CONCORD'S CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

THE
LIST OF OFFICERS AND PRIVATES
OF
Company G, 5th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers
of 19 April 1861
from The Concord, Massachusetts Town Report of 1863

"In the Fifth [Massachusetts Regiment] was the Concord Artillery, commanded by Capt. Prescott. On the 17th of April the regiment was ordered to hold itself in readiness. A couple of hours before day light on the 19th, orders were received to report for duty. The response was prompt, and at half-past two o'clock, P. M., of the same day, the Concord Artillery arrived at Boston." [Concord Town Report, 1863, 14.]

To be continued.”

To be continued.

PART ONE:
The Three Months Men

Captain: George L. Prescott
1st Lieut.: Joseph Derby, Jr.
2nd Lieut.: Humphrey H. Buttrick
3rd Lieut.: Charles Bowers
1st Sergeant: William Sidney Rice
2d Sergeant: George F. Hall
3d Sergeant: Cyrus Hosmer
4th Sergeant: George W. Lauriat
1st Corporal: Stephen H. Reynolds
2d Corporal: Franklin M. Gregory
3d Corporal: George Buttrick
4th Corporal: Samuel S. Wood
Private: George H. Ball
Private: Warren B. Ball
Private: William Bowers
Private: Azro D. Brown
Lieutenant: William Brown
Colonel: Francis Buttrick
Sergeant: James W. Carter
Corporal: William M. Clapp
Private: Richard R. Clark
Private: Joseph G. Dean
Private: Thomas Doyle
Private: Henry Farmer
Private: Levi B. Farrar
Private: James Garty [Garrity?]
Private: Henry Johnson
Private: Asa H. Melvin
Private: George E. Messer
Private: Charles Nealey
Sergeant: Edward F. Phelps
Corporal: Charles Puffer
Private: John S. Puffer
Private: Edward W. Reynolds
Corporal: Elbridge Robbins, Jr.
Private: Lewis T. Sampson
Private: Horatio C. Watts
Private: Caleb H. Wheeler
Private: Henry L. Wheeler
Private: Joseph E. Winn
Private: Eugene Wright
Private: Non-Concord Unit Members

PART TWO:
Biographies and Genealogies

These biographies are from MSSMCW listings and from the Concord Town Reports of 1882 and 1911.

REGISTER-style genealogies are in preparation. If completed, they can be ordered at an inclusive cost of $10 each. The whole series is targeted for publication in 2010.

GEORGE L. PRESCOTT
Captain, Co. G, 5th Regt. Mass. Vols. Colonel, 32nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Concord's beau ideal of an officer and a gentleman.

"The son of Timothy and Maria (King) Prescott. He was born in Littleton, Mass., May 29, 1829, and four years later came with his father to Concord. The outbreak of the war found him engaged in the lumber and coal business, in the buildings back of Fitchburg Railroad Station. In obedience to the first call for troops he led the Concord company (G) in the 5th Regiment of three-months men to Washington, leaving the town the 19th of April, 1861. Three months after his return from the disastrous battle of Bull Run he enlisted a company of three-years men, which for a time was in our Town Hall, and became Co. B in the 1st Battalion Mass. Infantry, which for six months garrisoned Fort Warren. His commission of Captain was dated Nov. 15, 1861. By the addition of six companies the battalion became the 32nd Regiment, and on the 25 of May, 1862, was ordered to the front. Capt. Prescott was made Lieutenant-Colonel Aug. 13, 1862, Colonel Dec. 28, 1862, and as Acting-Brigadier-General commanded a brigade in the advance from the Wilderness to the lines before Petersburg. On the 19th of June, 1864, in a charge which drove the enemy into their entrenchments, he received a mortal wound, the ball passing through the centre of his watch into his left breast. He died the next day, and his remains were brought home and buried in Sleepy-Hollow Cemetery. On the 23rd of July, 1867, an honorary commission of Brevet-Brigadier-General was conferred, couched in these terms: "To rank from the 18th of June, 1864, for gallant and meritorious services while leading his regiment to an assault on the rebel works in front of Petersburg, Virginia, June 18, 1864." [Concord Town Report 1882, 92.][MSSMCW 1:288; S&SC XX]

JOSEPH DERBY, JR.
1st Lieutenant, 40.
[MSSMCW 1:288-289.]
[Concord Town Report 1912, Supplement, 6-7.]

HUMPHREY H. BUTTRICK
2d Lieutenant, 35, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:288; S&SC XX][MSSMCW 6:768.]
[Concord Town Report 1912, Supplement, 8-9.]

CHARLES BOWERS
3d Lieutenant, 46, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

WILLIAM SIDNEY RICE
Sergeant, 46, taken prisoner at Bull Run 1861, exchanged 1862.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX][MSSMCW vol.?? 107, 302.]

GEORGE F. HALL
Sergeant, 25, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX][MSSMCW 1:672.]

CYRUS HOSMER
Sergeant, 25, prisoner at Bull Run 1861, exchanged 1862.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX][MSSMCW 1:647.]

