The last campaign of the Sixth was very brief, and equally
monotonous. There was a hiatus between the expiration of the time of
some of the veteran regiments and the coming in of new organizations for
three years, when the govern ment called for regiments for one hundred
days. There were several of the State militia organizations anxious to
respond, five of which came forward promptly, within a week or two of
each other. The first one ready, as usual, was the Sixth. Its services
were offered to the government early in July, and accepted; and it took
camp July 13, in Readville, Lieut.-Col. Beal commanding the companies as
fast as they arrived. The companies were mustered in the following
order: Co. K, on the 14th; Cos. A, I, and G, on the 15th; Cos. C, F, D,
and H, on the 16th; Co. B, on the 17th, and Co. E, on the 19th. The
colonel, lieutenant-colonel, adjutant, surgeon, and first
assistant-surgeon were mustered on the 17th, and the time of service
dated from the 20th, on which day it left camp, with thirty-six officers and nine hundred and
ninety-four enlisted men. It immediately proceeded to Washington, via
Groton, Conn., New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, arriving in the
capital on the 22d. The reception in Baltimore, on this its third march
through the monumental city towards the South, was very gratifying; and
the officers were assured that their command was distinguished for its
excellence of deportment, among the six hundred thousand who at that
time had passed "through Baltimore."
Source: "Historical Sketch of the Old Sixth Regiment
of Massachusetts Volunteers during its Three Campaigns" by John H. Hanson,
Chaplain of the 6th Regiment, published in 1866. This book is online at
Archive.org.
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