Major Lyman Whiton's US Infantry Buttons / SOLD

Lyman Barnes Whiton:

Residence Hingham MA; a 27 year-old Shoe Manufacturer.

Enlisted on 4/16/1861 as a Sergeant.

On 4/22/1861 he mustered into "I" Co. MA 4th Infantry

He was Mustered Out on 7/22/1861 at Long Island, Boston Harbor, MA

On 12/2/1861 he was commissioned into "E" Co. MA 32nd Infantry

He was discharged for disability on 7/20/1862

On 11/26/1862 he was commissioned into "A" Co. MA 3rd Heavy Artillery

He was Mustered Out on 9/18/1865 at Washington, DC

Promotions:

* 2nd Lieut 12/2/1861 (As of Co. E 32nd MA Inf)

* 1st Lieut 5/26/1862 (As of Co. E 32nd MA Inf)

* 2nd Lieut 11/26/1862 (As of Co. A 3rd MA HA)

* Capt 12/31/1862 (As of Co. A 3rd MA HA)

* Major 9/8/1864 (As of 3rd MA HA)

Intra Regimental Company Transfers:

* 10/14/1864 from company A to Field & Staff (As of 3rd MA HA)

Other Information:

Born 1/17/1834 in Hingham, MA

Member of GAR Post # 104 (Edwin Humphrey) in Hingham, MA

Died 3/1/1909

FOURTH REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER MILITIA (INFANTRY) THREE MONTHS

     The 4th Regt. Mass. Vol. Mill "Minute Men," was summoned to Boston by Special Order No. 14, issued on the afternoon of April 15, 1861, from the office of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts.  Company F of Foxboro had offered its services, if they should be needed "at any point of our country," as early as January 10, 1861.  The 4th had the honor of being the first regiment to leave the State, entraining for Fall River en route for Fort Monroe on the afternoon of April 17.  For a month it formed a part of the garrison of Fort Monroe.  On May 27, it was sent to Newport News, where it was employed most of the time until its return to Massachusetts in fortifying Camp Butler.  On June 10, Company H and four other companies took part in the battle of Big Bethel.  Transferred to the village of Hampton July 3, on the 11th it marched to Fort Monroe, where on the 15th it embarked for Boston.  Arriving in Boston Harbor, it was mustered out at Long Island on July 22, exactly three months from the day of its muster into the service.

     Three companies, K, L, and the Wightman Rifles, which had enlisted for three years and had joined the regiment in May, were retained in the service and became Companies A, C, and K of the 29th Regt., which was then being organized.

THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER INFANTRYTHREE YEARS (Re-enlisted)

     The 32d Regt. Mass. Vol. Inf. was the outgrowth of the First Battalion, Massachusetts Infantry which was organized in November, 1861, to garrison Fort Warren, Boston Harbor.  Major Francis J. Parker, commander of the battalion, became the first colonel of the regiment.  The members of the original battalion, Col's A, B, C, D, and E, were mustered in mostly in November and December, 1861, those of Co. F in February, 1862, and those of the other companies during the following summer.

     The first six companies left for the seat of war May 26, 1862.  They were encamped near Washington City until June 30 and were here given a regimental status.  Taking boat for Fort Monroe on the above date, they arrived July 2.  Proceeding at once to Harrison's Landing the regiment was assigned to Griffin's Brigade, Morell's Division, Porter's (5th) Corps, Army of the Potomac.  During the six weeks of its stay here the regiment suffered much from malarial diseases.  Aug. 15 it started to join Pope's army near Culpepper, proceeding via Yorktown, Aquia Creek, and Stafford Court House to Barnett's Ford on the Rappahannock.  Though within hearing of the second battle of Bull Run, Aug. 29 and 30, it was not engaged.  Retiring with the army to the outskirts of Washington, it was encamped at Miner's Hill where it received the remaining companies of the regiment.

     It participated in the Maryland campaign of September 1862, but was not engaged either at South Mountain or Antietam. After the Confederate army had recrossed into Virginia and Gen. Burnside had succeeded Gen. McClellan in command of the Army of  the Potomac, the 32d regiment went into winter quarters at Stoneman's Switch near Potomac Creek.  On Dec. 13, 1862, it participated in the assaults on Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg, losing 35 officers and men, of whom 6 were killed or mortally wounded.  It then returned to its old camp at Stoneman's Switch.

     At Chancelloreville early in May, 1863, the 32d was present but little engaged.  At Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, the regiment was heavily engaged while supporting the 3d Corps in the Devil's Den region.  Here out of 227 men taken into action the 32d lost 81, of whom 22 were killed or mortally wounded.

     The regiment was engaged in the autumn campaign in the region of the Rappahannock, in the latter part of September receiving 180 recruits, mostly drafted men.  After the Mine Run campaign the regiment went into winter quarters at the hamlet of Liberty near Bealton on the Orange and Alexandria railroad.  Here during the early part of the winter most of the members of the regiment re-enlisted and were sent to Massachusetts on veteran furlough remaining from Jan. 17 to Feb. 17.

