OR XLII P1 #324: Report of Colonel Josiah Pickett, 25th MA, June 18-Dec 16, 1864

No. 324. Report of Colonel Josiah Pickett, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Infantry, First Brigade, of operations June 18-December 16.¹

HDQRS. TWENTY-FIFTH Regiment MASSACHUSETTS VOLS.,
New Berne, N. C., December 16, 1864.

SIR: *

From this period [June 18] until August 25 the regiment remained in the trenches exposed to an incessant infantry and artillery fire, with constant skirmishing. Our casualties during this time were 6 killed, 1 officer and 24 men wounded. August 25, regiment, in connection with the brigade, recrossed the Appomattox, taking position on the left of General Butler’s line of works, remaining in the trenches then until September 4; the regiment then received orders to proceed to North Carolina, reaching New Berne on the 10th of September. On the 5th of October that portion of the regiment whose term of service had expired were ordered to the place of enrollment, Worcester, Mass., and there on the 20th mustered out of the service of the United States. The regiment is consolidated into four companies, with headquarters at camp near Fort Spinola, detachments doing guard and picket duty at Brice’s Ferry and on the line of railway to Morehead City. From the 9th to 13th of December the regiment participated in a demonstration on Kingston, N. C.

During the past year the regiment has lost some of its best officers. Captain O’Neil, Lieutenant Daley, Upton, Matthews, Pelton, and Graham, have nobly and gallantly fallen in the faithful discharge of their duties; the adjutant, Lieutenant McConville, a brave and accomplished officer, also died of wounds received in the battle of Cold Harbor, Va., 3rd of June, 1864. The excellent conduct of both officers and men under all circumstances elicits my entire approbation. Their vigilance, fidelity, fortitude, with the unsurpassed and unflinching valor at all times displayed, entitles them to the highest and most unqualified praise.

I append a statistical table of the alterations and casualties in the regiment from the date of its organization to the expiration of its original term of service, October 7, 1864:

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*For portion of report here omitted see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 1016, and Vol. XL, Part I, p. 719.

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The total number of wounded in the regiment since its organization has been 21 officers, 382 men; of the men returned as deserters none are known to have deserted to the enemy.

At this date, December 16, there are borne upon the rolls of the regiment 10 officers and 367 men, the gain arising from recruits received from depot since October 7.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. PICKETT,
Colonel Twenty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

Brigadier General WILLIAM SCHOULER,
Adjutant-General Massachusetts.

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