1863 DIARY 41st REGIMENT INFANTRY MASS. VOLUNTEERS COLONEL CHICKERING - RARE
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:104091 | Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
We are offering a RARE Diary of Forty-First Regiment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers. Colonel Thomas E. Chickering. Boston: J.E. Farwell & Co., Printers. 1863. 3 3/4" x 5 3/4". Has the Brookline Public Library stamp.
Thomas E. Chickering (October 22, 1824-February 14, 1871) was a colonel during the Civil War, who eventually was awarded the rank of Brevet Brigadier General. On September 15, 1862, Chickering was placed in command of the 41st ...Massachusetts Infantry which was deployed to New Orleans as part of Major General Nathaniel Bank's Louisiana Expedition. During April and May of 1863, the 41st Massachusetts was part of an expedition to Opelousas, Louisiana where they gathered thousands of freed slaves for recruitment into the Union Army. Chickering was appointed Military Governor of Opelousas and commanded the Union troops consisting of seven regiments of infantry. In June of 1863 Chickering and the 41st Massachusetts consolidated with three companies of Massachusetts Cavalry to form the 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. They saw action in the Siege of Port Hudson and the Red River Campaign.
The diary begins with the 41st Regiment Roster which includes the names of the Field Officers, Staff, Non-commissioned Staff and Alterations. Next comes the November 1, 1862 Roster Companies A through K listing the Commanding Officers' names.
Then Chickering records the history of the 41st Regiment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers from the recruitment of the last of the 41st's Companies in August of 1862, to the Regiment's attachment to three companies of unattached Massachusetts Cavalry on June 4, 1863, together to form the 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry.
Chickering's diary states that on November 3, 1862, the 41st was assigned to the command of Major-General Banks, being the first regiment accepted for the "Banks Expedition". They proceeded to New York by rail car where they established a camp on Long Island, "Camp Banks". On December 4 they sailed from New York with Major-General Banks and staff on "North Star" flagship to Louisiana, arriving at New Orleans on December 15. Leaving Banks in New Orleans, the 41st proceeded to Baton Rouge followed by seven ocean steamers and six gunboats. Rebels in New Orleans were fired at from the Iron-Clad Essex which sent the rebels running (he writes "they skedaddled"). On March 9, 1863 the 41st with McGee's Cavalry and a section of Nims's Battery under the command of Chickering were ordered to destroy the bridges over the Comite River. They burned Bogler's Bridge and Roberts' Bridge. Next there's some information about the 41st marching through the La Fourche country and boarding the gunboat "Arizona" at Grand Lake. On April 13 they arrived at the Bay of Indian Bend, disembarked and marched across the Tesche. They engaged the enemy's pickets on Madame Porter's plantation. There is much described about the 41st's assignments and activities over the next months, way too much detail for me to write. After Colonel Chickering was appointed Military Governor of Opelousas on April 20, the 41st was assigned to collect valuable products of the country. The 41st collected and sent to New Orleans six-thousand bales of cotton, large quantities of sugar, molasses, and other products of the country and ten-thousand "contraband", (men, women and children) to work the Government plantations in the La Fourche country. The 41st set corn mills into operation, furnishing large quantities of meal for the troops, inhabitants, and feeding the "contrabands", re-opened the printing office and issued a daily paper, etc. Again, way too much detail to write it all. But very interesting and informative reading!
CONDITION: Printed pages are in Excellent Condition. Covers show some soiling and some pages have separated from spine.
Thomas E. Chickering (October 22, 1824-February 14, 1871) was a colonel during the Civil War, who eventually was awarded the rank of Brevet Brigadier General. On September 15, 1862, Chickering was placed in command of the 41st ...Massachusetts Infantry which was deployed to New Orleans as part of Major General Nathaniel Bank's Louisiana Expedition. During April and May of 1863, the 41st Massachusetts was part of an expedition to Opelousas, Louisiana where they gathered thousands of freed slaves for recruitment into the Union Army. Chickering was appointed Military Governor of Opelousas and commanded the Union troops consisting of seven regiments of infantry. In June of 1863 Chickering and the 41st Massachusetts consolidated with three companies of Massachusetts Cavalry to form the 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. They saw action in the Siege of Port Hudson and the Red River Campaign.
The diary begins with the 41st Regiment Roster which includes the names of the Field Officers, Staff, Non-commissioned Staff and Alterations. Next comes the November 1, 1862 Roster Companies A through K listing the Commanding Officers' names.
Then Chickering records the history of the 41st Regiment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers from the recruitment of the last of the 41st's Companies in August of 1862, to the Regiment's attachment to three companies of unattached Massachusetts Cavalry on June 4, 1863, together to form the 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry.
Chickering's diary states that on November 3, 1862, the 41st was assigned to the command of Major-General Banks, being the first regiment accepted for the "Banks Expedition". They proceeded to New York by rail car where they established a camp on Long Island, "Camp Banks". On December 4 they sailed from New York with Major-General Banks and staff on "North Star" flagship to Louisiana, arriving at New Orleans on December 15. Leaving Banks in New Orleans, the 41st proceeded to Baton Rouge followed by seven ocean steamers and six gunboats. Rebels in New Orleans were fired at from the Iron-Clad Essex which sent the rebels running (he writes "they skedaddled"). On March 9, 1863 the 41st with McGee's Cavalry and a section of Nims's Battery under the command of Chickering were ordered to destroy the bridges over the Comite River. They burned Bogler's Bridge and Roberts' Bridge. Next there's some information about the 41st marching through the La Fourche country and boarding the gunboat "Arizona" at Grand Lake. On April 13 they arrived at the Bay of Indian Bend, disembarked and marched across the Tesche. They engaged the enemy's pickets on Madame Porter's plantation. There is much described about the 41st's assignments and activities over the next months, way too much detail for me to write. After Colonel Chickering was appointed Military Governor of Opelousas on April 20, the 41st was assigned to collect valuable products of the country. The 41st collected and sent to New Orleans six-thousand bales of cotton, large quantities of sugar, molasses, and other products of the country and ten-thousand "contraband", (men, women and children) to work the Government plantations in the La Fourche country. The 41st set corn mills into operation, furnishing large quantities of meal for the troops, inhabitants, and feeding the "contrabands", re-opened the printing office and issued a daily paper, etc. Again, way too much detail to write it all. But very interesting and informative reading!
CONDITION: Printed pages are in Excellent Condition. Covers show some soiling and some pages have separated from spine.
