William served in the 40th Massachusetts infantry during the civil war. He was a private and worked as a machinist during the war (and after being discharged). He enlisted June 8 1862 joining company I. He was discharged June 16 1865 in Richman,VA.
William was wounded March 1, 1864 near Cedar Run, VA.
William died about 1894 and Mary lived until May 30 1915. She lived with Reuben in Wareham for most of the time after William died, and outlived all but one of her 8 children.
Regimental History
FORTIETH REGIMENT
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
THREE YEARS
The 40th Regt. Mass. Vol. Inf. was recruited at Camp Edwin
M. Stanton, Lynnfield, in August, 1862, Lieut. Col. Joseph A.
Dalton being in command during the recruiting period. The
companies were mustered in on various dates from August 22 to
September 5. Major Burr Porter, U. S. A., who had won
distinction while serving on the staff of Gen. John C. Fremont,
was commissioned colonel, but did not join the regiment until
after its arrival in Washington, Sept. 11, 1862. Here the 40th
occupied Fort Ethan Allen near Chain Bridge, and during the
fall and winter did guard and picket duty near Miner's Hill,
Mills' Cross Roads, and Hunter's Chapel. During this period it
was attached to Cowdin's (2d) Brigade, Abercrombie's Division.
About Mar. 4, Col. Porter succeeded Col. Cowdin in command of
the 2d Brigade, and Lieut. Col. Dalton took command of the
regiment.
On April 15, 1863, the 40th was ordered to Alexandria,
Va., and there took transport for Suffolk, which city was
menaced by a Confederate force under Gen. Longstreet. Here
as a part of Keyes' (4th) Corps it took part in several
reconnaissances prior to May 4, on which date, the siege having
been raised, the regiment was ordered to West Point, Va., where
it arrived May 7.
After various movements in the vicinity of Yorktown,
Williamsburg, Jamestown, and White House Landing, the regiment
proceeded to Baltimore Cross Roads. Near this place on the
night of July 2 it was engaged but without loss. Having
advanced to within 15 miles of Richmond the regiment returned
to Yorktown where it took transport for Washington. From here
it was sent immediately to Frederick, Md., arriving July 11.
Temporarily attached to the 11th Corps it joined in the pursuit
of Lee into Virginia.
Early in August it was again detached and ordered back to
Alexandria where on the 7th it embarked for Charleston, S. C.,
arriving on the 13th at Folly Island, and going into the
trenches in front of Fort Wagner. Here during the days
immediately following the regiment lost one officer, Lieut.
Webb, killed and five men wounded. On Nov. 10 Col. Guy V.
Henry took command, and immediately afterward the regiment took
part in an expedition to Kraivah and Seabrook Islands,
returning to Folly Island where it remained until Jany. 16,
1864, when it took transport for Hilton Head, S. C.
At Hilton Head it was reorganized as a regiment of mounted
infantry, and on Feb.4 embarked for Jacksonville, Fla. Here
the 40th became a part of the so-called Light Brigade, having
associated with it the Independent Battalion of Massachusetts
Cavalry (Co's. "I", "K", "L", and "M" 1st Regt. Mass. Cav.),
and Baty. "B" 1st U. S. Art. Col. Henry being in command as
acting brigadier.
The Florida campaign which followed lasted from Feb. 8,
when the advance began, until about Mar. 20, and was marked by
engagements at St. Mary's Creek, Feb. 10, Olustee, Feb. 20, and
Cedar Run, Mar. 1. The Light Brigade was then broken up and
the 40th became an infantry regiment again. It now proceeded
by transports to Hilton Head and thence to Gloucester Point,
Va. Here it was assigned to Henry's (1st) Brigade. On May 6,
it reached Bermuda Hundred, now being organized as a part of
Alford's (1st) Brigade, Turner's (2d) Division, Gillmore's
(lOth) Corps. May 9 the regiment proceeded with the 2d
Division to Chester Station, an important railroad junction
between Richmond and Petersburg, to assist in destroying the
station buildings and railroad at that place, but was ordered
to Swift Creek, near Arrowfield Church, in support of Heckman's
Brigade of the 18th Corps on the afternoon of the same day.
Three days later it joined in the advance of the Army of the
James toward Richmond and on the morning of May 16 participated
in the battle of Drury's Bluff, losing 10 killed, 42 wounded,
and 22 missing. The killed and most of the wounded were left
on the field. Four days later, May 20, the regiment was engaged
near Bermuda Hundred in repulsing a Confederate attack on the
Union picket line, losing six killed and 16 wounded.
On May 28 the regiment was sent by transport to White
House arriving on the 30th. Here it was attached to Smith's
(18th) Corps as a part of Henry's (3d) Brigade, Brooks' (1st)
Division. Joining the Army of the Potomac near Cold Harbor,
June 1, it was immediately ordered into action losing Lieut.
Col. Marshall and 11 men killed and a large number wounded.
It participated in the general assault on the Confederate lines
on the morning of June 3 losing 10 killed and many wounded. On
the 12th it was withdrawn from the Cold Harbor lines and
transferred via White House, Bermuda Hundred, and Point of
Rocks to the front of Petersburg. On the 15th in conjunction
with Wild's Division of colored troops it drove the
Confederates into the main line of fortifications at
Petersburg. Posted on the extreme Union right near the
Appomattox River, it assisted in the repulse of Hagood's
Confederate Brigade June 24, suffering slight loss. On the
east front of Petersburg, in the Bermuda Hundred lines, and in
the vicinity of Fort Harrison north of the James the regiment
was actively engaged during the summer, fall, and early winter
of 1864. In December the 40th became a part of Roberts' (3d)
Brigade, Devens' (3d) Division, Gibbon's (24th) Corps. In
March, 1865, the brigade was sent to Fredericksburg where it
did provost duty for a short time and assisted in destroying
the railroad to Richmond near Hamilton's Crossing. Another
expedition up the Yeocomico River to Kinsale Landing was made
later the same month. On March 26 the regiment returned to
Signal Hill on the Richmond front where it remained until after
the city fell. It was one of the first Union regiments to
enter the city on the morning of April 3 after the evacuation.
It now camped in various places near Richmond for about five
weeks-on Mayo's plantation, on the Benson estate near
Manchester, and elsewhere. On June 17 it was mustered out of
the service and started for Massachusetts. June 21 found the
regiment at Readville, Mass., where it remained in camp until
its final payment and discharge, June 30.
Source: Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors & Marines in the Civil War