     With the opening of the spring campaign of 1864, Gen. Sweitzer commanding the brigade and Gen. Griffin the division, the 5th Corps under Gen. Warren opened the battle of the Wilderness on the Orange pike, May 5.  Here the 32d suffered slight loss.  Moving to Spottsylvania May 8, on the 12th the regiment was heavily engaged near Laurel Hill, losing 103 men including five color bearers, 46 being killed or mortally wounded.  It was present at North Anna River, May 23, at Shady Grove Road, May 30, and at Bethesda Church near Cold Harbor, June 3, losing in the last two engagements named 52 men, of whom 23 were killed or mortally wounded.  On June 10 it received 170 re-enlisted men and recruits from the 9th Mass. Regt., and at other times detachments from the 12th, 13th, 18th, 22d, and 39th Mass. Regiments.  These were largely consolidated into two extra companies, L and M. of the 32d.

     Before Petersburg it was in the assault of June 18, meeting with severe loss including Colonel Prescott, mortally wounded.  At Jerusalem Road, June 22, Weldon R. R., Aug. 21, and Poplar Spring Church, Sept. 30, it was engaged with loss. The winter was spent in the trenches before Petersburg.  On Feb. 5 it was engaged with loss at Hatcher's Run, on March 31 at Dinwiddie Court House, and on April 1 at Five Forks.  It was among the troops that overtook Lee at Appomattox and was one of the regiments detailed to accept the arms and colors at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, April9, 1865.  Transferred to Washington, it was mustered out June 28, the men receiving their final discharges and payment at Galloup's Island, Boston Harbor, July 11. 

THIRD REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER HEAVY ARTILLERY THREE YEARS

     During the year 1863, eight companies of heavy artillery were recruited for use in garrisoning the forts on the Massachusetts coast.  These companies were at first designated by numbers and were mustered into the United States service as follows- the 3d Company in January, 1864, the 6th Company in May, the 7th, 8th, and 9th Companies in August, the 10th Company in September, the 11th Company in October, and the 12th Company in November.

     They were distributed at first for the most part at the forts and islands in Boston Harbor, the 6th Company, however, being at New Bedford, the 11th at Gloucester, and the 12th at Salem.

     In the spring of 1864, these eight companies were transferred to Washington, D. C., where they were assigned to do guard and garrison duty in the defenses of the capital, thereby releasing the more experienced troops, who had been performing that service, for duty at the front.  Their places were taken in the forts on the Massachusetts coast by the unattached companies of infantry, whose history has been recited in an earlier portion of this work.

     When these first eight companies were raised it was quite distinctly stated in handbills and verbally by those engaged in the work of recruiting that they would be used only for garrison duty in Massachusetts.  Hence a great deal of dissatisfaction was caused by their transfer to the defenses of Washington, and many letters and petitions of protest against that transfer were made, numbers of which are still on file in the archives of The Adjutant General's Office.

     Governor Andrew was very anxious that these companies should be given a regimental status, and in order to carry that into effect four more companies, the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th were raised and mustered into the service, the 13th in February, 1864, the 14th and 15th in May, and the 16th in August.  Finally, the proper authorization having been obtained from the War Department, by Special Order No. 1087, dated Sept. 8, 1864, the 3d Regt. Mass. Vol. Hy. Arty. was organized, the companies being arranged in their numerical order and being lettered from "A" to "M" respectively.

     The regiment was commanded by Col. William S. Abert, a graduate of West Point, and was divided into three battalions commanded respectively by Majors John A. P. Allen, George S. Worcester, and Lyman B. Whiton.  With the exception of Company "I" the duties performed by the various units were not materially different from what they had been before they were given a regimental status.  They were scattered in the forts around Washington, D. C., and there remained until their muster out.

     Company " I ", nominally a part of the 3d Battalion, had an experience entirely different from that of the other companies.  It was recruited largely from mechanics employed at the National Armory in Springfield, Mass., and was employed as an engineer corps  It never served with the rest of the regiment, but was at once assigned to duty under Capt. F. N. Farquhar, U. S. Corps of Engineers, and was placed in charge of the pontoons of the Army of the James.  After a few weeks of drill and practice the men of Company "I" became expert pontooniers.

     They built two pontoon bridges across the Appomattox River, connecting the Armies of the Potomac and the James, two across the James River below Chaffin's Bluff, and in April, 1865, constructed the pontoon bridge at Farmville, which was used by the 2d and 6th Corps in the pursuit of Lee's fleeing army.  It later built the bridge at Richmond by which the Union armies crossed the James River on their way to Washington after the war was done.  In addition it ran captured saw mills, built wharves and roads, and performed engineer duty in general.

     Company " M " was mustered out June 17, 1865.  Ten more companies were mustered out on the 18th of September, but Company "I", the engineer company, was held in service until the 26th of September.