29th 29th infantry regiment union army united_states american civil war regiment organized december new companies attached battalion seven massachusetts companies active service seven companies recruited fill 3rd massachusetts 4th massachusetts regiments signed years service 3rd 4th massachusetts mustered july seven companies signed years grouped form battalion known finally december companies added roster form regiment unit designated 29th massachusetts regiment took battles variety theaters war early service virginia 29th attached spring army campaign famed 29th distinction regiment non irish ethnicity serve brigade january including 29th massachusetts transferred kentucky engaged operations confederate summer transferred took siege siege jackson mississippi fall took resulted defeat confederate forces eastern tennessee spring saw 29th massachusetts returned duty time siege siege unit suffered worst casualties war march 29th mustered service august including seven months served regiment designation 29th unit longest terms service massachusetts regiment total years months april days attack went massachusetts governor immediate existing regiments massachusetts militia 3rd 4th massachusetts left washington april serve term days reach capital regiments departed complement companies required army regulations following weeks seven additional companies formed massachusetts assigned 3rd 4th fill unlike majority companies 3rd 4th regiments enlisted days new companies signed years service seven companies eventually form majority 29th massachusetts serving 3rd 4th massachusetts companies primarily garrisoned end strategically important virginia allowed union forces control major unsuccessful effort strengthen hold peninsula union troops marched attacked confederate position resulting june companies eventually 29th involved action expedition commanded colonel 3rd 4th massachusetts regiments mustered july seven year companies consolidated july form command captain battalion served relatively light garrison guard duty remainder december companies added battalion complement companies unit known 29th appointed commander 29th regimental historian recorded appointment 29th expectation barnes led command new regiment barnes placed second command lieutenant colonel disliked failure winter charges brought officers 29th court incompetence improper conduct superior officer brigadier general overturned ruling remained command 29th massachusetts winter early spring 29th deployed minor expeditions near norfolk virginia march regiment present naval engagement fought primarily uss monitor virginia regiment helped man land battery engagement men 29th amazed new ironclad vessels changes brought naval warfare middle march 29th witnessed arrival army commanded intended use base operations assault confederate capital richmond effort known course march men 29th watched roughly union soldiers horses 29th remain army way richmond campaign outside confederate capital additional troops called 29th massachusetts departed june attachment traveling 29th arrived marched battle june regiment attached contemporaries historians alike wondered unusual assignment 29th massachusetts men descended largely old stock english families heritage dating time significant social friction new_england established protestant families irish immigrants regimental historian observed 29th welcomed historians point aristocratic 29th massachusetts thrown regiments quotes period sources describing unlikely matching ancient political foes manner men 29th tolerated irish born commander brig critical silence despite social differences 29th massachusetts fought alongside irish regiments heavy combat regiment seen seven days battles series battles drove army away richmond resulting failure union retreat praised 29th actions battle saying proved equals brigade superiors army later 29th disguise seven days battles 29th suffered moderate casualties killed wounded casualties included right arm shot cannon fire command regiment fell barnes maryland campaign following failure elements shipped northern virginia provide assistance pope attempting open second assault richmond north defeated second battle bull run august 29th massachusetts elements arrived late battle victory bull run confederate invaded maryland september including 29th massachusetts moved intercept confederate offensive armies clashed maryland september battle commenced early morning assaults confederate left flank corps failed including called assault position near confederate center known sunken road bloody lane trench like road afforded strong defensive position division lead moved envisioned delivery brigade followed charge advanced crest took heavy fire progress brigade slowed split rail fence asked volunteers run forward corporal 29th sprang forward wright recalled shot reached fence grasp rail sent flying hands rifle shots dash lines dangerous wright later awarded medal honor bravery course successive battles wounded times reported dead twice despite survived war advancing good order heavy fire delivering effective fire return reach brigade retired regimental historian observed steadily drill 29th criticized historians including advancing quickly rest accident terrain small rise 29th position afforded cover casualties lighter regiments brigade armstrong argues barnes reluctant leave ground factor contributed failure charge casualties 29th killed wounded missing battle tactical stalemate claimed strategic victory lee army retreated virginia despite president lincoln displeased failure pursue lee replaced november proceeded gather army virginia preparing assault lee army virginia removal camp late november officers 29th learned arranged green flag presented regiment recognizing role honorary bravery barnes declined gift according regimental historian colonel proud receive flag regiment token respect irish comrades objected flag carried regiment ground irish regiment historians including observed controversy surrounding issue according barnes refused accept flag believed brand irish revolutionaries result incident november 29th transferred brig christ brigade replaced 28th massachusetts irish regiment transfer spared 29th new brigade played role comrades charge battle suffered severe casualties kentucky following failure removed command army returned command 29th massachusetts belonged february detached army transferred virginia kentucky command operations kentucky east tennessee 29th massachusetts reached cincinnati railroad march marched kentucky stationed paris kentucky april conducting light duty