activities in the raid year of 1863. In December it was sent by transport to Newport News, Va. Here in December and January 432 members of the regiment re-enlisted and returned to Massachusetts on a veteran furlough. Those who did not re- enlist were sent to Williamsburg and were temporarily attached to the 139th N. Y. Regt.
On March 26,1864, the regiment was reunited at Portsmouth, Va., and was assigned to the Star Brigade - Heckman's (1st) Brigade, 2d Division, 18th Corps. Proceeding to the Bermuda Hundred region the regiment was engaged at Port Walthall Junction, May (3, losing 4 killed and 15 wounded.
At Arrowfield Church, May 9, it lost 13 killed and 49 wounded. On May 16 the regiment was outflanked at Drury's Bluff, losing 20 killed, 64 wounded, and about 70 prisoners. Here Gm Heckman was captured.
Transferred to the north side of the James, the Star Brigade, now commanded by Gen. George H. Stannard, was in the general assault at Cold Harbor, June 3, the 25th Regt. losing 75 killed or mortally wounded, 122 wounded (not mortally), and 32 prisoners, a total of 229 or 76 per cent of the 300 officers and men who reported for duty that morning Thus the loss of the regiment during a period of less than four weeks was over 460 officers and men, of whom 112 were killed or mortally wounded.
Crossing to the south side of the James, the 25th was engaged on the Petersburg front June 15 and 18 with loss, afterward doing duty in the trenches until August 25, when it was withdrawn to Bermuda Hundred. Ordered again to Newbern, N. C., it embarked Sept. 4, and arrived Sept. 10. In the latter part of the month those who had not re-enlisted were sent home to be mustered out.
The remainder of the regiment, being quartered some distance outside the city, did not suffer greatly from the yellow fever which was then raging at Newbern. It was now reduced to a battalion of four companies, and as such remained in the vicinity of Newbern during the winter of 1864-65. At Wise's Forks near Kinston on March 8, 1865, the 25th was in action for the last time.
On April 9 the remnant of the regiment joined Sherman's army near Goldsboro, moving from there in succession to Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, from which latter place in July it was ordered to Massachusetts for muster out.
Arriving at Readville, Mass., July 13, on the 21st of the month it was mustered out of the service, the muster out rolls being dated July 13, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 154 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 169 Enlisted men by disease. Total 330.
Assignments
SERVICE.--Burnside's Expedition to Hatteras Inlet and Roanoke Island, N. C., January 7-February 7, 1862. Battle of Roanoke Island February 8. Expedition to New Berne March 11-13. Battle of New Berne March 14. Provost duty at New Berne until May 9. Reconnaissance toward Trenton May 15-16. Trenton Bridge May 15. Picket and outpost duty until July. Expedition to Trenton and Pollocksville July 24-28. Guard, picket and outpost duty at New Berne until December 10. Demonstration on New Berne November 11. Foster's Expedition to Goldsboro December 10-20. Kinston December 14. Whitehall December 16. Goldsboro December 17. Duty at New Berne until October, 1863. Demonstration on Kinston March 6-8, Core Creek March 7. Skirmishes at Deep Gully, New Berne, March 13-14. Demonstration on Kinston May 20-23. Gum Swamp May 22. Expedition to Swift Creek July 17-20, and to Winton July 25-31. Moved to Newport News October 16-18 and duty there until January 22, 1864. Moved to Portsmouth January 22, 1864, and duty in the Defenses of that city until April 26. Moved to Yorktown April 26. Butler's operations on south side of the James and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-28. Occupation of City Point and Bermuda Hundred May 5. Port Walthal, Chester Station, May 6-7. Swift Creek or Arrowfield Church May 9-10. Operations against Port Darling May 12-16. Drury's Bluff May 14-16. Bermuda Hundred front May 17-28. Moved to White House, thence to Cold Harbor May 28-June 1. Battles about Cold Harbor June 1-12; before Petersburg June 15-18. Siege of Petersburg and Richmond June 16 to September 4. In trenches at Bermuda Hundred August 25-September 4. Moved to New Berne, N. C., September 4-10, and duty there until March, 1865. Non-Veterans ordered home October 5, 1864, and mustered out October 20, 1864. Demonstration from New Berne on Kinston December 9-13, 1864. Operations against Goldsboro, N. C., March 3-21. Battle of Wise's Forks March 8-10. Occupation of Kinston March 14. Moved to Goldsboro March 22-23, and duty there until April 3. Advance on Raleigh April 9-13. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Moved to Greensboro May 3-7, thence to Charlotte May 12-13, and duty there until July 13. Moved to Readville, Mass., July 13-21. Mustered out July 28, 1865.
