[
218]
Twelfth regiment Massachusetts Infantry.
（1)
Col. Fletcher Webster.
（2)
Col. James L. Bates.
| Field and Staff. | Line. | Band. | companies. | Unassigned Recruits. | Totals. |
| | | | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K |
| Number on regimental rolls,— |
| Officers, | 17 | 56 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 73 |
| Enlisted men, | 18 | – | 21 | 157 | 134 | 163 | 140 | 130 | 159 | 145 | 146 | 157 | 152 | 14 | 1,536 |
| Totals, | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,609 |
| Enlisted men (included above) commissioned in regiment.1 | 8 | – | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | 33 |
| Enlisted men (included above) serving elsewhere within regiment. | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 6 |
| Totals, | 8 | – | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | – | 39 |
| Actual total of members of regiment,— |
| Officers, | 17 | 56 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 73 |
| Enlisted men,2 | 10 | – | 21 | 155 | 132 | 161 | 137 | 128 | 153 | 142 | 140 | 154 | 150 | 14 | 1,497 |
| Totals, | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,570 |
Recruiting for the 12th Mass. Infantry began April 22, 1861, through the efforts of
Fletcher Webster of
Marshfield, Mass., who afterward became its colonel, and through whom it gained the title of ‘The Webster Regiment.’
May 1 the companies raised were stationed at
Fort Warren,
Boston Harbor, and on June 26, 1861, the greater part of the regiment was mustered into the
United States' service, the organization being completed July 11; on July 23 it left the
State and, assigned to
Abercrombie's Brigade of
General Banks' forces, went by the way of
Baltimore to
Harper's Ferry, and was engaged during the remainder of the year in guarding the upper Potomac; moving in the autumn to
Hyattstown and
Seneca Mills and making its winter quarters at
Frederick, Md. In February, 1862, the regiment broke camp, and entering the Shenandoah Valley reconnoitered during the spring and early summer in the neighborhood of
Winchester,
Aldie,
Front Royal and
Manassas, becoming in June part of
Ricketts' Division,
McDowell's Corps, Army of Virginia.
It entered at dusk on August 9 into the
battle of Cedar Mountain and was closely engaged at
Manassas August 30, suffering great loss in the death of
Colonel Webster.
As part of
General Hartsuff's Brigade in the 1st Corps under
Hooker, Army of the Potomac, the regiment took part at the
battle of South Mountain and began its part at
Antietam early in the morning of September 17, at Dunker's Church, losing heavily.
At Fredericksburg the regiment was actively engaged in the afternoon of December 13 with much loss.
Occupying winter quarters near
Fletcher's Chapel, it engaged in the ‘mud march’ of January, 1863; it was active at the
battle of Chancellorsville and was engaged at
Gettysburg, meeting its principal loss July 1.
It took part in the march to the
Rappahannock and in the
Mine Run campaign in November, 1863.
At the
battle of the Wilderness it was engaged May 5 and 6, and shared in the movements to
Spotsylvania,
North Anna and Cold Harbor, being constantly in action with frequent losses.
June 16 the regiment moved to
Petersburg and took part in the assaults of the following days.
June 25, 1864, the regiment's term of service expired and it retired from the front; the re-enlisted men and the recruits were transferred to the 39th Mass. Infantry, and returning to
Washington June 28, it left at once for
Massachusetts and was mustered out of service on Boston Common, July 8, 1864.
