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Federal Regiment

28th Massachusetts Infantry

"Faugh-A-Ballaugh Regiment, 2nd Irish"
Organized: Cambridge, MA; mustered in 12/31/1861
Disbanded/Mustered out: near Petersburg, VA 12/19/1864

 

Commanding Officer on the Antietam Campaign:
  Capt. Andrew P. Caraher

 

Arms:
   Enfield Rifle

 

This Regiment's Chain of Command:
  Army - Army of the Potomac
  Corps - Ninth Army Corps
  Division - 1st Division, 9th Corps
  Brigade - 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps


Unit history

"The 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was organized at Cambridge, Massachusetts during the autumn of 1861. Once initial recruiting was completed, most of the men of the regiment mustered into service on December 13, 1861 for a term of three years. The regiment also had a full scale brass band comprised of 24 enlisted men who were mustered into service in October, 1861. However, this unit was disbanded and mustered out of the service on August 17, 1862. "

The original commander, Colonel William Monteith resigned effective 3 August 1862 and was later court-martialled "for his excessive drinking and numerous violations of army regulations". His Lt Colonel, McLelland Moore, appointed to replace him resigned in July 1862, and was replaced by (former Major) Lt. Colonel George W. Cartwright. Cartright was wounded at 2nd Bull Run in August 1862, and command fell to Captain Caraher, Company A, for the Maryland Campaign.

Before Antietam, the regiment had served in operations in the Carolinas in 1861, and along the coast as far as Georgia by mid-1862. They joined Gen Burnside's IX Corps, Army of the Potomac in July 1862, and were on the Bull Run campaign.

On the Antietam Campaign

They were mostly in the reserve of the 9th Corps in the assault on Turner's Gap, 14 September, but saw significant action above the Lower Bridege on the afternoon of 17 September.

Statistics

Initial Strength: not known; Killed in Action (KIA): 18; Wounded (WIA): 40; Missing in Action (MIA): 1;

Maps Showing this Unit

Battlefield Tablets for this Unit

Tablet #56: Ninth Army Corps - 15 Sep, 7 AM to 16 Sep, 3 PM
Tablet #62: Willcox's Division, Ninth Army Corps - 16 Sep, 9 PM to 18 Sep, 6 PM
Tablet #122: Army of the Potomac - 17 Sep, 10 AM to 17 Sep, 6 PM
Tablet #99: Willcox's Division, Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 2 PM to 18 Sep, 9 AM
Tablet #70, cont: Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 3 PM to 17 Sep, 5 PM
Tablet #70: Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 7 AM to 17 Sep, 3 PM
Tablet #57: Ninth Army Corps - 17 Sep, 7 AM to 17 Sep, 5 PM
Tablet #63: Christ's Brigade, Willcox's Division - 17 Sep, 7 AM to 18 Sep, 5 PM

After the Antietam Campaign

On 23 November 1862 they were transferred to the "Irish Brigade", and became the "Fourth Irish Regiment" of the Second Brigade, First Division, II Corps. They were at Fredericksburg (December 1862), Chancellorsville , Gettysburg, the Wilderness, on the 'Overland' Campaign, and at Petersburg.

Although most enlistments expired in December 1864, a sufficient number of soldiers re-enlisted by January 1, 1864 to form a five-company battalion, the 28th Battalion Massachusetts Volunteers, who served to the end of the war, mustering out on June 30, 1865.

More on the Web

See the most excellent 28th Massachusetts Infantry history site - from reenactors of that unit - source of much of the information above, and much more.

References & Notes

Note: "Faugh-A-Ballaugh" is from the Gaelic: "clear the way", and is probably correctly spelled "Fág an Bealach".

We have 23 individuals in the AotW database who were on the Maryland Campaign with this unit:

 

Co. Rank Name Casualty? Details*
ACaptCaraher, Andrew Philip        We have some details for this person
APvtEllis, Joel E.KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
ACorpLynch, William MWIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
BPvtConley, Timothy KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
BPvtHogan, John KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
BCaptLe Moyne, William JeraldWIA   09/14     We have some details for this person
CCaptBrennan, John H.WIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
CSgtMcNally, Robert MWIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
CCorpNulty, John MWIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
DCorpQuinn, Martin KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
DPvtQuinn, Michael MWIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
ESgtMcNally, Robert MWIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
FPvtBurke, John KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
FPvtBurke, William KIA   09/17
GCorpNicholson, Francis N.KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
HLtBarrett, Nicholas J.KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
HSgtCline, Thomas KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
HCorpDonnelly, Peter KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
IPvtDolan, Michael KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
IPvtFleming, Thomas KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
IPvtWiseman, Robert KIA   09/17     We have some details for this person
KCorpMaloy, Dennis WIA   09/14     We have some details for this person
KPvtShine, Thomas WIA   09/14     We have some details for this person

 

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