20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
State of Massachusetts · Public domain · source
Unit name	20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
Caption	20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
Country	United States
Branch	Union Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Garrison	Massachusetts
Nickname	Harvard Regiment

20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was a regiment of infantry that served in the American Civil War as part of the Union Army. The regiment was formed in 1861 and consisted of many young men from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other Boston-area schools, earning it the nickname the Harvard Regiment. The regiment saw action in many significant battles, including the Battle of Ball's Bluff, Battle of Glendale, and Battle of Gettysburg, alongside other notable units such as the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The regiment was led by notable commanders, including Colonel William Raymond Lee and Colonel Paul Joseph Revere, and was part of the V Corps (Union Army), Army of the Potomac, and IX Corps (Union Army), under the command of General George McClellan, General Ambrose Burnside, and General Joseph Hooker.

● History

The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was formed on July 10, 1861, in response to the call for troops by President Abraham Lincoln following the Battle of Fort Sumter. The regiment was composed of ten companies, each recruited from different parts of Massachusetts, including Boston, Cambridge, and Worcester. The regiment was mustered into service on August 28, 1861, and began its training at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. The regiment was equipped with Rifled muskets and trained in the use of Minié balls, under the guidance of experienced officers such as General Winfield Scott and General George B. McClellan. In 1862, the regiment was assigned to the V Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Fitz John Porter, and participated in the Peninsular Campaign, including the Battle of Mechanicsville and the Battle of Gaines' Mill, alongside other notable units such as the 5th New York Infantry Regiment and the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment.

● Organization

The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was organized into ten companies, each with its own unique character and composition. The companies were recruited from different parts of Massachusetts, and were led by experienced officers such as Captain Henry Livermore Abbott and Captain Samuel Stevens]. The regiment was equipped with a variety of weapons, including Rifled muskets, Minié balls, and Bayonets, and was trained in the use of Tactics and Drill (military). The regiment was part of the V Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Fitz John Porter, and later the IX Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Ambrose Burnside, and participated in many significant battles, including the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Fredericksburg, alongside other notable units such as the 14th Brooklyn Regiment and the 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment.

● Battles_and_campaigns

The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment participated in many significant battles and campaigns during the American Civil War, including the Battle of Ball's Bluff, Battle of Glendale, and Battle of Gettysburg. The regiment was part of the V Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Fitz John Porter, and later the IX Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Ambrose Burnside, and fought alongside other notable units such as the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The regiment also participated in the Peninsular Campaign, including the Battle of Mechanicsville and the Battle of Gaines' Mill, and the Maryland Campaign, including the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Shepherdstown, under the command of General George McClellan and General Joseph Hooker. In 1863, the regiment was part of the Army of the Potomac, under the command of General George Meade, and participated in the Gettysburg Campaign, including the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of Falling Waters, alongside other notable units such as the 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment and the 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

● Commanders

The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was led by several notable commanders during the American Civil War, including Colonel William Raymond Lee and Colonel Paul Joseph Revere. The regiment was also led by experienced officers such as Captain Henry Livermore Abbott and Captain Samuel Stevens, who played important roles in the regiment's battles and campaigns. The regiment was part of the V Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Fitz John Porter, and later the IX Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Ambrose Burnside, and fought alongside other notable units such as the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, under the command of General George McClellan and General Joseph Hooker. In 1863, the regiment was part of the Army of the Potomac, under the command of General George Meade, and participated in the Gettysburg Campaign, including the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of Falling Waters, alongside other notable units such as the 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment and the 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

● Notable_members

The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment had many notable members during the American Civil War, including Colonel William Raymond Lee and Colonel Paul Joseph Revere. The regiment also included many young men from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other Boston-area schools, earning it the nickname the Harvard Regiment. The regiment was also home to many experienced officers, including Captain Henry Livermore Abbott and Captain Samuel Stevens, who played important roles in the regiment's battles and campaigns. Other notable members of the regiment included Private Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who later became a Supreme Court justice, and Private William Lowell Putnam, who later became a prominent Boston businessman, and were part of the V Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Fitz John Porter, and later the IX Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Ambrose Burnside.

● Legacy

The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment played an important role in the American Civil War, participating in many significant battles and campaigns, including the Battle of Ball's Bluff, Battle of Glendale, and Battle of Gettysburg. The regiment was part of the V Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Fitz John Porter, and later the IX Corps (Union Army), under the command of General Ambrose Burnside, and fought alongside other notable units such as the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The regiment's legacy can be seen in its many notable members, including Colonel William Raymond Lee and Colonel Paul Joseph Revere, and its role in shaping the course of the war, under the command of General George McClellan and General Joseph Hooker. Today, the regiment is remembered as one of the most distinguished units of the Union Army, and its history is preserved at the Massachusetts Historical Society and the National Park Service, alongside other notable units such as the 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment and the 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment. Category:American Civil War