Apr. 15    Major George Henry Gordon of the New England Guards secures Gov. John A. Andrew's promise of support to raise a volunteer regiment for the war

Apr. 19    Massachusetts Militia troops answering President Lincoln's call to defend Washington, DC, are attacked by a mob in the streets of Baltimore

Apr 29    Gordon's emissaries, George L. Andrews and Wilder Dwight, obtain the authority from Secretary of War Cameron to raise a 3-year regiment

May 4    President Lincoln calls for 39 regiments of Infantry and 1 of Cavalry to serve for three years

May 9    Quartermaster R. Morris Copeland secures the use of the former Brook Farm in Roxbury from Re. James Freeman Clarke. It is christened "Camp Andrew"

May 11    The first troops to arrive at Camp Andrew is a company raised and commanded by Edward Abbott

May 18    Four companies of the 2nd MA are mustered in.

May 24    Gordon is commissioned Colonel of the 2nd MA Volunteer Infantry

May 27     6 companies are mustered into service

June 26    The regiment receives the first of its battle flags

July 1    The regiment's state flag is received

July 6    Gordon receives orders to report to Gen. Robert Patterson in Virginia

July 8    The 2nd Massachusetts Infantry breaks camp at Brook Farm and boards the train in Boston for New York City

July 12    The regiment fords the Potomac River and treads upon the sacred soil of Virginia

July 14    Gordon's regiment is assigned to the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, under Gen. John Abercrombie

July 17    The 2nd Massachusetts at Charlestown, VA

July 18    The 2nd MA is detached and sent to garrison the town of Harper's Ferry

July 21     The regiment hears the news about the battle of Bull Run

July 25     Former Massachusetts Governor, Nathaniel P. Banks, replaces Patterson

July 28     Most of the 2nd MA is moved to Maryland Heights

Aug. 19    As the regiment makes preparations to move out, there is a truly minor skirmish with some enemy cavalry

Aug. 24    The 2nd MA moves to Darnestown, MD, where it remains until 21October, much to the displeasure of both officers & men

Oct. 21    Gordon receives orders to proceed to Edward's Ferry and arrives there in the aftermath of the Union debacle at Ball's Bluff.

Oct. 25    The 2nd MA returns to Darnestown, then moves on to its new camp at Seneca Creek

1862

Feb. 17    30 men from the regiment are detailed by McClellan to join the gun-boat expedition on the Mississippi

Feb. 27    The 2nd MA leaves Frederick, MD and re-enters Virginia. Spends the night at Harper's Ferry.

Feb. 28    The 2nd MA at Charlestown, VA

Mar. 11    The 2nd MA at Winchester, VA

Mar 22    Williams Division, on its way to reinforce Gen. McDowell, is sent back to Winchester in a hurry after the Battle of Kernstown. Several members of Co. G, on Provost Duty in the town, take part in the fight

Apr. 1    Banks begins his pursuit of Stonewall Jackson up the Valley

May 13   The 2nd MA at Strasburg. Banks now only has command of two brigades. The rest have been detached to aid the push against Richmond

May 23    Jackson attacks & routs the Federals at Front Royal

May 24    The 2nd MA engages in rear guard action against Jackson's advance and holds him at bay from Newtown all the way to Winchester

May 25    THE BATTLE OF WINCHESTER. The 2nd MA finds itself on the opposite side of the Potomac.

June 11   The 2nd MA revisits Winchester

June 15    Gordon promoted to Brigadier General. George Andrews succeeds him in command of the 2nd MA

June 26    Gen. John Pope arrives to show the eastern armies how it's done

July 19    The 2nd MA at Little Washington

Aug. 9    THE BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN

Aug. 19    The 2nd MA receives 90 new recruits

Aug. 20    Rappahannock ramblings

Aug. 29-30    As the rear guard of Banks' entire force, the 2nd MA is not close enough to participate in Second Bull Run

Sept. 4    Once again on the wrong side of the Potomac

Sept. 5    Pope is relieved. McLellan is once again called upon the save the Union!

Sept. 12    The 2nd MA becomes part of the 12th Corps of the Army of the Potomac

Sept. 14    The regiment passes through Frederick, MD

Sept. 17    THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM; Lt. Col. Wilder Dwight is mortally wounded.

