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16th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Active	June 29, 1861 to July 27, 1864
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Infantry
Engagements	Seven Days Battles Battle of Glendale Second Battle of Bull Run Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Gettysburg Bristoe Campaign Mine Run Campaign Battle of the Wilderness Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Battle of Harris Farm Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Battle of Cold Harbor Siege of Petersburg Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
Commanders
Colonel	Powell T. Wyman
Colonel	Thomas R. Tannatt
Lieutenant Colonel	Waldo Merriam
Insignia
III Corps (2nd Division) badge
II Corps (3rd Division) badge

The 16th Massachusetts was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War formed of volunteers from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Service

The 16th Massachusetts was organized at Camp Cameron in North Cambridge, Massachusetts, June 25, 1861. It mustered into federal service for a three-year enlistment on June 29, 1861 under the command of Colonel Powell Tremlett Wyman.

The 16th Massachusetts mustered out of service on July 27, 1864. Veterans and recruits were transferred to the 11th Massachusetts Infantry.

Affiliations, battle honors, detailed service, and casualties

Organizational affiliation

Attached to:

• Fort Monroe, Department of Virginia, to May 1862.
• 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Department of Virginia, to June 1862.
• 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, III Corps, Army of the Potomac, to March 1864.
• 1st Brigade, 4th Division, II Corps, to May 1864.
• 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps, to July 1864.

List of battles

The official list of battles in which the regiment bore a part:

• Seven Days Battles
• Battle of Glendale
• Second Battle of Bull Run
• Battle of Fredericksburg
• Battle of Chancellorsville
• Battle of Gettysburg
• Bristoe Campaign
• Mine Run Campaign
• Battle of the Wilderness
• Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
• Battle of Harris Farm
• Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
• Battle of Cold Harbor
• Siege of Petersburg
• Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road

Detailed service

1861

• Left Massachusetts for Old Point Comfort, Virginia, August 17.

1862

• Garrison duty at Fortress Monroe, Va., September 1, 1862 to May 8, 1862.
• Occupation of Norfolk May 10.
• Moved to Suffolk May 17,
• Joined the Army of the Potomac at Fair Oaks June 13.
• Nine-Mile Road, near Richmond, June 18.
• Seven Days before Richmond June 25-July 1.
  • Oak Grove, near Fair Oaks, June 25.
  • White Oak Swamp and Glendale June 30.
  • Malvern Hill July 1 and August 5.
• Duty at Harrison's Landing until August 15.
• Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville August 15–26.
• Bristoe Station, Kettle Run, August 27.
• Battles of Groveton August 29,
• Second Bull Run August 30,
• Chantilly September 1.
• Duty at Fort Lyon and at Fairfax Station, defenses of Washington, until October 30,
• Munson's Hill until November 2.
• At Fairfax Station until November 25.
• Operations on Orange & Alexandria Railroad November 10–12.
• Battle of Fredericksburg, December 12–15.
• Rappahannock Campaign December 1862 to June 1863.

1863

• "Mud March" January 20–24, 1863.
• At Falmouth until April 27.
• Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.
  • Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5.
• Gettysburg Campaign June 11-July 24.
  • Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3.
• Wapping Heights, Va, July 23.
• Bristoe Campaign October 9–22.
• Advance to the Rappahannock November 7–8.
• Kelly's Ford November 7.
• Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2.
  • Payne's Farm November 27.

1864

• Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6–7, 1864.
• Duty near Brandy Station until May 1864.
• Overland Campaign May–June.
  • Battle of the Wilderness May 5–7,
  • Spotsylvania May 8–12,
  • Spotsylvania Court House May 12–21.
  • Assault on the Salient, Spotsylvania Court House, May 12.
  • Harris' Farm, Fredericksburg Road, May 19.
  • North Anna River May 23–26.
  • Ox Ford May 23–24.
  • On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28.
  • Totopotomoy May 28–31.
  • Cold Harbor June 1–12.
• Siege of Petersburg
  • Before Petersburg June 16–18.
  • First Battle of Petersburg June 16-July 11.
  • Jerusalem Plank Road June 22–23.
• Left front for muster out July 11.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 245 men during service; 16 officers and 134 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 93 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

• Colonel Powell Tremlett Wyman - killed in action at the Battle of Glendale
• Colonel Thomas R. Tannatt
• Lieutenant Colonel Waldo Merriam - commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg until wounded in action on July 2, 1863
• Major Gardner Banks - commanded at the Second Battle of Bull Run
• Captain Matthew Donovan - commanded the Battle of Gettysburg after Ltc Merriam was wounded

See also

• List of Massachusetts Civil War units
• Massachusetts in the Civil War
• Dedham, Massachusetts in the American Civil War
• List of Massachusetts Civil War Units
• Massachusetts in the American Civil War

References

Footnotes

1. Camp Cameron was an American Civil War training camp that existed in 1861-1862 in North Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was probably named for Simon Cameron, Lincoln's first secretary of war. Other units that trained here included the 1st, 11th, 26th, and 28th regiments of Massachusetts infantry, and the 1st and 8th batteries of light artillery. It was located near Massachusetts Avenue, and was also known at one point as Camp Day after the family that owned the land. Cameron Avenue and Camp Street are named for the camp, and several nearby streets were named after battles.

Citations

1. Schouler (1861), p. 42.
2. Roberts (1988), pp. 396–397.
3. Browne (2015).
4. Camp Cameron (2020).
5. Sullivan (2011).
6. ^ Dyer (1908), p. 1253.
7. Dyer (1908), p. 1253; Higginson (1896), p. 255-268.

