[1] Major George H. Gordon[note 1] (later Brigadier General), a West Point graduate and veteran of the Mexican–American War, organized the unit's recruitment and formation.
This enthusiasm was quickly dampened and the offices closed due to the fact that Massachusetts had filled its quota and therefore could neither recruit nor send any additional volunteer units until a call was issued by the U.S. War Department.
[4] The unit's future second-in-command, Lieutenant Colonel George Leonard Andrews,[note 2] made a trip to Washington to meet with Secretary of War Simon Cameron and obtained special permission to recruit a new regiment and wait until such time as it would be summoned by the federal government.
[4] Recruiting proceeded and the regiment began training in May 1861 at Camp Andrew in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, just south of Boston.
During the Battle of Antietam, the XII Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Mansfield supported General Joseph Hooker's advanced through the cornfield during the morning phase of the battle and received heavy casualties including Lieutenant Colonel Dwight, who was mortally wounded.
During this time, at Stafford Court House, Captain Shaw left the regiment to become colonel of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry.
The neighboring troops, including the XII Corps with the 2nd Massachusetts, entrenched hastily and was able to stop the Confederate advance before it overran the entire army.
After Chancellorsville, the regiment marched north to Pennsylvania following General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
On July 3, the third day of the battle, it made an attack against the Confederate troops at the base of Culp's Hill, near Spangler Spring.
In September, it was part of the forces the occupied Atlanta, with Lt. Col. Morse serving as provost marshal of the city.
The regiment was in Raleigh, North Carolina, when General Joseph E. Johnston's Confederate army surrendered to Sherman on April 26, 1865.
Corporals Charles Burdett, Theodore S. Butters, Jeremiah S. Hall, Patrick Heoy, Ruel Whittier, Gordon S. Wilson.
Privates Samuel T. Alton, George M. Baily, Henry C. Ball, Wallace Bascom, John Briggs, Jr., David B.