GEORGE W. LAURIAT
Corporal, 21, appointed Sergeant 22 June 1861, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX][MSSMCW 2:51.]

STEPHEN H. REYNOLDS
Corporal, 26, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

FRANKLIN M. GREGORY
Corpora;, 24, OS = Sergeant, Co. G., 47th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.

"Born at Concord, March 2, 1837; was the son of Otis and Mary (Minot) Gregory; he lived in Concord as a boy, and when a young man was employed as a clerk by John Brown; was a member of Co. G, 5th M.V.M., and went out April 19, 1861, with that company for three months as a Corporal; he returned to Concord from that service, lived here with his mother, and worked as a painter until October 16, 1862, when he again enlisted in Co. G., 47th M.V.M. Serving with that company in Louisiana as 1st Sergeant, he was discharged September 1, 1863, upon the expiration of the terms of his service, and died in Concord, December 24, 1863, of consumption contracted in the service. He is buried with his parents in Sleepy-Hollow Cemetery." [Concord Town Report 1881, 87.] [MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

GEORGE BUTTRICK
Corporal, 24, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX][MSSMCW 2:578.]

SAMUEL S. WOOD
Corporal, 26.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

GEORGE H. BALL
Private, 26, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

WARREN B. BALL
Private, 31, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

WILLIAM BOWERS
Private, 21, printer, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

AZRO D. BROWN
Private, 24, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

JOHN BROWN 2d
Private, 24, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

WILLIAM A. BROWN
Private, 22, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

FRANCIS BUTTRICK
Private, 24, Other Service: Private, Co. B, 32nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Resided in Concord. He gave his age as 21 years and occupation as farmer when he enlisted and mustered on 28 November 1861. He was wounded at Gettysburg on 2 July 1863, dying of those wounds on 28 July 1863. Buttrick had originally enlisted in April 1861 as part of the three months call-up, serving in Co. g, 5th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. [MSSMCW 1:289, 3:422.]

JAMES W. CARTER
Private, 19, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

WILLIAM M. CLAPP
Private, 26, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX][MSSMCW 3:498.]

RICHARD R. CLARK
Private, Co. C, 59th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

"Born in Westford, Mass., came to Concord with his mother, in 1847, when about 17 years old, and worked here as a blacksmith for several years. He had bought a house and land on Bedford Street next to Enoch Garfield's, and intended to make our town his permanent home. He was one of the first three months men, and left Concord with our company on the nineteenth of April, 1861, being then about thirty years old. He returned here after the expiration of that term of service and re-enlisted January 14, 1864.... He died June 17, 1864, at Annapolis, Maryland, of wounds received before Petersburg, and is supposed to have been buried at Annapolis." [Concord Town Report 1882, 85.][MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

JOSEPH G. DEAN
Private, 41, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX] [MSSMCW 3:461.]

THOMAS DOYLE
Private, 22, OS = Private, Co. D, 1st Massachusetts Cavalry.

"The son of Thomas and Mary Doyle, was a native of County Carlow, Ireland. He came to this country with his mother at the age of fourteen; was living in Concord at the outbreak of the war, was working for Elijah Wood as a farm laborer, and was then about twenty-two years old. He was a member of Co. G, 5th M.V.M., and served with that company for three months. He re-enlisted, August 5, 1862...and was credited to the quota of the town. He died October 7, 1863, at Hartwood Church, Virginia, of injuries received in the line of his duty, and was buried in the cemetery there." [Concord Town Report 1882, 85.] [MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX]

HENRY FARMER
Private, 26.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX] [MSSMCW 3:499.]

LEVI B. FARRAR
Private, 20, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:289; S&SC XX] [MSSMCW 3:461.]

JAMES GARTY
Private, 38.
[MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX]

TIMOTHY F. HEALD
Private, 31, in hospital at Alexandria VA at mustering out, 31 July 1861, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX-- not listed???]

ALBERT N. JOHNSON
Private, 19, discharged for disability 8 June 1861. No other service recorded.
[MSSMCW 1:290. Not listed in SSC {?}.]

HENRY JOHNSON
Private, 30, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX]

ASA H. MELVIN
Private, Co. K, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery.

"Son of Asa and Caroline (Heald) Melvin, was born in Concord September 26, 1834. He enlisted three times. His first service was in our company, which left this town, April 19, 1861, and served three months. He re-enlisted at Concord, July 28, 1862.... After service with that regiment, he re-enlisted December 29, 1863, in the same company, and was again credited to the quota of this town. He was killed in a charge on the enemy's works at Petersburg, Virginia, on June 16, 1864. It is not known where he is buried." [MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX][Concord Town Report 1882, 89.]

To Asa and his two brothers John and Samuel, their surviving brother dedicated the Mourning Victory memorial in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery designed and sculpted by Daniel Chester French.

GEORGE E. MESSER
Private, 25, no further service recorded.
[MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX]

CHARLES NEALEY
Private, Co. C, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery.

