Charles Redington Mudge

From a wealthy Boston family, he was at Harvard 1856-60, where he was a boxer, oarsman, gymnast, and a member of the Glee and Hasty Pudding Clubs. After graduating, he was preparing to enter the manufacturing business when War interrupted his plans. He was appointed First Lieutenant, Company F, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry on 28 May 1861. Promoted Captain on 8 July 1861, the day the Regiment left the State. He was wounded in the leg at Winchester in May 1862.

In command of the color company at Antietam, he described the action in a letter home on 25 September 1862:

Our regiment went in, that is was actually engaged, three times in the battle of Wednesday. Twice we were very fortunate making the Rebels run and not suffering ourselves but the other time we got the worst of it, losing thirteen killed and fifty five wounded out of less than two hundred... I got a blow on the ribs from a ball which penetrated through my blouse, vest, and two shirts, and skinned my ribs, but only disabled me for a few moments. I thought I was killed when it struck me, but recovered almost immediately. The flag staff was shot almost in two in two places, the socket shot off the sergeant's belt, and twenty new holes were put in the flag; two corporals of the color guard, out of the three present, were wounded, one mortally ...

Appointed Major 9 November 1862 and Lieutenant Colonel on 6 June 1863. Led the Regiment at Brandy Station in June and at Gettysburg on 3 July 1863, where he was killed in action.

Basic information from Quint1, with details and the quote above from the Memorial Biographies2.

See an excellent article about Mudge's and his Harvard classmate Rooney Lee at Brandy Station from Bud Hall (via the Civil War Trust); source also of the picture of Mudge above.

10/22/1839; New York City, NY

07/03/1863; Gettysburg, PA; burial in Saint Stephen's Episcopal Churchyard, Lynn, MA