2nd Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry

Brief History
2nd Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry was organized at Camp Andrew, West Roxbury, and mustered in May 25, 1861, mustered out July 11, and discharged at Boston, Mass., July 26, 1865.

For more information on the history of 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, see the following:


 * The Wikipedia article, 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (accessed 20 September 2011)
 * The Civil War Archive section, 2nd Regiment Infantry, (accessed 9 July 2011).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 3,499 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Massachusetts in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Massachusetts in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Massachusetts, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Morse, Charles F. (Charles Fessenden). History of the Second Massachusetts regiment of infantry, Gettysburg : a paper read at the officers' reunion in Boston, May 10, 1878. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991), and Letters written during the Civil War, 1861-1865..


 * Quincy, Samuel M. (Samuel Miller). History of the Second Massachusetts regiment of infantry : a prisoner's diary. A paper read at the officers' reunion in Boston, May 11, 1877. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),


 * Quint, Alonzo Hall. The Potomac and the Rapidan : army notes from the failure at Winchester to the reinforcement of Rosecrans, 1861-3. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991)


 * Scott, H. B. The surrender of General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, Virginia, April 9, 1865 : paper read at a meeting of surviving officers of the Second Massachusetts Infantry at Boston, August 9, 1916. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),.


 * Thayer, George Augustine. History of the Second Massachusetts Regiment of Infantry, Chancellorsville : a paper read at the officers' reunion in Boston, May 11, 1880. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),.


 * Monument to the2nd Massachusetts Volenteer Infantry Regiment,(accessed 10 April 2013).


 * Civil War in the East, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, (accessed 10 April 2013).