"The son of Benjamin F. and Sally Nealey, was born in East Sudbury, now Wayland, October 20, 1826. The family moved to Concord, where Charles followed his trade as a blacksmith. He enlisted in the Concord Artillery at the outbreak of the war, and served for three months. He returned to Concord and enlisted again..., Aug, 6 1862. He re-enlisted Feb. 4, 1864 and was again credited to the quota of the town. He was taken prisoner in one of the early battles of the Wilderness, and confined some six months in Andersonville, Georgia, where he suffered the terrible tortures of gradual starvation and was reduced from a strong man to a mere skeleton. The memory of these sufferings was so painful to him that he could never be induced to give any account of his prison experiences, even to his family. He was exchanged in December, 1864, and immediately furloughed on account of sickness. He came home, grew constantly worse, and died while on furlough, June 14, 1865, at Concord, of the immediate results of his imprisonment, and was buried in Sleepy-Hollow Cemetery." [Concord Town Report 1882,91.][MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX]

EDWARD F. PHELPS
Private, 37, OS.
[MSSMCW 4:6.]

CHARLES PUFFER
Private, 23, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX]

JOHN S. PUFFER
Private, 23, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX]

EDWARD W. REYNOLDS
Private, 23, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:290; S&SC XX]

ELBRIDGE ROBBINS, JR.
Private, 26.
[MSSMCW 1:290;S&SC XX]

LEWIS T. SAMPSON
Private, 32.
[MSSMCW 1:291; S&SC XX]

HORATIO C. WATTS
Private, 34.
[MSSMCW 1:291; S&SC XX]

CALEB H. WHEELER
Private, 18, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:291; S&SC XX]

HENRY L. WHEELER
Private, 34, prisoner at Bull Run 1861, exchanged 1862, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:291; S&SC XX]

JOSEPH E. WINN
Private, 29, OS.
[MSSMCW 1:291; S&SC XX]

EUGENE WRIGHT
Private, 36.
[MSSMCW 1:291; S&SC XX]

NON-CONCORD UNIT MEMBERS
William C. Bates, Priv., Boston, 22, prisoner at Bull Run 1861, exchanged 1862. -- Edward J. Brackett, Priv., Waltham, 19, OS. -- Peter Cormick, Jr., Priv., Woburn, 19, OS. -- Jeremiah Dalton 2d, Priv., East Braintree, 18, OS. -- Eugene M. Deering, Priv., Lincoln, 18, OS. -- Francis F. Fitzpatrick, Priv., Boston, 21, true name given as William F. Raford. -- James W. Goodwin, Priv., Woburn, 19, OS. -- William B. Gray, Priv., South Acton, 18, OS. -- David G. Hatch, Priv., Waltham, 21, OS. -- Thomas M. Hooper, Priv., Woburn, 28. -- Mason M. Hovey, Priv., Woburn, 23. -- Jonathan F. Jefferds, Priv., Woburn, 23, OS. -- Charles A. Johnson, Priv., Waltham, 21. -- Josiah Leathe, Jr., Priv., Woburn, 19, OS. -- Benjamin T. Livingston, Priv., Woburn, 34, OS. -- Benjamin J. Loring, Jr., Priv., Weymouth, 18, OS. -- John E. Lyons, Priv., Lunenberg, 21, OS. -- John M. Maxfield, Priv., Woburn, 26. -- Ira J. Osborne, Priv., Ashby, 20, OS. -- Robert Pemberton, Priv., Woburn, 27, OS. -- Joseph N. Robbins, Priv., Acton, 26, OS. -- John S. Rogers, Priv., Woburn 24. -- George E. Sherman, Priv., Lincoln, 21, OS. -- John W. Smith, Priv., Woburn 23. -- George G. Souther, Priv., Quincy, 22, OS. -- Thomas G. Stevenson, Priv., Carlisle, 18, OS. -- Warren F. Taylor, Priv., Woburn, 23, OS. -- John E. Tidd, Priv., Woburn, 21, OS. -- George Ware, Priv., Boston, 22, discharged for disability 29 June 1861. -- Thomas F. Warland, Priv., Woburn, 31. -- Edward P. Webb, Priv., Weymouth, 35, OS. -- Lowell J. Wellington, Priv., Waltham, 25, OS; correct name is "James Lowell". -- Joseph Wheelen, Priv., Lincoln, 22. -- George T. Whitney, Priv., Harvard, 23. -- William P. Whittier, Priv., Sanbornton NH, 25, OS. -- Joseph S. Wyman, Priv., Woburn, 34, OS.

[MSSMCW 1:289-291. OS = Other Service.]

SOURCES:
Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Civil War, 9 vols.
Ceremonies at The Dedication of the Soldiers' Monument in Concord, Mass. Concord: Benjamin Tolman, 1867.

While many MA libraries will have copies of the MSSMCW, I used the set at the Special Collections of the Concord Free Public Library. There also I used their "Concord Pamphlet" collection, of which the Prescott Keyes copy of the Ceremonies booklet is one small part. This collection is now searchable online separate from CFPL's main catalog website.

Robert M. Gerrity

NOTE:Updated 12/09/06.

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