Sources

• Bowen, James L (1889). Massachusetts in the War 1861–1865 (PDF). Springfield, MA: Clark W. Bryan & Co. pp. 281–289. LCCN 02014318. OCLC 1986476. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Dyer, Frederick Henry (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (PDF). Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co. pp. 25, 41, 158, 293. 296, 1253. ASIN B01BUFJ76Q. LCCN 09005239. OCLC 8697590. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Eicher, David J.; McPherson, James M.; McPherson, James Alan (2001). The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War (PDF). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. p. 990. ISBN 978-0-7432-1846-7. LCCN 2001034153. OCLC 231931020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
• Esposito, Vincent J. (1959). West Point Atlas of American Wars (HTML). New York City: Frederick A. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8050-3391-5. OCLC 60298522. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
• Federal Publishing Company (1908). Military Affairs and Regimental Histories of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, And Delaware (PDF). The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65 – Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. Vol. I. Madison, WI: Federal Publishing Company. p. 174-175. OCLC 694018100. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Hall, Charles Winslow (1900a). Regiments and Armories of Massachusetts. An historical narration of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. With portraits and biographies of Officers, past and present, etc (PDF). Vol. I. Boston: W.H. Potter & Co. OCLC 559765857. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Hall, Charles Winslow (1900b). Regiments and Armories of Massachusetts. An historical narration of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. With portraits and biographies of Officers, past and present, etc (PDF). Vol. II. Boston: W.H. Potter & Co. OCLC 559765857. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Headley, Phineas Camp (1866). Massachusetts in the Rebellion: a Record of the Historical Position of the Commonwealth, and the Services of the Leading Statesmen, the Military, the Colleges, and the People, in the Civil War of 1861–65 (PDF). Boston, MA: Walker, Fuller & Co. pp. 224–225. OCLC 8406829. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Higginson, Thomas Wentworth (State Historian (1896). Massachusetts in the Army and Navy During the War of 1861–65 (PDF). Vol. I. Boston, MA: Wright and Potter Printing Co, State Printers. pp. 50, 51–55, 75–76, 92, 95, 97, 100, 103–104, 115, 117–119, 122, 124, 137, 139, 224–225, 565, 569. OCLC 1049652105. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Higginson, Thomas Wentworth (State Historian (1895). Massachusetts in the Army and Navy During the War of 1861–65 (PDF). Vol. II. Boston, MA: Wright and Potter Printing Co, State Printers. pp. 176, 183–184, 226, 235. LCCN 02014316. OCLC 1049652105. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Johnson, Robert Underwood; Buel, Clarence Clough (1887). Robert Underwood Johnson; Clarence Clough Buel (eds.). The Opening Battles. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Being for the Most Part Contributions by Union and Confederate officers: Based upon "The Century War Series". Vol. I. New York City: The Century Company. p. 784. OCLC 48764702. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Johnson, Robert Underwood; Buel, Clarence Clough (1887). Robert Underwood Johnson; Clarence Clough Buel (eds.). The Struggle Intensifies. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Being for the Most Part Contributions by Union and Confederate officers: Based upon "The Century War Series". Vol. II. New York City: The Century Company. p. 786. OCLC 48764702. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Johnson, Robert Underwood; Buel, Clarence Clough (1887). Robert Underwood Johnson; Clarence Clough Buel (eds.). The Tide Shifts. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Being for the Most Part Contributions by Union and Confederate officers: Based upon "The Century War Series". Vol. III. New York City: The Century Company. p. 778. OCLC 48764702. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Johnson, Robert Underwood; Buel, Clarence Clough (1887). Robert Underwood Johnson; Clarence Clough Buel (eds.). Retreat with Honor. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Being for the Most Part Contributions by Union and Confederate officers: Based upon "The Century War Series". Vol. IV. New York City: The Century Company. p. 778. OCLC 48764702. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• McPherson, James M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (PDF). Oxford History of the United States. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 904. ISBN 978-0-19-503863-7. OCLC 7577667.
• Mink, Eric J. (November 30, 2008). "Armament in the Army of the Potomac at Fredericksburg" (PDF). Mysteries & Conundrums. Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP Staff. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
• Roberts, Robert B. (1988). Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States. New York: Macmillan. p. 396–397. ISBN 0-02-926880-X.
• Schouler, William (1861). Annual Report of the Adjutant-General, December 31, 1861 (PDF). Boston, MA: Adjutant General's Office, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Schouler, William (1868). A History of Massachusetts in the Civil War (PDF). Boston, MA: E.P. Dutton & Co. pp. 189–190, 310, 316, 337, 387, 508, 536, 619, 649. LCCN 02014327. OCLC 2662693. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Stevens, Jesse F (1931). Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War (PDF). Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War in Eight Volumes. Vol. 2. Norwood, MA: Norwood Press. pp. 409–491. LCCN 31027863. OCLC 11485612. Retrieved December 15, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Browne, Patrick (May 2015). "Civil War Training Camps in Massachusetts, Part One". Historical Digression.
• "Boston Harbor I - Camp Cameron". American Forts Network. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
• Sullivan, Dan (June 13, 2011). "Camp Cameron: A Civil War Camp in Somerville". Somverille Patch.

External links

• 16th Massachusetts Infantry monument at Gettysburg

• Military units and formations established in 1861
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1864
• Units and formations of the Union army from Massachusetts
• 1861 establishments in Massachusetts