William Schouler, A history of Massachusetts in the Civil War: Volume 1

The Massachusetts regiments and batteries in the spring of 1862, and previous to the commencement of the campaign in North Carolina under Burnside, and in Virginia under General McClellan, were stationed as follows: The First, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-second, Twenty-ninth, and Thirty-second Regiments of Infantry, the First, Third, and Fifth Batteries, and the two companies of Sharpshooters, were in the Army of the Potomac. The Second, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Regiments of Infantry were in the Army of Virginia, in the upper waters of the Potomac. The Seventeenth, Twenty-first, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-seventh Regiments of Infantry were in General Burnside's army, in North Carolina. The Twenty-sixth, Thirtieth, and Thirty-first Regiments of Infantry, three unattached companies of cavalry, the Second and Sixth Companies of Light Artillery, were in the Department of the Gulf in Louisiana. The Twenty-eighth Regiment of Infantry and the First Regiment of Cavalry were in the Army of the South, in South Carolina. The First Regiment of Heavy Artillery was stationed in forts near Washington, on the Virginia side of the Potomac. The Seventh Company of Light Artillery was stationed at Fortress Monroe; and the Eighth Company of Light Artillery (Cook's), was stationed near Washington.

Thus the soldiers of Massachusetts were stationed in array of battle, at the beginning of this eventful year, at different points,—from the valley of the Shenandoah to the lowlands of Louisiana. In the year before, they had been the first to reach Washington, and to plant the colors of the Commonwealth upon the soil of Virginia. So they were the first, in 1862, to land in North Carolina, and ‘carry the flag, and keep step to the music of the Union,’ in the far-off plains of Mississippi and Louisiana. Before the end of the year, as we shall proceed to show, Massachusetts soldiers were the first to land on the soil of Texas, and display the ensign of the republic in the city of Galveston.