Sunday, November 4, 2012

The 13th Mass at the Battle of Fredericksburg

My new web page is up, about the 13th Mass at the Battle of Fredericksburg, December 11 - 15, 1862. 

My website is Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteers.

Since I began building my website history of the 13th Mass Vols, many Civil War blogs have become prominent.  I started this blog to promote the website.  The website, not this blog, contains the orderly detailed history of the regiment.

Here is the link to the new page.  Battle of Fredericksburg.

N.M. Putnam
The 13th Mass acted as skirmishers during the battle for General William B. Franklin's Left Grand Division.  They were in General Nelson Taylor's Brigade, but as they were out of ammunition after two days skirmishing they did not advance when that brigade charged the rebel lines.  Instead they were ordered to fall back to the Bernard Mansion to re-replenish their cartridges and act as a reserve. The regiment lost 4 men in the battle, though they were actively engaged as skirmishers and pickets the whole time.  Lucky 13.

There are several vivid letters written from the battlefield posted at my site, including letters from Charles Adams, Co. A, George Hill, Co. B, Charles Leland, Co. B, and more.

George Jepson's Reminiscence of the battle written for the Boston Journal, is one of the highlights also.  Jepson writes of comrade N. M. Putnam's  vexing problem of carrying a wash basin onto the skirmish line.

Comments are appreciated.