History of the 25th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
1861
25th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
The 25th Regiment was organized was organized at Camp Lincoln, Worcester, the first companies reporting September 25, 1861, and the entire ten being on the ground two days later. Nearly all the towns of Worcester County were represented in the command, and there were a few from outside the county. Much of the work of organizing the regiment was done by Captain A. B. R. Sprague, recently of the Third Battalion of Rifles, and many of the officers had seen service in the battalion. The band was mustered September 26, the line officers October 12, and most of the rest of the regiment at various times between those dates by Captain John M. Goodhue. Colonel Upton, who had formerly held that rank in the Ninth Militia, took command on the 8th of October.
The list of officers (from Worcester unless noted otherwise):
Colonel Edwin Upton of Fitchburg; Lt. Col. Augustus B. R. Sprague; Maj. Matthew J. McCafferty; surgeon, J. Marcus Rice; assistant surgeon, Theron Temple of Belchertown; adjutant, Elijah A. Harkness ; quartermaster, William O. Brown of Fitchburg; chaplain, Horace James; Sgt. Maj. Michael McKeon; quartermaster Sgt. Edward A. Brown of Fitchburg; commissary Sgt. Elbridge G. Watkins; hospital steward Samuel Flagg; principal musician, Jonathan H. Samson; leader of the band, William E. Gilmore of Pawtucket, R. I.
Company A, Worcester - Captain Josiah Pickett; 1st Lt. Francis E. Goodwin; 2nd Lt. Merrit B. Bessey
Company B, Milford - Captain Willard Clark; 1st Lt. William Emery; 2nd Lt. William F. Draper
Company C - Captain Cornelius G. Attwood of Boston; 1st Lt. James Tucker of Boston; 2nd Lt. Merrick F. Prouty of Spencer
Company D, Worcester - Captain Albert F. Foster; 1st Lt. George S. Campbell; 2nd Lt. George H. Spaulding
Company E, Worcester - Captain Thomas O'Neill; 1st Lt. William Daley; 2nd Lt. Henry McConville
Company F, Fitchburg - Captain Charles H. Foss; 1st Lt. Levi Lawrence; 2nd Lt. J. Henry Richardson
Company G, Worcester - Captain Lewis Wagely; 1st Lt. Henry M. Richter; 2nd Lt. Frederic A. Weigand
Company H - Captain Orson Moulton; 1st Lt. David M. Woodward; 2nd Lt. Nathaniel H. Foster of North Brookfield
Company I - Captain Veranus P. Parkhurst of Templeton; 1st Lt. James B. Smith of Royalston; 2nd Lt. Amos Buffum of Templeton
Company K - Captain J. Waldo Denny; 1st Lt. Samuel Harrington of Paxham; 2nd Lt. James M. Drennan
The regiment broke camp October 31, after it had been presented with a stand of colors by the ladies of Worcester. Going by way of Norwich and the steamer Connecticut to New York, where it received an ovation and stopped until the afternoon of November 1st, when it went by rail from Jersey City to Philadelphia. That city was reached some time after midnight, but its loyal sons and daughters were waiting at the Cooper Shop with an abundant repast. Baltimore was made at 3 o'clock next afternoon in the midst of a driving storm. After marching about for some time, finding no transportation, the different companies were stowed for the night in such vacant buildings as were available. Next morning they traveled by steamer to Annapolis, where the regiment was the third to arrive of those which subsequently formed the Burnside Expedition. They encamped on "Taylor's Farm", renaming it Camp Hicks in honor of the loyal governor of Maryland. Late in November the troops at Annapolis were organized into three brigades, the Twenty-fifth being placed in the First Brigade on the right of the Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth and Twenty-seventh Mass and the Tenth Connecticut under General J. G. Foster.
Original roster of the regiment* Roster.xls Roster.pdf
* Copied from Wearing the blue in the Twenty-fifth Mass. volunteer infantry, with Burnside's coast division, 18th army corps, and Army of the James. By J. Waldo Denny