Description
Organized at newport news, va., december, 1861, from 1st battalion massachusetts infantry (7 companies) and 3 new companies (“f,” “g” and “h”) organized december 13-17, 1861, which joined regiment at newport news, virginia., january 17, 1862. Department. Of virginia, to may, 1862. 1st brigade, 1st division, dept. Of virginia, to june, 1862. 2nd brigade, 1st division, 2nd army corps, army of the potomac, to december, 1862, 2nd brigade, 1st division, 9th army corps, army of the potomac, to april, 1863. Second brigade 1st division, 9th army corps, department. Of the ohio, to june, 1863, 3rd brigade, 2nd division, 9th army corps, army of the tennessee, to august, 1863, 2nd brigade. 1st division, 9th army corps, dept. Of the ohio, to march, 1863. 3rd brigade, 1st division, 5th army corps. Army of the potomac, may to june, 1864. 2nd brigade, 1st division, 9th army corps, army of the potomac, to july, 1864. 1st brigade, 1st division, 9th army corps, to september. 1864. 3rd brigade, 1st division, 9th army corps, to july, 1865.Battles:. Sinking of the cumberland and congress by the merrimac march 8, 1862. Battle between monitor and merrimac march 9. Occupation of norfolk and portsmouth may 10. Near seven pines june 15, fair oaks, seven days before richmond june 25-july 1, gaines’ mill, peach orchard and savage station, white oak swamp and glendale, malvern hill, at harrison’s landing till august 16. Cover retreat of pope’s army from bull run august 31-september l, antietam, at harper’s ferry, w. Virginia, fredericksburg, mud march, moved to kentucky march 21-26. Duty at paris, kentucky till april 26. Moved to nicholasville, lancaster and stanford april 27-29, march to somerset may 6-8, movement through kentucky to cairo, illinois, june 4-10; thence to vicksburg, mississippi, siege of vicksburg june 17-july 4. Advance on jackson, mississippi july 4-10. Siege of jackson july 10-17. At milldale till august 12. Moved to covington, kentucky, burnside’s campaign in east tennessee august to october, blue springs knoxville campaign november-december, campbell’s station november 16. Siege of knoxville november 17-december 4. Pursuit of longstreet december 7-28. Operations in east tennessee till march, 1864. Veterans march to nicholasville. Ky., march 21-31; thence moved to covington, ky.; cincinnati, ohio, and to boston, mass., march 31-april 9. On furlough till may 16. Moved to washington, d.C.; thence to belle plain, va., march 16-20. Transferred to the army of the potomac may 28. Non-veterans attached to 36th massachusetts infantry february 1 to may 16. Rapidan campaign may-june. Totopotomy may 28-31. Cold harbour june 1-12. Bethesda church june 1-3. Before petersburg, june 15-19. Siege of petersburg june 16, 1864, to april 2, 1865. Mine explosion, petersburg, july 30, 1864. Weldon railroad august 18-21. Poplar springs church, peeble’s farm, reconnaissance on vaughan and squirrel level roads october 8. Boydton plank road, hatcher’s run, october 27-28. Fort stedman march 25, 1865. Assault on and fall of petersburg april 2. Occupation of petersburg april 3. Moved to washington, d.C., april 21-28. Grand review may 23. Provost duty at washington and alexandria till july. Mustered out july 29, 1865.Regiment lost during service 4 officers and 53 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 officers and 95 enlisted men by disease. A total loss of 156 men. The flags of this unit comply with the pattern issued to massachusetts troops. Adopting the excepted pattern for the national flags, with the unit designation painted on the flag in gold paint. The regimental flag follows the pre civil war pattern for massachusetts regiments with the flag being fielded on white silk and, a painted silk centre crest of a pine tree on the observe. On the reserve a native american is depicted. With a scroll containing the designation of the unit beneath, the central image. Although the 29th massachusetts was briefly attached to the irish brigade in 1862, the unit was not made up of a large percentage of irish recruits and, therefore retained its massachusetts identity. The flags today are held in boston, massachusetts within the state house.
