George Samuel Worcester

In 1860 he was a 21 year old clerk in Boston. He enlisted as Corporal, Company B, 13th Massachusetts Infantry on 17 April 1861 and was promoted to Sergeant by September 1862.

He was wounded by a gunshot to his foot in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862. John B. Noyes of his company later wrote home:

In this fight, as at Bull Run, the enemy fought with determined obstinacy, but they found an opponent just as obstinate. Their position was the best, behind the fence most of the time, but we were partially protected by trees. I fought for most of the time from behind a large tree, and most of our company occupied others just around ... My chum Buffum & Corp. Emerson, and Sergt. Worcester fought by my side, most of the time, each one doing his utmost ... Worcester was shot while talking to me about the range of my firing; but not severely. He was borne back to a tree behind.

He was discharged on 10 April 1863 to accept the commission as 2nd Lieutenant of Company C, 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He was promoted to Captain on 11 August 1863 and Major of the regiment on 8 September 1864. He commanded a battalion of 4 companies in the defenses of Washington and mustered out on 18 September 1865.

He was in the "woolen business" in Newton Highlands, MA and by 1880 he was in South Boston.

Basic service information from Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines.1 The quote above from Noyes' letter of 18 September 1862, transcribed online by Brad Forbush. Personal details from family genealogies, notably John Fox Worcester's The Descendants of Rev. William Worcester (rev. 1914), and the US Census of 1860 & 1880. His picture from a c. 1861 photograph at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle; original from the Scott Hann Collection. There's also a photograph of him in his Major's uniform in the MOLLUS Massachusetts Collection, also at USAHEC. Thanks to Ed Catterson for the nudge to improve Sgt. Worcestert's bio sketch.

He married Rachel Leishman (1844-1912) in January 1864 in Boston and they had a son and 4 daughters; only 2 girls lived into adulthood.

03/01/1839

04/26/1895; Newton, MA