Battle of the Wilderness - Day 2

Friday, May 6, 1864

General Winfield S. Hancock faced a dilemma of strategy. He needed to defend the vital intersection of the Orange Plank and Brock Roads from an attack on both flanks. At 5:00 A.M. Hancock deployed two divisions under Generals David Birney and George Getty to attack along the Orange Plank Road with support from artillery under General John Gibbon to protect his left flank. At the same time he positioned General Alexander Webb's brigade, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, to defend the Orange Plank and Brock intersection. Hancock was concerned about the whereabouts of Confederate General James Longstreet, who had yet to make an appearance at the Wilderness. Hancock assumed that Longstreet's arrival was imminent.

Hancock's attack along the Orange Plank Road was very successful during the first hour,as the Confederates were halted along the Plank Road and Hancock's men took prisoners from the divisions of Confederate Generals Henry Heth and Cadmus Wilcox. Around 6:00 A.M. the lead divisions of General James Longstreet, led by General Joseph Kershaw, attacked along the Plank Road east of the Tapp Farm. Hancock's offensive abruptly ended as Birney's and Getty's divisions were pushed east toward the intersection. At this point Hancock ordered Webb's brigade, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, north of the intersection to the relief of General Getty.

As the Twentieth Massachusetts entered the fray and moved west along the Orange Plank Road they came under the fire of Confederate General A.P. Hill. The Twentieth Massachusetts advanced to a clearing south of the Plank Road, where General Webb ordered them to "hold the position at any cost." The Twentieth held this position successfully until 11:00 A.M., when they were approached by General James Wadsworth of the Fifth Corps. Wadsworth ordered the Twentieth Massachusetts to leave their defensive position and come to the aid of General Birney, who was under severe fire. The Twentieth Massachusetts, led by Colonel George Macy, advanced from their breastworks and almost immediately were met by a rapid volley of gunfire from Abner Perrin's Alabama brigade. As the Twentieth Massachusetts sought cover in the underbrush they viewed their untenable situation. Perrin's brigade was secure behind breastworks at the top of a slope. The Twentieth Massachusetts, however, still continued to advance, and hand-to-hand combat ensued. The Twentieth was soon overrun by the Confederates, and they were forced to retreat. Losses to the Twentieth Massachusetts were severe. Officers Albert Holmes, George Macy, Henry Bond, Henry Patten, John Summerhays, William Perkins were wounded in the ill-fated attack. The greatest loss to the Twentieth was the mortal wounding of Major Henry Abbott, who died around 4:30 P.M. at a battlefield hospital. Colonels George Macy and Theodore Lyman stood by Abbott's side as he tragically succumbed to his wounds.

As the afternoon wore on the battle continued to rage. The thick tangled underbrush of the Wilderness was set ablaze by continual gunfire. General James Longstreet was wounded by his own men and was carried off the battlefield. By evening the Union forces held the vital Orange Plank and Brock Road intersection.

The casualty count for both armies was staggering, as the Union reported 18,000 and the Confederates reported 11,000. The Twentieth Massachusetts lost approximately 300 men in casualties, with the greatest number occurring in the ill-fated charge on Perrin's brigade. General James Wadsworth, who ordered the charge, was killed shortly after ordering the Twentieth Massachusetts into the fatal fray.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 334-40.

Battle of Gettysburg - Casualties

Friday, July 3, 1863

The Twentieth Massachusetts suffered severe casualties at Gettysburg. Among the officers killed were Colonel Paul Joseph Revere, First Lieutenant Henry Ropes, and Second Lieutenant Sumner Paine. Among the officers wounded were Lieutenant Colonel George Macy and Adjutant William H. Walker. The Twentieth Massachusetts reported one-hundred twenty-two casualties, included forty killed, eighty-one wounded, and one missing. The regiment incurred the majority of the casualties during the hand-to-hand combat at the copse of trees to seal the Union line.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 297-98. Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 273.

Regimental Matters – Promotions for George Macy and Henry Abbott

Friday, May 1, 1863

Major George Macy was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the Twentieth Massachusetts, succeeding Frederick Dreyer, who died of his wounds on May 1. Captain Henry Abbott of Company I was promoted to Major.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 235.