defending occasional raids confederate late april marched somerset kentucky occupied similar duty early june mississippi early june transferred command required reinforcements siege major confederate stronghold mississippi_river 29th massachusetts traveled elements steamship ohio arrived vicinity late june began digging weeks regiment arrived mississippi city surrendered july following surrender remaining confederate forces mississippi concentrated state capital jackson took corps unions troops including laid siege jackson mid july digging trenches 29th exposed heavy artillery fire regiment suffered casualty siege night july confederate army jackson managed slip away city siege ended shortly afterward recalled kentucky eager begin operations tennessee way 29th acted guard marching rear gather missed group depart cincinnati wait weeks august regiments camp mississippi near camp conditions weather extremely hot men suffered disease regimental historian wrote deaths frequent troops time burial parties constantly engaged funeral notes drum heard nearly hour day save strongest came campaign sound health gathered vicinity lexington kentucky late august preparation invasion eastern tennessee region strategically important rail link virginia population eastern tennessee primarily key strategic goal lincoln force confederate troops region hopes gain support bring state union prior march half men 29th sick list result service mississippi including barnes took extended leave returned time massachusetts absence returned 29th command unit march kentucky tennessee longest marches 29th executed distance miles covered september september october camp tennessee remained november time confederate launched offensive aimed expulsion troops including 29th massachusetts moved southwest meet near tennessee union forces rapidly repulsed retreated siege city began mid november 29th position siege fort launched assault fort november 29th saw heavy action members 29th sgt later received medal honor bravery capturing confederate battle flags battle 29th lost killed owing strength position walls fort following union victory retreat troops virginia 29th stationed mid december tennessee miles northeast camped open plain exposed wind snow running low provisions regiment suffered severely december january referred camp valley forge end december barnes rejoined 29th commander elevated brigade command january end year term service months away men 29th given option years men chose accept offer receive day consolidated 36th massachusetts serve remaining months total men chose approximately march 29th commenced long march ohio cumberland gap reaching cincinnati april men sent boston promised sent virginia join 36th massachusetts remaining men 29th massachusetts general chief union_army began spring direct actions northern virginia aggressively pushing lee confederate army richmond series major battles men 29th transferred 36th massachusetts took opening battles campaign casualties seven killed wounded total men detachment fulfilled year mid returned home newly ended 29th massachusetts small fraction original size departed virginia rejoined army time closing battles particularly battle cold harbor june regiment suffered casualties killed wounded captured grant assault cold harbor regiment temporarily assigned june rejoined days regiment built served picket duty june rapidly marched outskirts virginia preparation assault city siege assault pre dawn hours june divisions formed assault entrenched confederate position outside barnes 29th elevated command 2nd brigade 29th belonged major placed command 29th divisions attacked repulsed 1st division moved assigned position late afternoon lay studying confederate awaiting orders advance division relief received orders attack called short time later came order attack division including 29th charged protected position open plain confederate according regimental historian scarcely emerged open plain crest confederate works fringed fire smoke filled air charge color bearer 29th sgt shot head colors picked sgt killed sergeant major picked flag color bearer killed charge point 29th forced pause advance retired short distance confusion colors left field major asked volunteers open ground retrieve colors found colors according regimental historian bravery trio fire allowed return lines eventually captured confederate works little accomplished assault overall remained strongly entrenched long siege began 29th numbering men time lost killed wounded battle crater 29th occupied trenches outside rest army summer july union troops dug beneath confederate position july massive gunpowder detonated blasting hole confederate position resulting 1st led confused failed attack 29th took charging crater regiments eventually retreating losing killed seven wounded captured 29th played minor role movement intended siege august regiment suffered casualties engagement fall 29th served uneventful duty siege lines eventually november assigned garrison post small unfinished detached fortification outside fort fortifications built union lines siege yards confederate trenches distance armies remain post months march regiment fought final offensive siege dawn march confederate troops achieved complete surprise easily occupied fort entering rear port major command 29th hearing light gunfire ordered 29th fall general alarm raised richardson felt certain attack underway minutes approximately small overall offensive swept 29th held ground engaging heated hand hand combat eventually capturing twice number occupied soon sent offensive occupy time 29th forced retreat nearest position 29th casualties engagement sgt finding surrounded refused surrender confederate officer demanding surrender shot simultaneously poet learning story wrote book specimen days hours confederate attack lost momentum forces began pull overwhelming union counterattack eventually recaptured fort 29th took counterattack capturing color bearer 29th enter battery later awarded medal honor regiment lost killed unknown number captured engagement 29th pursuit lee army small regiment instead withdrawn washington shortly lee surrender served guards capital august 29th mustered service approximately members roughly percent killed action died wounds disease official numbers number wounded available unit served states traveled miles taking account seven months duty served prior official formation regiment plus term served members 29th massachusetts longest terms service massachusetts regiment total years months
29th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry