| Apr. 15 | Maj. George Henry Gordon of the New Englang Guards secures Gov. John A. Andrew's promise of support to raise a volunteer regiment for the war |
| Apr. 19 | Massachusetts Militia troops answering President Lincoln's call to defend Washington, DC, are attacked by a mob in the streets of Baltimore |
| Apr. 29 | Gordon's emmissaries, George L. Andrews and Wilder Dwight, obtain the authority from Secretary of War Cameron to raise a 3-year regiment |
| May 4 | President Lincoln calls for 39 regiments of Infantry and 1 of Cavalry to serve for three years |
| May 9 | Quartermaster R. Morris Copeland secures the use of the former Brook Farm in Roxbury from Re. James Freeman Clarke. It is christened "Camp Andrew" |
| May 11 | The first troops to arrive at Camp Andrew is a company raised and commanded by Edward Abbott |
| May 18 | Four companies of the 2nd MA are mustered in. |
| May 24 | Gordon is commissioned Colonel of the 2nd MA Volunteer Infantry |
| May 27 | 6 companies are mustered into service |
| June 26 | The regiment receives the first of its battle flags |
| July 1 | The regiment's state flag is received |
| July 6 | Gordon receives orders to report to Gen. Robert Patterson in Virginia |
| July 8 | The 2nd Massachusetts Infantry breaks camp at Brook Farm and boards the train in Boston for New York City |
| July 12 | The regiment fords the Potomac River and treds upon the sacred soil of Virginia |
| July 14 | Gordon's regiment is assigned to the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, under Gen. John Abercrombie |
| July 17 | The 2nd Massachusetts at Charlestown, VA |
| July 18 | The 2nd MA is detached and sent to garrison the town of Harper's Ferry |
| July 21 | The regiment hears the news about the battle of Bull Run |
| July 25 | Former Massachusetts Governor, Nathaniel P. Banks, replaces Patterson |
| July 28 | Most of the 2nd MA is moved to Maryland Heights |
| Aug. 19 | As the regiment makes preparations to move out, there is a truly minor skirmish with some enemy cavalry |
| Aug. 24 | The 2nd MA moves to Darnestown, MD, where it remains until 21 October, much to the displeasure of both officers & men |
| Oct. 21 | Gordon receives orders to proceed to Edward's Ferry and arrives there in the aftermath of the Union debacle at Ball's Bluff. |
| Oct. 25 | The 2nd MA returns to Darnestown, then moves on to its new camp at Seneca Creek |
| Dec.5 | Winter quarters at Frederick, MD |
| Feb. 17 | 30 men from the regiment are detailed by McClellan to join the gun-boat expedition on the Mississippi |
| Feb. 27 | The 2nd MA leaves Frederick, MD and re-enters Virginia. Spends the night at Harper's Ferry. |
| Feb. 28 | The 2nd MA at Charlestown, VA |
| Mar. 11 | The 2nd MA at Winchester, VA |
| Mar. 22 | Williams Division, on its way to reinforce Gen. McDowell, is sent back to Winchester in a hurry after the Battle of Kernstown. Several members of Co. G, on Provost Duty in the town, take part in the fight |
| Apr. 1 | Banks begins his pursuit of Stonewall Jackson up the Valley |
| May 13 | The 2nd MA at Strasburg. Banks now only has command of two brigades. The rest have been detached to aid the push against Richmond |
| May 23 | Jackson attacks & routs the Federals at Front Royal |
| May 24 | The 2nd MA engages in rear guard action against Jackson's advance and holds him at bay from Newtown all the way to Winchester |
| May 25 | THE BATTLE OF WINCHESTER. The 2nd MA finds itself on the opposite side of the Potomac |
| June 11 | The 2nd MA revisits Winchester |
| June 15 | Gordon promoted to Brigadier General. George Andrews succeeds him in command of the 2nd MA |
| June 26 | Gen. John Pope arrives to show the eastern armies how it's done |
| July 19 | The 2nd MA at Little Washington |
| Aug. 9 | THE BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN |
| Aug. 19 | The 2nd MA receives 90 new recruits |
| Aug. 20 | Rappahannock ramblings |
| Aug. 29-30 | As the rear guard of Banks' entire force, the 2nd MA is not close enough to participate in Second Bull Run |
| Sept. 4 | Once again on the wrong side of the Potomac |
| Sept. 5 | Pope is relieved. McLellan is once again called upon the save the Union! |
| Sept. 12 | The 2nd MA becomes part of the 12th Corps of the Army of the Potomac |
| Sept. 14 | The regiment passes through Frederick, MD |
| Sept. 17 | THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM; Lt. Col. Wilder Dwight is mortally wounded. |
| Sept. 22 | Back to Maryland Heights where the regiment finds itself once again guarding the upper Potomac |
| Oct. 15 | MG Henry Warner Slocum assumes command of the 12th Corps |
| Oct. 22 | Lt. Col. James Savage, wounded at Cedar Mt., dies in captivity |
| Oct. 30 | The 2nd MA near Sharpsburg for 5-6 weeks |
| Nov. 9 | Col. Andrews is promoted to Brigadier General. In the absence of Col. Quincy, recovering from his Cedar Mt. wounds, command of the 2nd MA falls to William Cogswell |
| Nov. 24 | Cogswell leads a raid against guerillas at Shepherdstown, VA |
| Dec. 13 | The 2nd MA "invades" Virginia for the 4th time |
| Dec. 16 | The 2nd MA at Fairfax Court House. Does not participate in the disaster at Fredericksburg |
| Jan. 23-April 27 | Encamped at Stafford Court House |
| Jan. 20 | Burnside's "Mud March" |
| Jan. 26 | Hooker replaces Burnside |
| Mar. 6 | Col. Quincy finally returns to take command |
| May 1-6 | BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE |
| May 11 | The 2nd Massachusetts begins its 3rd year of service |
| June 2 | Col. Quincy resigns due to persistent physical problems. His successor, Col. Cogswell, is recovering from wounds received at Chancellprsville |
| July 1-3 | BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG; Lt. Col. Mudge, in temporary command of the 2nd MA, is killed |
| July 12 | Col. Cogswell returns to command the regiment |
| Aug. 16 | Ordered to New York City in the aftermanth of the Draft Riots |
| Sept. 9 | Returns to Virginia from New York City |
| Sept. 24 | The 12th Corps is detached from the Army of the Potomac and sent to the aid of Rosecrans at Chattanooga, TN. |
| Oct. 9 | The regiment arrives in Tullahoma, TN. Principle duty--guarding the railroad line |
| Oct. 28 | The 2nd MA takes no part in the BATTLE OF WAUHATCHIE. Former officer, Adin B. Underwood, now commanding the 33rd MA, is badly wounded. |
| Nov. 24 | The 2nd MA takes no part in the BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN |
| Nov. 25 | The 2nd MA takes no part in the BATTLE OF MISSIONARY RIDGE |
| Jan. 10 | Those men who have re-enlisted for another 3 years begin their 30-day furlough |
| Feb. 23 | The re-enlistees leave Boston to rejoin the regiment at Tullahoma |
| Apr. 4 | The 12th Corps & 11th Corps are consolidated as the 20th Corps, under the command of MG Joseph Hooker |
| May 5 | In preparation for the campaign against Atlanta, the 2nd MA is reduced to 1 wagon (it left Massachusetts in 1861 with 25) |
| May 14 | BATTLE OF RESACA |
| May 19 | Action at CASSVILLE |
| May 25 | While on detached duty guarding a bridge, the 2nd MA takes no part in the BATTLE OF NEW HOPE CHURCH |
| May 28 | Those men who did not re-enlist are Mustered Out of the 2nd MA |
| June 21-22 | Action at KOLB'S FARM |
| June 27 | BATTLE OF KENESAW MOUNTAIN. The 2nd> MA only lightly engaged |
| June 30 | The 2nd MA enters Marietta, GA |
| Aug. 20 | BATTLE OF PEACH TREE CREEK |
| Sept. 2 | The 12th Corps is the first Union force to enter Atlanta. Col. Cogswell is appointed post commandant and the 2nd MA is chosen to garrison the city |
| Nov. 12-13 | The public buildings in Atlanta are set ablaze |
| Nov. 16 | The 2nd MA leaves Atlanta |
| Nov. 23 | The 2nd MA enters Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia |
| Dec. 3 | Officers of the regiment tour the Confederate prison pen at Millen |
| Dec. 13 | Ft. McAlister, on the outskirts of Savannah, falls |
| Dec. 21 | Savannah falls into Federal hands |
| Jan. 15 | Sherman's Army leaves Savannah behind |
| Jan. 16 | Col. Cogswell is brevetted Brigadier General, retaining his commission in the 2nd MA; Lt. Col. Charles Morse becomes its last commanding officer |
| Jan. 19 | The 2nd MA at Hardeeville, NC |
| Mar. 6 | The 2nd MA at Cheraw, NC |
| Mar. 13 | The 2nd MA at Fayetteville, NC |
| Mar. 16 | BATTLE OF AVERASBORO |
| Mar. 19 | BATTLE OF BENTONVILLE |
| Mar. 24 | The 2nd MA at Goldsboro, NC |
| Apr. 3 | The Confderate capital of Richmond falls to U. S. Grant |
| Apr. 9 | Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox |
| Apr. 14-15 | Lincoln is assassinated in Washington, DC |
| Apr. 14 | Johnston requests armistice |
| Apr. 26 | Johnston surrenders to Sherman |
| May 4 | The 2nd MA enters Virginia for the first time since 27 S 1863 |
| May 11 | 4 years to the day that the 2nd MA established its first camp at Brook Farm, Richmond is entered |
| May 24 | The Grand Review in Washington, DC of Sherman's Army |
| June 7 | The 20th Corpos passes into history. The 2nd MA is transferred to Gen. Bartlett's division, District of Washington |
| July 14 | The 2nd MA is mustered out of the service |
| July 15 | The regiment leaves Washington, DC, for Boston. Of the original officers, only Col. Cogswell, Lt. Col. Morse & Maj. James Francis still hold commissions in the regiment |
| July 19 | At Readville, MA, the commaning officer issues his final order to the regiment |
| July 26 | The 2nd MA breaks ranks forever |
HOME
Get your own Free Home Page