28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

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. Altogether, some
1,845 men served in the regiment over the three and a half years of
its existence, of whom 98 were commissioned officers and 1,805 were
enlisted soldiers.

The following individuals from Chelsea were commissioned as field
officers or enlisted as non-commissioned field staff.

George W. Snow. Assistant Surgeon. Chelsea, 24, physician; comm.
9/30/1861; must. 12/2/1861; captured 8/30/1862 at 2nd Bull Run, Va.,
exchanged, date not shown; promoted to Surgeon, 35th Mass. Inf. on 3/13/1863.

John C. Barrington. Hospital Steward. Chelsea, 39, physician; enl.
11/1/1861, must. 1/1/1862; comm. Asst. Surgeon and must. 12//5/1862;
resigned and disch. 6/17/1864 as Asst. Surgeon.

Company A

Company A was recruited during the autumn of 1861, and most of its
initial membership mustered into service on December 13, 1861. Many
of the men of this company were originally recruited from the shoe
factories of Lynn, Massachusetts, with another large contingent being
common laborers from East Cambridge, Cambridgeport, Boston and one
from Chelsea. Altogether, a total of 226 men served in Company A
between December 13, 1861 and June 30, 1865, including two who were
commissioned as officers from the ranks. Of these, 27 enlisted men
were killed or died of battle wounds, 10 enlisted men died by
accident or disease, and 11 enlisted men died as prisoners, for a
total loss of 54 men (24%).

Phalen, John. Private. Chelsea, 43, laborer; enl. 12/1/1861, must.
12/13/1861; drowned 8/14/1862 in Potomac River, Va.

Company B

Company B was recruited during the fall of 1861, with most of its
original members coming from the Boston area and six from Chelsea.
Total losses for Company B include 22 men killed or mortally wounded
in action, 3 counted as missing in action, 11 who died by accident or
disease, and 6 who died as prisoners of war for a total of 42. This
comprises some 17.5% of the 239 soldiers who served in this company.

Bird, Patrick H. Private. Chelsea, 18, carriage maker; enl. and must.
1/10/1862; wounded 8/30/1862 at 2nd Bull Run, Va. as Corpl.; and
12/13/1862 at Fredericksburg, Va. as Sergt.; re-enlisted 1/1/1864;
comm. 1st Lieut. from Sergt. Major and must. to date, 5/22/1864;
wounded 6/3/1864 at Cold Harbor, Va.; comm. Captain 8/16/1864, must.
to date 10/13/1864; wounded 4/2/1865 near South Side R.R., Va.; must.
out 6/30/1865 as Captain of Co. A. 1864,

Bowen, John. Private. Chelsea, 19, farmer; enl. and must. 2/6/1862;
wounded 7/3/1863 at Gettysburg, Pa.; transf. to V.R.C. by G.O. #104,
3/16/1864; disch. 1/10/1865 as member of Co. G, 6th V.R.C.

McDonough, John. Private. Chelsea, 17, dyer; enl. and must.
1/10/1862; re-enlisted 1/1/1864; deserted 4/1/1864 at Boston.

Riley, Patrick. Private. Chelsea, 18, cloth presser; enl. and must.
1/10/1862; killed 12/13/1862 at Fredericksburg, Va.

Swain, Robert. Private. Chelsea, 31, painter; enl. 10/18/ 1861, must.
12/13/1861; wounded 8/30/1862 at 2nd Bull Run, Va.; disch. for
wounds, 11/28/1862 at Baltimore, Md. Also served in Co. I, 15th Mass
Inf.; and transf. to Co. K, 20th Mass. Inf.

Welch, John. Private. Chelsea, 18, laborer; enl. and must. 1/10/1864;
deserted 3/31/1864 from furlough.

Company C

Company C was recruited during the autumn of 1861 in the Boston
vicinity, and most of its original members were mustered into service
on December 13, 1861. Eight were from Chelsea.

Altogether, 215 men served in Company C between December 13, 1861 and
June 30, 1865, 5 of whom were commissioned officers. Of this total,
41 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded in battle, 3 missing
in action, 12 died of accident or disease, and 2 died as prisoners,
for a total of 58 or 27% in the course of the war. This is the third
highest percentage loss of the 10 companies of the regiment.