Sept. 22    Back to Maryland Heights where the regiment finds itself once again guarding the upper Potomac

Oct. 15    Major General Henry Warner Slocum assumes command of the 12th Corps

Oct. 22    Lt. Col. James Savage, wounded at Cedar Mt., dies in captivity

Oct. 30    The 2nd MA near Sharpsburg for 5-6 weeks

Nov. 9   Col. Andrews is promoted to Brigadier General. In the absence of Col. Quincy, recovering from his Cedar Mt. wounds, command of the 2nd MA falls to William Cogswell

Nov. 24    Cogswell leads a raid against guerillas at Shepherdstown, VA

Dec. 13    The 2nd MA "invades" Virginia for the 4th time.

Jan. 23-April 27   Encamped at Stafford Court House

Jan. 20    Burnside's "Mud March"

Jan. 26    Hooker replaces Burnside

Mar. 6    Col. Quincy finally returns to take command

May 1-6    BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE

May 11    The 2nd Massachusetts begins its 3rd year of service.

June 2     Col. Quincy resigns due to persistent physical problems. His successor, Col. Cogswell, is recovering from wounds received at Chancellorsville

July 1-3    BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG; Lt. Col. Mudge, in temporary command of the 2nd MA, is killed

July 12     Col. Cogswell returns to command the regiment

Aug. 16    Ordered to New York City in the aftermath of the Draft Riots

Sept. 9    Returns to Virginia from New York City

Sept. 24    The 12th Corps is detached from the Army of the Potomac and sent to the aid of Rosecrans at Chattanooga, TN.

Oct. 9    The regiment arrives in Tullahoma, TN. Principle duty--guarding the railroad line

The 2nd MA takes no part in the BATTLE OF WAUHATCHIE.

Oct. 28    Former officer, Adin B. Underwood, now commanding the 33rd MA, is badly wounded.

Nov. 24    The 2nd MA takes no part in the BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

Jan. 10    Those men who have re-enlisted for another 3 years begin their 30-day furlough

Feb. 23    The re-enlistees leave Boston to rejoin the regiment at Tullahoma, TN

Apr. 4   The 12th Corps & 11th Corps are consolidated as the 20th Corps, under the command of Major General Joseph Hooker

May 5    In preparation for the campaign against Atlanta, the 2nd MA is reduced to 1 wagon (it left Massachusetts in 1861 with 25)

May 14    BATTLE OF RESACA

May 19    Action at CASSVILLE

May 25    While on detached duty guarding a bridge, the 2nd MA takes no part in the BATTLE OF NEW HOPE CHURCH

May 28    Those men who did not re-enlist are Mustered Out of the 2nd MA

June 21-22    Action at KOLB'S FARM

June 27    BATTLE OF KENESAW MOUNTAIN. The 2nd MA only lightly engaged

June 30    The 2nd MA enters Marietta, GA

Aug. 20    BATTLE OF PEACH TREE CREEK

Sept. 2    The 12th Corps is the first Union force to enter Atlanta. Col. Cogswell is appointed post commandant and the 2nd MA is chosen to garrison the city

Nov. 12-13    The public buildings in Atlanta are set ablaze

Nov. 16    The 2nd MA leaves Atlanta

Nov. 23    The 2nd MA enters Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia

Dec. 3    Officers of the regiment tour the Confederate prison pen at Millen

Dec. 13    Ft. McAlister, on the outskirts of Savannah, falls

Jan. 15   Sherman's Army leaves Savannah behind

Jan. 16    Col. Cogswell is brevetted Brigadier General, retaining his commission in the 2nd MA; Lt. Col. Charles Morse becomes its last commanding officer

Jan. 19    The 2nd MA at Hardeeville, NC

Mar. 6    The 2nd MA at Cheraw, NC

Mar. 13    The 2nd MA at Fayetteville, NC

Mar. 16    BATTLE OF AVERASBORO

Mar. 19    BATTLE OF BENTONVILLE

Mar. 24   The 2nd MA at Goldsboro, NC

Apr. 3    The Confederate capital of Richmond falls to U. S. Grant

Apr. 9    Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox

Apr. 14-15    Lincoln is assassinated in Washington, DC

Apr. 14    Johnston requests armistice

Apr. 26    Johnston surrenders to Sherman

May 4    The 2nd MA enters Virginia for the first time since 27 S 1863

May 11    4 years to the day that the 2nd MA established its first camp at Brook Farm, Richmond is entered

May 24    The Grand Review in Washington, DC of Sherman's Army

June 7    The 20th Corps passes into history. The 2nd MA is transferred to Gen. Bartlett's division, District of Washington

July 14   The 2nd MA is mustered out of the service

July 15    The regiment leaves Washington, DC, for Boston. Of the original officers, only Col. Cogswell, Lt. Col. Morse & Maj. James Francis still hold commissions in the regiment

July 19    At Readville, MA, the commanding officer issues his final order to the regiment