\documentclass[11pt]{book}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
    \title{\textbf{The Tenth regiment, Massachusetts volunteer infantry, 1861-1864, a western Massachusetts regiment}}
    \author{Roe, Alfred S. (Alfred Seelye), 1844-1917}
    \date{}

    \addtolength{\topmargin}{-3cm}
    \addtolength{\textheight}{3cm}
\begin{document}
\maketitle

\thispagestyle{empty}
\begin{flushleft}COPYRIGHTED 1909 \end{flushleft}

\begin{flushleft}BY THE
TENTH REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS \linebreak
VOLUNTEER INFANTRY ASSOCIATION.\linebreak
SPRINGFIELD, - MASS.\linebreak
of The F. A. Bassette Co., Springfield, Mass. \end{flushleft}

\newpage
\section*{PREFACE}

There must be something peculiar in the man who is not
ready to maintain that his own home is the very best pos
sible in like manner there must be something lacking in the
Union veteran who does not hold his regiment the bravest
and truest that ever wore the blue, who does not narrate the
services of that organization so regularly, eloquently and
persistently that listeners wonder that any member came
home alive and what other bodies could have been doing while
the st or th was putting down the Rebellion.

While the survivors of the Tenth Massachusetts Volunteer
Infantry do not claim that their regiment was Primus inter
pares (First among equals), they do maintain that there was
none any better and that its rank and file were as truly repre
sentative of the real American spirit as any that followed the
Flag for the maintenance of the Union.

Though the day is far spent, and the great majority of the
men who constituted the membership of the Tenth are today
sleeping the sleep that knows no waking, yet the surviving
scant fifth of the aggregate, deeming it desirable that the
recital of their own and their deceased comrades services
should have permanent lodgment by the side of similar stories
of other regiments, at this late day, almost half a century
after enlistment, avail themselves of the munificent offer\footnote{The Commonwealth purchases 500 copies of regimental histories
of specified size and character to be distributed among the public
Libraries of the state.} of the Commonwealth and the generous contributions of
friends, and add this volume to the array of similar narratives
of loyalty, endurance and sacrifice.

The body of the work tells the story of the Regiment as a
whole; the Roster recites the brief summary of more than
twelve hundred men, every one as dear as life itself to some
home, more or less distant. Just as far as care and persever
ance could take the inquirer, so far have those concerned in
the volume carried the investigations concerning those who,
so long ago, drank with them from the same canteen and
with them bivouacked on the old camp ground. To those
who in any way contributed to the fullness of this Roster
thanks from many directions are due and they are hereby
rendered.

The foundation of the history is the volume put forth by
Capt. J. K. Newell in 1875, the result of several years of
careful labor, interminable letter writing, the turning of the War files of many newspapers and all the personal interviews
that he could secure. This story, modified, revised and
extended, forms the basis of a new and later recital of services
that grow even brighter in the perspective of intervening
years. To Captain Newell s story are added extracts from
the diaries of Corporals S. H. Hindley, "H," and Theo. Sar
gent, "K," printed in H. M. Tower s History of Spencer, also
data from diary of J. W. Hersey, "H," with many incidents
and facts, for the first time told in print by survivors who,
to the plea for assistance, have sent in personal contributions,
always the spice of the more solid dish.

A study of the data, afforded in the Roster, will reveal many
interesting items to those curiously inclined. They will find
there a remarkable instance of homogeneity, in that officers
and men were almost entirely of American birth, and while
few of them claimed educational advantages beyond those
of the public schools, yet still less were obliged to sign their
enlistment papers by "his mark." No regiment better
appreciated the opportunities of Uncle Sam s postal system
and more regularly communicated with friends at home, while
reading matter by the pouchful, from the home land, found
eager recipients among these church and school reared
soldiers.

At the front, only praises followed every year of regimental
service. Whether the men were drilling and building forts,
marching, on picket duty, camping, skirmishing or in the
battle line, where were they found other than faithful? From
their baptism of blood at Fair Oaks, through two full years
of battle din, to the final scenes in front of Petersburg, every
day s duty was faithfully discharged. On their battle flags
are inscribed the names of some of the fiercest encounters
of the war, but their first was their severest trial. Their
aggregate losses entitle the Regiment to a place among the
"Three Hundred Fighting Regiments " enumerated by Wm.
F. Fox in his famous work, where a total loss of 134 killed
and mortally wounded is essential for entrance. The Regi
ment s percentage of loss was eleven per cent and, while at
Spottsylvania, out of 280 engaged, 26 were lost, a percentage
of twelve plus. This is all the more conspicuous in that the
Regiment received only two hundred recruits, hence a rela
tively small number of men from whom losses could come.
Their actual service at the front was only a little more than
two years, and their muster-out, at the end of the three years,
did not give the extra time had by many regiments for con
tinuous battle losses.