Brannon, Owen. Private. Chelsea, 21, baker; enl. and must. 8/22/1864;
killed 3/25/1865 at Hatcher’s Run, Va.

Crowley, Daniel. Private. Chelsea, 22, clerk; enl. and must.
3/18/1864; must. out 6/30/1865.

Fleming, Bartholomew. Private. Chelsea, 28, laborer; enl. and must.
1/20/1865; prom. Quarter Master Sergt., 3/15/1865; must. out
6/30/1865. Also served in U.S. Navy.

McGillock, John. Private. Boston, 40, plasterer; enl. and must.
8/18/1862; disch. for disability 1/2/1863 at Falmouth, Va.; died
1/27/1863 in Chelsea, Mass.

McGowan, James. Private. Chelsea, 20, boiler maker; enl. and must.
7/19/1864; prom. Corpl., 12/31/1864; and Sergt., 6/9/1865; must. out
6/30/1865 as member of Co. A.

Nicholson, Michael. Private. Chelsea, 28, boiler maker; enl. and
must. 1/26/1865; disch. from hospl. 5/27/1865 at Washington, D.C.

Swain, William. Private. Chelsea, 18, farmer; enl. and must.
1/29/1864; prom. Corpl., 9/1/1864; Sergt., 10/14/1864; wounded
4/2/1865 at Petersburg, Va.; must. out 6/17/1865 as member of Co. D.

Watson, Robert. Private. Chelsea, 36, plasterer; enl. 21/4/1861,
must. 12/13/1861; wounded 7/3/1863 at Gettysburg, Pa.; re-enlisted
1/1/1864; killed 5/10/1864 at Po River, Va

Company D

Company D was recruited during the fall of 1861. Like most of the
other companies of the 28th Massachusetts, company D drew most of its
original members from Boston and the surrounding area, including two
from Chelsea.

A total of 208 enlisted men served in Company D between December,
1861 and July, 1865. Of these, 22 men were killed or mortally
wounded, 7 reported as missing in action, 7 died of disease, and 7
died as prisoners of war, for a total of 43 (20.7%) deaths.

Cate, William W. Private. Chelsea, 18, laborer; enl. and must.
3/22/1864; wounded 6/16/1864 at Petersburg, Va.; transf. to V.R.C.
2/1/1865; must out 7/29/1865 as member of Co. I, 10th V.R.C.

Secor, Isaac. Private. Chelsea, 23, laborer; enl. and must.
3/19/1864; wounded 6/3/1864 at Cold Harbor, Va.; disch. for
disability, 2/4/1865 at Washington, D.C.

Company E

Company E was recruited in the fall of 1861, with most of the
original members originating from Boston and the surrounding area
with two from Chelsea. A total of 209 enlisted men served in Company
E during the three years of its existence in the field. Of this
number, 16 men were killed in action, 3 were reported missing in
action and presumed killed, 6 died by accident or disease, and 3 died
as prisoners of war for a total of 28 men (13.4%).

Linnehan, Cornelius. Private. Chelsea, 30, laborer; enl. 10/19/1861,
must. 12/13/1861; wounded 9/17/1862 at Antietam, Md.; disch. for
disability, 6/8/1863.

West, James B. 1st Sergeant. Chelsea, 40, carpenter; enl. 9/9/1861,
must. 12/13/1861; comm. 2nd Lieut., 7/26/1862; wounded 12/13/1862 at
Fredericksburg, Va.; comm. 1st Lieut., 1/16/1863, must. 2/24/1863;
wounded 6/3/1864 at Cold Harbor, Va.; died of wounds, 6/4/1864.

Company F

Company F was recruited during the fall of 1861, with most of its
original members coming from the Boston area. Of these, five were
from Chelsea and an unusually large number came from Roxbury (33) and
Cambridge (16).

A total of 124 enlisted men served in Company F during the three
years it was in existence. Total losses for Company F include 18 men
killed or mortally wounded in action, 3 counted as missing in action,
6 who died by accident or disease, and 8 who died as prisoners of war
for a total of 35 or 28% of the company.

Bartlett, Benjamin T. 1st Lieutenant. Chelsea, 40, contractor; comm.
10/8/1861, must. 12/13/1861; resigned and disch. 12/16/1862 at
Falmouth, Va.

