William Marvel, author of sixteen books on the Civil War will speak at the Stoughton Historical Society
6 Park St, Stoughton, MA on May 18 at 2 P.M. His topic will be “Soldiers of ’62: Nine-Month Men and
Volunteers for the Long Haul” telling this story through two Regiments: the 4th
Massachusetts (nine month men) and the 35th Massachusetts, climaxing
with the summer and spring campaigns of 1864. Mr Marvel’s most recent book was Tarnished Victory: Finishing Lincoln’s War.
Light refreshments Free For more info: call 781 344 5456 or email us stoughtonhistoricalsociety@verizon.net
The Stoughton Historical Society
has published the diaries of Charles Eaton from the 4th Mass. and
Edward Waldo from the 35th Mass. On May 18, 1864, 150 years ago to
the day, Edward Waldo wrote in his diary, “Our reg. charged on the rifle pits
this morning I was wounded through the arm.” Pvt. Waldo later died from this wound, which he sustained at
Spotsylvania Courthouse. Previous
to this battle, Waldo and the 35th had fought at South Mountain,
Antietem, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Knoxville, and the Wilderness, the latter less than two weeks
earlier. The 35th
included men from Stoughton, Canton, Sharon, Easton, Taunton, Quincy, Hingham,
Weymouth, Abington, Randolph, Foxborough, Walpole, Mansfield, East Bridgewater,
and South Scituate.
17-year-old Pvt Charles Eaton had served the previous year as a
“nine-month-man” in a Stoughton Company of the 4th Mass. Other companies in the Regiment
included men from Randolph, Canton, Taunton and Lowell, all of whom were sent
to Louisiana and Mississippi to lay siege to Port Hudson, the last Confederate
stronghold to fall on the Mississippi River. At this time 149 years ago, Eaton wrote,
“[May] 16th,
Sat. Mosquito nearly ate me up last night on guard. Sent papers to Andrew,
Herbert & Sidney.
[May] 17th, Sun. Wrote
to Mother and Inez. Negroes are coming down the bayou in flatboats. In some of
the boats, there are a hundred and fifty or two hundred. They were ragged and
dirty. Sergeant Ayer came down this afternoon. He had been on picket up at Camp
Bisland.
[May] 18th, Mon. More
negroes today. Washed my pants today. The sun is awful hot.”
The 4th Mass. had
two tours, the first, a three-month service at the very beginning of the war
April to July 1861. Their second duty was a nine month tour from September
1862-August 1863. In the latter
service, many of them were removed from service for “mutiny” when they refused
to carry sandbags for the Port Hudson siege, after their nine-month enlistment
had expired. The men serving
in both tours of the 4th. were from Stoughton, Randolph, Canton,
Sharon, Taunton, and Easton plus Raynham, Middleborough, Lakeville, Kingston,
Pembroke, Hanson, Lawrence/Lowell men in the second deployment.