Readers of this volume will search in vain for the story of
the war, that is the field of more extended works; this is just
the history of a single regiment, keeping as near the individual
as possible from start to finish. Incidentally, other similar
organizations are mentioned and historical scenes, places and
persons are noted at intervals, but everywhere and at all
times the impression is pronounced that the story is specific
rather than general. The narrator has had the efficient aid
of the committee appointed by their comrades to supervise
the compilation and publication. Messrs. Anderson, Gilmore
(until his lamented death), Hendrick, Hersey, Howes, Walker
and Warriner have faithfully cooperated in every possible
way to aid and advance the work.

The reader will observe that an unusual number of por
traits embellish the book. The originals of these faces were
secured from divers directions and distances. Many of them
were crumpled and dimmed by time and carelessness, yet each
one as precious as gold to the possessor. Varying in size and
vividness, the engraver has done his best to bring out the
qualities of resemblance the pictures once possessed; the
four groups of officers heads are reduced from the wood
cuts with which Captain Newell adorned his book of almost
thirty-five years ago.

The surviving veterans of the Tenth, together with their
friends and those of the majority already in the other world,
are indebted to a wide range of people who have helped in the
preparation of this book. The helpers include, not only the
History Committee, but Major Knight and Lieutenant Eaton
who lis tened to the reading of the story in manuscript and the
former gave his working hours for months to the elaboration
of data in the Roster of Company E; to Lieutenant Darby
for his labors in looking up the facts for Company B; the
Company Committee of Company H for the thorough manner
in which the particulars of that organization were presented;
to J. W. Hersey for his war-time diary; and to H. A. Tower
of the Band for the admirable work lie did in looking up the
record of his fellow musicians. Finally, every one who directly
or indirectly helped on the development of this history of the
Regiment is entitled to the heartiest thanks of every survivor
and friend.
\begin{flushleft}
ALFRED S. ROE.\linebreak
Worcester, March, 1909.\linebreak
Col. H. L. Eustis,\linebreak
Capt. E. E. Day, Maj. O. Miller, Lt. Col. J. M. Decker,\linebreak
Lieut. B. F. Leland, Sergt. Maj. E. K. Wilcox, Lt. A. E. Munyan.
\end{flushleft}
\pagebreak

\section*{SPRINGFIELD}


Western Massachusetts! The words arouse thoughts of
the hills of Berkshire and the Connecticut River as it courses
through the counties of Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden.
The western boundary is readily given and, properly, its
eastern is the line which separates these three counties from
Worcester. In area, this section of the Commonwealth is
somewhat more than one-third of Massachusetts, its popula
tion in 1860, a trifle under one-seventh of the total; and its
valuation, one-eleventh. In furnishing soldiers, population
not area counts, and comparison with the aggregates collated
by Adjutant General Wm. Schouler shows that the western
part of the Commonwealth, in its outpouring of loyal, patriotic
men, was fully up to the record of the eastern and central
portions and, in expenditures for the raising of troops and
caring for dependent families, there was not the slightest
falling off. Naturally the militia companies nearest Boston
were earliest able to respond to the first call for troops, and
only the Allen Guards of Pittsfield were found in the April
answer to the President s demand, but regrets over the en
forced delay were many and loud.

The Tenth Regiment of the State Militia was entirely a
Western Massachusetts organization. Under the command of
Col. J. M. Decker, had the companies been nearer the general
rendezvous, it might have figured with the Sixth, Fourth and
the other bodies so fortunate as to be in at the very beginning.
As it was, by reference to the several prefatory sketches of
the companies, it will be seen that many of the subsequent
soldiers were putting down their names in April and, as it
were, dancing attendance on the recruiting station till their
muster-in, the following June. When the vision of Secretary Seward and other members of Lincoln s Cabinet, of a rebellion,
suppressed in sixty days, had vanished, and in the middle
of May there came from Washington permission for Massa
chusetts to organize six regiments as her first installment
towards filling the call for half a million men, there was many
an exultant heart-beat along the Connecticut and under the
shadow of Greylock, because at least one of the regiments
must come from that vicinity.