General Howard Praises the Twentieth Massachusetts

Sunday, December 14, 1862

General Oliver Howard, commander of the division, praised the Twentieth Massachusetts for their splendid service during the three-day battle at Fredericksburg. General Howard approached Captain George Macy and proclaimed, "Capt. Macy, I have come to thank you and your Regiment for your noble conduct in the late battles. You have done nobly, the Regiment has done nobly. Massachusetts men always do nobly."¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 216.

Macy Returns with New Recruits

Saturday, September 20, 1862

Captain George Macy arrived at Antietam with new recruits for the Twentieth Massachusetts. He was dispatched to Washington to bring up recruits on September 14. He was on the return route during the battle at Antietam and could hear artillery fire from many miles away, but he was not able to rejoin the regiment until today. ¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 176.

Advancing to Antietam

Sunday, September 14, 1862

The Twentieth Massachusetts departed from Frederick City this morning in pursuit of the Confederate Army which was now concentrating near the town of Sharpsburg at Antietam Creek. By evening the regiment made camp near Middletown. The Second Corps, of which the Twentieth Massachusetts was a part, was not involved in today's Battle of South Mountain, a series of attacks to clear the mountain passes in Maryland for the pursuit of the Confederate Army.

Several officers did not make the journey to Antietam with the regiment. Henry Abbott, recently promoted to Captain on August 29, and Lieutenants James Murphy, and Robert Beckwith remained at Frederick City due to illness. Captain George Macy returned to Washington for additional recruits for the regiment.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 154-5.

New Recruits Join Regiment

Wednesday, September 10, 1862

Captain George Macy rejoined the Twentieth at Middlebrook. He had just returned from Washington with eighty-eight armed recruits for the Twentieth Massachusetts.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 151.

Regimental Matters - Promotions and Commissions

Monday, November 25, 1861

Massachusetts Governor John Andrew bolstered the roster of officers by promoting First Lieutenants George Macy, Allen Beckwith, and Charles Cabot to Captains, and Second Lieutenants Henry Abbott, Charles Tilden, and Henry Sturgis to First Lieutenants.

Governor Andrew commissioned three Second Lieutenants from the enlisted men, namely First Sergeant William Riddle of Company I, Quartermaster Henry F. Sander, and First Sergeant James Murphy of Company A. In addition, he commissioned three new recruits as Second Lieutenants: Herbert C. Mason, Arthur R. Curtis, and Henry L. Patten.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 72.

Aftermath of Ball's Bluff - Regiment Restructuring

Thursday, October 24, 1861
W.F. Milton, Acting Adjutant, issued General Order number 69 from Camp Benton to address the vacancies in the shattered command of the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment:

The following arrangements of this command will be observed until further orders.

Capt. Bartlett, Co. I, is detailed for duty as acting Lieutenant Colonel.

Capt. Crowninshield, Co. D., is detailed for duty as acting Major.

Lieut. Milton, Co. G, is detailed for duty as Adjutant. They will be obeyed and respected accordingly. The non-commissioned officers and privates of Company G ready for duty are assigned to Capt. Tremlett of Company A, who ranks as senior Captain. The 1st Sergt. of Co. G, will report to Lieut. Hallowell, commanding Co. H, as 1st Sergt.

Capt Shepard of Co. K takes rank as 2nd Captain.

The non-commissioned officers and privates of Co. E are assigned to Lieut. Macy, Co. I, who ranks as 3rd Captain.

The non-commissioned officers and privates of Co. D are assigned to Lieut. Hallowell, Co. H., who ranks as 4th Captain. Sergt. Burrill of Co. H will act as 1st Lieut.

Lieut. Cabot of Co. F ranks as 5th Captain, assisted by Lieut. Sturgis of Co. H as 1st Lieut.

Lieut. Le Barnes of Co. B takes command of that Company and ranks as 6th Captain.

It is to be understood that the above arrangement is adopted for the present emergency; it is subject to revision at any moment and is expected to continue only till new officers can be commissioned and arrangements made for filling up the regiment. Where men are assigned in accordance with these orders, they will continue to occupy their quarters under charge of their ranking Sergeants, reporting to their commanding officers for duty.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 70-71.