Acton Memorial Library
Civil War Archives

"Old Sixth" Regiment Massachusetts Militia (Infantry) (3 months)

April 16 - August 2, 1861

"Sixth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Milita (Infantry), Three Months," history and roster (PDF) extracted from: Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War. Compiled and Published by the Adjutant General in Accordance with Chapter 475, Acts of 1899 and Chapter 64, Resolves of 1930. Norwood, Mass.: 1931-1937. Volume 1, pp. 371-397. Digital copy online at the Internet Archive, http://www.archive.org/details/massachusettssol11931mass

The 6th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia "Minute Men," was summoned to Boston by Special Order No. 14, issued on the afternoon of April 15, 1861, from the office of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts. At 7 o'clock on the evening of the 17th the regiment, fully armed and equipped, entrained for Washington. While passing through Baltimore, Md., April 19, a detachment of four companies, C, D, I, and L, under Captain Albert S. Follansbee, was set upon by a mob, and in the street fighting which followed four members of the detachment were killed and thirty-six wounded, the first soldiers to fall in the Civil War. This regiment was the first to arrive in Washington completely uniformed and equipped for service. It was at first quartered in the Senate Chamber in the Capitol. Mustered into the service April 22, it was soon transferred to the Relay House near Baltimore. In the occupation of Baltimore and in doing guard duty at or near the Relay House the regiment was occupied until July 29, when it entrained for Massachusetts. Reaching Boston on the 1st of August, on the following day it was mustered out of the service.

Company "E" (Davis Guards)

Company E consisted of 5 officers and 47 enlisted men. All of the officers and 35 men were from Acton. The company suffered no losses.

* resident of Acton

Commissioned

Capt. Daniel Tuttle*
1st Lieut. William H. Chapman *
2nd Lieut. George W. Rand *
3d Lieut. Silas P. Blodgett *
4th Lieut. Aaron S. Fletcher *

Enlisted

1st Sergt. Luke Smith *
Sergt. George W. Knights *
Sergt. Henry W. Wilder
Sergt. Granville W. Wilder
Corpl. Charles Jones *
Corpl. John F. Blood *
Corpl. Luke Jones Robbins *
Corpl. Levi H. Robbins *
Music. George F. Campbell *
Music. George W. Reiser
Battles, Edward D.
Blood, George F. *
Bray, Henry L. *
Brooks, Charles A. *
Brown, John A.
Durant, James L.
Farrar, Abel, Jr. *
Fletcher, Aaron J. *
Gilson, Henry *
Goss, Nathan *
Gray, William H. *
Handley, Charles H. *
Handley, William S. *
Hosmer, Gilman S. *
Jones, George *
Lazell, Henry W. *
Littlefield, Waldo
Morse, Charles
Moulton, Charles *
Moulton, James *
Putnam, John *
Reed, Charles W.
Reed, George A.
Reed, William *
Reed, William B. *
Robbins, Luke *
Robbins, Varnum F. *
Sawyer, Andrew J. *
Smith, Ephraim A. *
Tarbell, Edwin *
Wayne, John *
Wheeler, Hiram
White, John H. P. *
Whitney, John
Whitney, William F.B.*
Wilson, Samuel *
Wood, Eben F. *

Service in Other Companies

Alonzo Joy, Co. I (wounded)
James E. Richardson, Co. B

"New 6th" Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Militia) (9 months)

August 4, 1862 - June 3, 1863

"Sixth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Milita (Infantry), Nine Months," history and roster (PDF) extracted from: Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War. Compiled and Published by the Adjutant General in Accordance with Chapter 475, Acts of 1899 and Chapter 64, Resolves of 1930. Norwood, Mass.: 1931-1937. Volume 1, pp. 398-432. Digital copy online at the Internet Archive, http://www.archive.org/details/massachusettssol11931mass

Under the call of August 4, 1862, for 300,000 militia to serve nine months, 19,080 being assigned to the quota of Massachusetts, the 6th Regiment again volunteered for duty, thus helping to avoid the employment of the draft to raise troops in this Commonwealth. Its rendezvous was at Camp Henry Wilson, Lowell, Mass. Its companies were mostly mustered in on August 31, but Company F was not mustered until September 8. Proceeding to Washington and thence to Fort Monroe, the regiment was engaged during the fall and winter in the Blackwater region, and during the spring participated in the defense of Suffolk, Va., when that city was menaced by a large force under Gen. Longstreet. At Carrsville, Va., May 14-16, 1863, the regiment was engaged with loss. The siege of Suffolk being ended, on the 26th of May the regiment left for Boston, where it arrived on the 29th. Proceeding to Lowell, on June 3 it was mustered out of the service.

Company E consisted of three officers and 73 enlisted men. The three officers and 33 of the men were residents of Acton. Three men died of disease and two were discharged for disability.

Men in Company E with Acton ties (resident of Acton *). For complete roster see link at left.

Commissioned

Captain Aaron C. Handley *
1st Lieut. Aaron S. Fletcher *
1st Lieut. George W. Rand *

Enlisted

2nd Liet. George W. Knights *
1st Sergt. Frank H. Whitcomb *
Sergt. Andrew J. Sawyer *
Sergt. Levi H. Robbins *
Sergt. William Morrill *
Corpl. Samuel G. Brown
Corpl. Isaiah Hutchins *
Corpl. Francis E. Harris *
Corpl. Abel Farrar, Jr. *
Corpl. Varnum F. Robbins *
Corpl. Joseph N. Robbins *
Wagoner William D. Clark *
Ames, George T. *
Blood, Charles H. *
Bray, Henry L. *
Butters, Hiram *
Chaplin, William, Jr. *
Conant, Elbridge * (died of disease)
Dwelley, Oscar *
Farrar, Daniel H. *
Fletcher, Charles W. *
Fuller, Chauncey U. *
Griffin, John
Hale, William F.
Hall, Eugene L. *
Hapgood, Henry *
Hapgood, Marshall *
Hoar, Forestus D.K. *
Hoar, Sherman J. * (discharged for disability)
Holden, Walter O. *
Holton, Charles H.
Jones, George *
Knowlton, George W.
Marsters, Lewis J.
Morin, Joseph
Moulton, Albert *
Newton, Augustus
Parker, George B. * (discharged for disability)
Pierce, George N. *
Pollard, John H. *
Preston, Oscar
Reed, William *
Robbins, Albert W.
Smith, Allen G.
Whitcomb, Allen P.
Whitcomb, Nahum H. (died of disease)
Willard, Henry

Service in Other Companies

John H. Colburn, Co. K
Abner D. Holt, Sergt., Co. K
William F. Wood, Co. K (wounded)

"New 6th" Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (Infantry) (100 Days)

July 14 - October 27, 1864

"Sixth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Milita (Infantry), One Hundred Days," history and complete roster (PDF) extracted from: Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War. Compiled and Published by the Adjutant General in Accordance with Chapter 475, Acts of 1899 and Chapter 64, Resolves of 1930. Norwood, Mass.: 1931-1937. Volume 1, pp. 433-468. Digital copy online at the Internet Archive, http://www.archive.org/details/massachusettssol11931mass

In the middle of July, 1864, the 6th Regiment entered upon its third term of service, being mustered in between the 14th and 19th of the month for one hundred days. Proceeding to Washington, it was assigned to a post in the rear of Fort C. F. Smith on Arlington Heights, where it remained until August 21. It was then transferred to Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island in Delaware Bay, where for a time it guarded a camp of 7000 Confederate prisoners. On the 19th of October the regiment entrained for Massachusetts, reaching Boston on the 21st. On October 27 it was mustered out of the service for the third and last time at Readville, Mass.

Company E consisted of three officers and 98 enlisted men. The three officers and 18 of the enlisted men were residents of Acton.

Men in Company E with Acton ties (resident of Acton *). For complete roster see link at left.

Comissioned

Captain Frank H. Whitcomb *
1st Lieut. George W. Knights *
2d Lieut. Isaiah Hutchins *

Enlisted

Sergt. Andrew J. Sawyer *
Corpl. William Chaplin, Jr. *
Corpl. Francis. E. Harris *
Corpl. Forestus D.K. Hoar *
Corpl. George. W. Knowlton
Corpl. Oscar E. Preston *
Ames, Frank W. *
Byam, Chellis *
Cass, John H. *
Chaplin, Waldo *
Conant, J. Sherman *
Conway, John *
Farrar, Daniel H. *
Forbush, Ephraim *
Fuller, Chauncey U. *
Giles, Meldon S. *
Holmes, True E. *
Hosmer, Lucius S. *
Jenkins, Alfred B. *
Mather, Lewis W. *
Parlin, Henry D. *
Smith, George D. *
Smith, Luke *
Symonds, Emery A. *
Thomas, Edwin G. *
Wayne, James *
Wayne, Robert
Wood, Eben F. *

Service in Other Companies

Charles W. Grant, Co. H