Governor John A. Andrew has received merited praise
during almost half a century for the early proffers, made by
him of the services of Massachusetts Militia in the opening
weeks of 1861, but some recognition should be had of the
wisdom and foresight of his predecessor, Nathaniel P. Banks,
Jr., who had placed the citizen soldiery of the Commonwealth
in a condition of efficiency never attained before. It was the
very climax of good fortune which placed at the disposal of
Governor Andrew a superbly equipped body of men, ready to
respond at the earliest summons and even to march on their
mission southward through loyal states, where men were not
yet awake to the need of the Government. While it is true
that certain Pennsylvanians, without arms or uniform, had
reached Washington a few hours before the arrival of the
Massachusetts Sixth, the latter was the first armed body to
interpose itself between the Capitol and its enemies. Governor
Andrew had truthfully said that the soldiers of the Bay State
went out equipped in all the essentials of warfare, "down to
tent pegs and shoe strings."

One of the enthusiastic divisions of the Militia, the Tenth,
had been drilling for months with the expectation that the
coming conflict might need its services, but when the demand
was made it was not for a brief errand into the southland, but
for an enlistment of three full years. There were many who
would gladly have given the three months, at first called for,
but who could not see their way clear to pledge the longer
period. Still so great was the pressure for places in the ranks
in these early days, there was no question of filling the com
panies, rather it was one of who should be taken and who rejected. One of Governor Andrews earliest orders was the
noted No. 4 in which every commanding officer of a company
was enjoined to go carefully over the lists of names and see
to it that only those of effective and ready men be retained.
The alacrity and spirit with which this order was obeyed
augured well for the day when the test should come.

However devoted men may be to their nation or state,
there is a clannish instinct in the great majority which prompts
them to a love for their neighbors, so companies recruited
in contiguous localities have a closer hold on each other than
those coming from widely separated sections. Thus Western
Massachusetts has a special fondness for the regiments which,
in whole or part, were raised in that division of the Common
wealth. These were the 10th, 27th, 31st, 37th, 46th, 49th,
52d and a considerable part of the 21st, 34th and 57th Regi
ments. Of course men from this section found their way into
the various artillery and cavalry organizations of Massachu
setts, nor was the Navy wanting in stalwart men whose strength
and vigor had been developed in the various industries of the
interior. An idea of the services rendered may be had from
the fact that, of the foregoing Regiments, the 31st is the only
three years organization, not included in Fox s book of
"Three Hundred Fighting Regiments." While the record
of all was excellent, the 31st doing splendidly in its Louisiana
campaigns, special interest pertains to that of the Tenth, since
it was the pioneer, the one to blaze the way for others to follow.

As the permission for Massachusetts to raise six additional
regiments bore date, May 15, 1861, it is fair to assume this
as the very first date in the annals of the Tenth, though men
had been waiting, more or less patiently, for such announce
ment during weary weeks and the muster-in, the real regi
mental birthday, was yet more than a month away. With
Springfield selected as the rendezvous of the new organiza
tion, having exceptional conveniences for such purpose, it
would be natural to find Springfield Companies earliest on the
ground. The Company, as yet unnamed, but to become
Company E in the Regiment, recruited by Capt. Frederic.

Barton, was the first company in Hampden county, raised
expressly for the war. Company F, as the Springfield City
Guard was already in existence and on the ground, as was
another company, raised by Oliver Edwards, later Adjutant
of the Tenth. May 31st they were joined by Company A from
Great Barrington, the other companies except Company D
appearing June 14th, the Pittsfield Company (D) being a day
late through a delay in the receipt of orders. Companies A
(Great Barrington,) and K (Westfield), marched the entire
distance, the latter body escorted all the way by the Rough
and Ready Fire Engine Company, and a cavalcade of one hun
dred and fifty horsemen. Company I, respresenting West
Springfield and Holyoke, also responded on foot. Still another
company from Colrain, Company E of the old Militia Tenth,
reported in the evening, its membership and that of Edwards s
Company being distributed among the other companies.

On the evening of Sunday, June 9th, had occurred one of
those stirring events, then entirely new, but to which the
loyal North was to become accustomed during the ensuing
years. The three Springfield Companies, along with that
from Great Barrington attended service at the First church,
listening to an earnest, patriotic sermon by the Rev. H. M.
Parsons and the strains of "Hail Columbia," "The Star
Spangled Banner" and other national airs, as they pealed
forth from the organ, while the flag itself bedecked the pulpit,
and bunting in red, white and blue festooned the galleries.
Soldiers and citizens completely filled the edifice and all
carried away a deeper devotion to the cause rapidly becoming
the paramount one in the land. The question of who should
command the Tenth Regiment was solved Monday, June 10th
by Governor Andrew, in that he then signed the commission,
as Colonel, of Henry Shaw Briggs, till that day Captain of
Co. K, (Allen Guard), 8th M. V. M., thus ending a subject
which had given the papers many columns of matter and
interested officers and men hours of discussion.

By Tuesday, the llth. the local companies with that from
Great Barrington, had so far perfected themselves in drill that

\end{document}