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256:. It was the first troop transport ship to reach Washington via the Potomac in response to Lincoln's call for troops. The company spent twelve days in Washington and then joined the rest of the battalion at Fort McHenry. The battalion was then mustered into United States service at Fort McHenry on May 9.
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The "Worcester City Guards" made up
Company A of the battalion. The unit was formed in 1840 as part of the Massachusetts militia. The circumstances leading to its creation arose from local political tensions arising out of the election of 1840 as the older Worcester Light Infantry company split along
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to remain at Fort McHenry for another two weeks due to a shortage of garrison troops. Though twelve men decided to return home at the end of their term, the great majority of the battalion remained another two weeks at Fort McHenry as requested. They departed for home on July 29 via railroad and
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formed
Company B. The unit was established in 1856 and at the start of the war was commanded by Captain Joseph H. Gleason. The "Emmett Guards" of Worcester formed Company C. The unit was organized in 1858 and commanded by Captain Michael McConville. Company D was recruited in
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beginning on April 19, 1861. In a single day, the company had enough volunteers to fill out its roster. Captain Albert Dodd, who oversaw the recruiting, served as the company commander and the company became known as "Dodd's Rifles."
277:. Their duty was described as heavy and the men suffered from overwork. Though they never took part in combat, the unit also suffered greatly from illness, particularly during July. Two members of the battalion died of disease.
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While serving garrison during at Fort McHenry, the battalion drilled in infantry maneuvers and trained to operate the heavy artillery of the fort. Men of the 3rd
Battalion also periodically took part in patrols down the
205:, Major Devens ordered his battalion to assemble in Worcester to prepare for active service. On April 20, the three companies formed up in front of Worcester City Hall. The same day, Devens received orders from Governor
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call for 75,000 volunteer troops at the start of the war. When they departed, the 3rd
Battalion completed the required quota from Massachusetts under that initial call. For most of its term, the battalion served
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muskets. Only minor differences in training and tactics differentiated such units from a typical infantry company of the time. During the 1840s, "rifle" companies were often expected to train and serve as
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516:
Regiments and
Armories of Massachusetts. An historical narration of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. With portraits and biographies of Officers, past and present, etc. Vol. 2
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in open order, however by the Civil War, United States army tactics manuals made no distinction between a company of "rifles" and a typical infantry company.
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on April 24 and remained there until May 2 when they were transferred to Fort McHenry. The Boston company departed on May 2 aboard the steamship
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177:. They did not see combat. The unit returned to Massachusetts and was mustered out on August 3, 1861. Two of its members died of disease.
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left the older group to form the
Worcester City Guards. At the start of the Civil War, the company was commanded by
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144:. The term "rifles" was a designation frequently given to antebellum militia companies which trained in the use of
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At the start of the Civil War, the 3rd
Battalion consisted of three militia companies headquartered in
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arrived in
Worcester on August 2. They were mustered out of service on August 3, 1861.
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Members of the
Worcester City Guards, a company of Massachusetts Militia, in 1860
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History and
Complete Roster of the Massachusetts Regiments, Minute Men of '61
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At the close of the 90-day term, the battalion was asked by Major General
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The organization of the battalion began on April 19, 1861 in response to
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companies departed by train from Worcester on April 20. They arrived at
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and one newly recruited company together organized under the command of
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muskets—a relatively new innovation at the time—as opposed to
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Units and formations of the Union Army from Massachusetts
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Attack and Die: Civil War Tactics and Southern Heritage
481:. Springfield, Massachusetts: Clark W. Bryan & Co.
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army for a term of ninety days. It consisted of three
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610:Military units and formations established in 1861
538:. Univ of Alabama: University of Alabama Press.
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578:A History of Massachusetts in the Civil War
117:and activated for federal service in the
497:A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
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216:party lines. Those who belonged to the
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316:List of Massachusetts Civil War units
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197:. On April 19, 1861, one week after
478:Massachusetts in the War, 1861–1865
500:. Des Moines: Dyer Publishing Co.
252:and arrived in Washington via the
107:3rd Battalion Massachusetts Rifles
19:3rd Battalion Massachusetts Rifles
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113:unit created at the start of the
581:. Boston: E.P. Dutton & Co.
519:. Boston: W.H. Potter & Co.
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37:
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559:. Boston: Smith & McCance.
513:Hall, Charles Winslow (1900).
311:Massachusetts in the Civil War
1:
494:Dyer, Frederick H. (1908).
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553:Nason, George W. (1910).
303:American Civil War portal
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532:McWhiney, Grady (1982).
475:Bowen, James L. (1889).
224:Augustus R. B. Sprague.
195:Worcester, Massachusetts
45:United States of America
227:The "Holden Rifles" of
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229:Holden, Massachusetts
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268:Fort McHenry in 1861
246:Annapolis, Maryland
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115:American Civil War
573:Schouler, William
181:Unit organization
162:Abraham Lincoln's
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282:John Adams Dix
275:Chesapeake Bay
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444:Hall (1900)
405:Hall (1900)
207:John Andrew
203:Fort Sumter
199:Confederate
155:skirmishers
599:Categories
468:References
240:The three
218:Whig Party
150:smoothbore
125:of prewar
88:commanders
81:Commanders
65:Union Army
51:Allegiance
525:559765857
506:247098372
250:Cambridge
175:Baltimore
123:companies
575:(1868).
565:57590583
289:See also
169:duty at
167:garrison
111:infantry
75:Infantry
587:2662693
487:1986476
222:Captain
133:(later
127:militia
109:was an
86:Notable
33:Country
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234:Boston
146:rifled
135:Brevet
61:Branch
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322:Notes
131:Major
119:Union
92:Major
55:Union
583:OCLC
561:OCLC
540:ISBN
521:OCLC
502:OCLC
483:OCLC
105:The
71:Type
173:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
