History of the 25th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
1862
25th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Drill and routine duty occupied their time until the 5th of January, 1862, when orders were issued for the departure of the expedition the next morning. Accordingly the command turned out before daylight of the 6th in a driving snowstorm and marched to the Naval Academy, two companies taking the gunboat Zouave and one the schooner Skirmisher. Anchoring in the harbor, the regiment waited for the embarkation of the other troops composing the expedition, finally setting sail on the 9th. That night anchor was cast near the mouth of the Potomac, and next day at noon Fort Monroe was reached, where they stopped for two days.
Starting again on the 12th, the expedition on the following day encountered a severe storm which greatly endangered the fleet. The New York reached a comparatively secure anchorage at Hatteras Inlet, but some of the vessels outside were wrecked and the entire fleet was delayed a week while those driven out to sea were getting back and the damage was being repaired. The men suffered much from the rough weather, shortness of food and lack of water. Another storm occurred on the 23rd, less severe than the first, and as soon as it abated the work of getting the larger transports across the bar into Pamlico Sound was taken up. This was not completed until the 5th of February, when the expedition once more got under way, its destination being Roanoke Island, an important fortified position commanding the entrance to Albemarle Sound. On the morning of the 7th the gunboats of the fleet opened a bombardment of the forts, practically silencing their fire after a few hours. In the afternoon the land troops were disembarked after a very severe month of shipboard life. The night was passed by the men standing around their campfires in the rain. The next morning they started their march on the Confederate position.
The hostile outposts were soon encountered by Companies A and E deployed as skirmishers and the Twenty-fifth formed a line of battle across the road, the right setting up in an open field in support of a howitzer battery. After firing for three hours, exhausting its ammunition, the regiment formed into a column by companies and rested after its arduous efforts in penetrating the swamp until the enemy were driven from their position, when the column advanced and occupied the works. During the action the regiment lost 6 killed and nearly 40 wounded. The island was occupied by General Burnside's troops until March 6, when the Twenty-fifth vacated their log barracks and once more went aboard the New York. After lying at anchor until the 11th the fleet moved across the sound, the New York grounding on a shoal for several hours, but anchoring that night at Hatteras Inlet. Next morning they set sail for the Neuse River, dropping anchor 15 miles from Newbern that night. Under cover of gunboat fire, a landing was made at the mouth of Slocum's Creek. The Twenty-fifth led a 10 mile march through a dismal rain storm.
The battle of Newbern opened early next morning with the Twenty-fifth not involved at first. They were finally ordered to the support of a battery and later joined in a charge, only to find the Confederate works evacuated. Reforming and advancing, the Twenty-fifth encountered the Confederate rear guard, which consisted of Colonel Avery's Thirty-third North Carolinians, who surrendered. Company H took charge of the 150 prisoners while the rest of Foster's Brigade proceeded along the railroad toward Newbern. The city was on fire as was the railroad bridge across the river so the troops were ferried across, Lt. Col. Sprague with a portion of the regiment and the colors were the first to reach Newbern. The Twenty-fifth lost 4 killed and 16 wounded in the fighting. The different companies were quartered in some of the buildings deserted by the secessionists who had fled the town. They remained there engaged in provost duty until May 9. During that time Major McCafferty resigned, being succeeded by Captain Pickett of Company A.
Marching some miles inland, the regiment was stationed at Red House on picket duty, naming its location Camp Bullock, in honor of Alexander H. Bullock of Worcester. The rest of the month was passed with no duty more important than an occasional incursion into the surrounding countryside. On June 1 the command returned to Newbern, establishing itself at Camp Oliver near Fort Totten. On July 24 it formed part of an expedition of considerable strength under Colonel H. C. Lee which crossed the Neuse River and advanced 30 miles to Trenton, occupied the town, and returned to Camp Oliver a few days later.
The first of the autumn expeditions occurred on September 15 when the Twenty-fifth with 2 other regiments, under Colonel Upton's command, embarked on steamers for Plymouth, a station on the Roanoke River, anchoring there on the night of the 16th. The next morning the planned demonstration was postponed and the expedition returned to camp. Before any further operations occurred the regimental band was dismissed by orders from the War Department. Colonel Upton and Lt. Colonel Sprague left the regiment, the former resigning on account of ill health, and the latter was promoted to the colonelcy of the Fifty-first. Major Pickett was promoted to colonel of the regiment while Captains Moulton and Attwood became lt. colonel and major respectively.
On October 30, six companies of the Twenty-fifth took part in the Tarboro expedition, the others being on picket duty up the Trent road. The battalion went by the steamer Highlander to Washington, a village on the Pamlico River, where it formed part of a force of 5-6,000 men under General Foster. On November 2 they began their march to Williamston, with the Twenty-fifth as rear guard. On the night of the fifth, the force bivouacked near Tarboro. The next morning, General Foster decided to fall back having learned of a strong enemy force. They reached Plymouth on the 10th and most of the troops embarked for Newbern, leaving behind the Twenty-fifth and 2 companies of the Twenty-seventh to guard artillery.
On December 8, the Twenty-fifth embarked on the schooner Skirmisher, arriving in Newbern on the 10th where they received orders to join an expedition the next day. The regiment was assigned to Colonel Lee's brigade, which did not leave until noon on the 11th, marching 12 miles that afternoon and evening. The following day the roads were obstructed by fallen trees and the troops had to rebuild some bridges, so they only covered 10 miles. On the 13th, the regiment halted 5 miles from Kinston. The following day, they fought in support of Morrison's and Belger's Batteries. Bivouacking near the town that night, the column set forth the next morning destroying the bridges over the Neuse, they made an unmolested march of 18 miles. On the 15th an enemy force was discovered across the river from Whitehall. An artillery duel took place supported by sharpshooters, including 100 volunteers from the 25th, one of whom was wounded. They then marched to within 8 miles of Goldsboro and camped for the night.
Next morning Lee's Brigade led the advance and soon came upon the enemy. During the ensuing battle they were not actively engaged until the railroad and bridge were destroyed and the column started to retreat. They formed the rear guard and were leaving the field when the enemy charged the artillery. The Twenty-fifth hastened back to support Belger's Battery, holding its position under heavy fire until the Confederates retreated, suffering casualties of one killed and three wounded. They resumed the march back to Newbern, reaching it on the 21st.