[
226]
Seventeenth regiment Massachusetts Infantry.
Col. Thomas J. C. Amory,
Bvt. Brig. Gen. U. S. Vols.
| Field and Staff. | Line. | Band. | companies. | Unassigned Recruits. | Totals. |
| | | | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K |
| Number on regimental rolls,— |
| Officers, | 14 | 74 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 88 |
| Enlisted men,1 | 18 | – | 24 | 186 | 156 | 139 | 159 | 188 | 210 | 210 | 193 | 101 | 113 | 9 | 1,706 |
| Totals, | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,794 |
| Enlisted men (included above) commissioned in regiment.2 | 9 | – | – | 2 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | – | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 36 |
| Enlisted men (included above) serving elsewhere within regiment. | – | – | – | 3 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 12 |
| Totals, | 9 | – | – | 5 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | – | 48 |
| Actual total of members of regiment,— |
| Officers, | 14 | 74 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 88 |
| Enlisted men,3 | 9 | – | 24 | 181 | 154 | 127 | 154 | 186 | 205 | 209 | 190 | 99 | 111 | 9 | 1,658 |
| Totals, | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,746 |
The 17th Mass. Infantry was recruited during July and August, 1861, and encamped at
Lynnfield, Mass., until it left the
State on August 23.
Thomas J. C. Amory, its colonel, was a West Point graduate, and at the time of his appointment in this regiment was captain of the 7th U. S. Infantry.
On reaching
Baltimore, the command was stationed near the city, forming part of the forces under
General Dix, and remained there until the spring of 1862, when it moved to
New Berne, N. C. In December, 1862, it engaged in the Goldsboroa expedition, taking part in the battles of
Kinston,
Whitehall and Goldsboroa; returning to New Berne, it was engaged as provost guard of the city until the latter part of January, 1863, encamping afterward on the
Trent River.
In April, 1863, it was sent to the relief of
Little Washington, N. C., taking part in the same month in an expedition to
Core Creek, and in July in expeditions to
Trenton and to Mount Tabor Church.
In February, 1861, the regiment was engaged at Batchelder's Creek in the vicinity of New Berne, losing a number, killed and wounded, and also a large number of prisoners, many of whom died in prison.
On April 18, 1864, it was sent again to Little Washington, returning to New Berne on the 30th.
On July 21 the. term of service of the regiment under the original enlistment expired, and those whose service was ended returned to
Massachusetts and were mustered out Aug. 3, 1864; those of the regiment who had re-enlisted, and the recruits, remained at New Berne under command of
Capt. Henry Splaine, and the command was enlarged during the winter of 1864 and 1865 by the addition of five companies transferred from the 2d Mass. Heavy Artillery.
Colonel Amory, commanding the sub-district of Beaufort, died of yellow fever at
Beaufort, Oct. 7, 1864.
The regiment moved to
Core Creek March 4, 1865, and from the 8th to the 11th of the month was engaged at Wise's Forks under command of
Maj. Wm. M. Smith,
Lieutenant-Colonel Splaine being in charge of the brigade of which the regiment formed a part.
Joining
General Sherman's army at Goldsboroa, N. C., March 25, 1865, the regiment moved with it to
Raleigh April 14, receiving here the news of the surrender of
Johnston's army.
May 5 it left
Raleigh for Greensboroa, N. C., and on arrival was stationed on garrison duty there until the close of its service, July 11, 1865, on which day it was mustered out, and, returning to
Massachusetts, was paid off and discharged July 26, 1865.