Farmer, Edward. Private. Chelsea, 19, lather; enl. and must.
1/2/1862; prom. Corpl., 4/1/1863; re-enlisted 1/2/1864; deserted
while on furlough as a Private.

Ford, Michael. Private. Chelsea, 28, laborer; enl. 10/10/1861, must.
12/13/1861; deserted 9/13/1862 at Washington, D.C.

Weir, Joseph. Private. Chelsea, 21, farmer; enl. 9/24/1861, must.
12/13/1861; transf. to V.R.C., 9/17/1863; not found on rolls of
V.R.C.; no further record.

Welch, William. Private. Chelsea, 24, laborer; enl. 12/2/1861, must.
12/13/1861; wounded 9/14/1862 at South Mountain, Md. re-enlisted
1/1/1864; wounded 3/25/1865 at Hatcher’s Run, Va.; must. out
6/22/1865 as member of Co. A.

Company G

Company G was recruited in the fall of 1861. Although most of the men
of this company were from Boston and Cambridge, two were frm Chelsea.
A total of 117 enlisted men served in Company G during the three
years of its existence in the field. Of this number, 19 men were
killed in action, 1 was reported missing in action and presumed
killed, 10 died by accident or disease, and 4 died as prisoners of
war for a total of 34 men (29%). This was the second highest
percentage loss for any company in the regiment.

Nicholson, Francis N. Private. Chelsea, 18, laborer; enl. and must.
1/6/1862; killed 9/17/1862 at Antietam, Md. as Corporal.

Wier, Joseph. Private. Chelsea, 22, farmer; enl. 9/28/1861, must.
12/13/1861; deserted 8/12/1862 at Fredericksburg, Va.; returned, date
not shown; dishonorably disch. by G.O. #231 dated 6/6/1865.

Company I

Company I was recruited during the autumn of 1861, and most of its
initial membership mustered into service on December 13, 1861. Most
of the men of this company were originally recruited from Boston,
with two from Chelsea. Of the 126 men who served in Company I between
1861 and 1864, some 15 enlisted men were killed or died of battle
wounds, 10 enlisted men died by accident or disease, and 3 enlisted
men died as prisoners. Altogehter, this accounts for a total loss of
32 men or 25% of the entire company.

Bryant, Marshall. Private. Chelsea, 18, clerk; enl. 10/2/1861, must.
12/13/1861; disch. for disability, 8/12/1863. Also served in 4th
Unattached Co. Mass. Inf. (90 days); and Co. A, 4th Mass. Cav.

Bryant, Richard R. 1st Sergeant. Chelsea, 20, bookkeeper; enl.
9/21/1861, must. 12/13/1861; died of disease, 6/10/1862 at Hilton
Head, S.C.

Unassigned Recruits

The following five individuals from Chelsea enlisted in the 28th
Massachusetts Infantry but were never assigned to any one of the ten
companies. As such, none ever saw any actual service in the field
with the regiment. A quick perusal of the roster indicates a variety
of reasons for their absence. Some became ill before they left the
state and were discharged from the service. Others volunteered for
service in the U.S. Navy and were transferred out of the regiment
before they left Boston. Still others deserted before ever reaching
the regiment, or simply were unaccounted for either due to mistakes
in record-keeping or more likely, desertion.

Brannin, Michael. Private. Chelsea, 18, laborer; enl. 10/15/1862,
must. 10/16/1863; deserted 11/3/1862; arrested 7/30/1864; tried by
Genl. Court Martial; confined at Ft. Delaware, Del., 1/11/1865;
dishonorably disch., 7/3/1865. Name also borne as “Michael Brannon.”

Colburn, George. Private. Chelsea, 40, seaman; enl. and must
3/21/1864; disch. for disability, 4/15/1864.

Dugal, Thomas. Private. Chelsea, 21, laborer; enl. and must.
5/11/1864; no further record.

Irwin, George. Private. Chelsea, 23, seaman; enl. and must.3/26/1864;
transf. to Navy, 4/23/1864.

Williams, Dann. Private. Chelsea, 25, sailor; enl. and must.
4/15/1864; transf. to Navy, 5/17/1864.