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37th USCT Infantry

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Muster In: Organized February 8, 1864, from 3rd North Carolina Colored Infantry.1
Muster Out: Mustered out February 11, 1867.2

Commander(s):
Colonel Nathan Goff, Jr.
Commander Image

Lieutenant Colonel Abial G. Chamberlain
Commander Image

Captain Charles F. Browne
Commander Image

Commander 4
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Unattached | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army3,4

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Unattached | X Corps | Army of the James | Union Army6,7

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Abial G. Chamberlain (June 30, 1864)8
  • Unit Strength: >529 officers and men PFD (June 30, 1864)9
  • Weapons: Springfield Rifles (.58 caliber) (June 30, 1864)10

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Unattached | (X Corps?) | Army of the James | Union Army11,12

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Abial G. Chamberlain (July 31, 1864)13
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: First Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army14

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Abial G. Chamberlain (August 31, 1864)15
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: First Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army16,17

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: First Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army18,19

  • Commander: Captain Charles F. Browne (October 31, 1864)20
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle:

First Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (November 1-December 3, 1864)21

Third Brigade | First Division | XXV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (December 3-31, 1864)22

  • Commander: Colonel Nathan Goff, Jr. (December 31, 1864)23
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: On December 3, 1864, the X Corps and XVIII Corps of the Army of the James were reorganized into the XXIV Corps and the XXV Corps.
  • Note: In trenches before Richmond until December 7, when the unit left for the First Assault on Fort Fisher.24

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle:

  • No longer present at the Siege of Petersburg.25

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle:

  • No longer present at the Siege of Petersburg.26

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles27:

  • Butler’s operations on south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-June 15.
  • Capture of Fort Powhatan May 5.
  • Duty there and at Wilson’s Wharf until September 28.
  • Moved to Deep Bottom September 28-29.
  • Battle of Chaffin’s Farm, New Market Heights, September 29-30.
  • Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28.
  • In trenches before Richmond until December 7.

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    2. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    3. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), p. 235 ↩
    4. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 554 ↩
    5. Volume 14 (Ordnance Returns for the Second Quarter, April-June, 1864); 37th United States Colored Troops Entry, Page 95; Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867, 1870-1876. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1281, Roll 7); Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, 1797-1969, Record Group 156; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    6. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), p. 235 ↩
    7. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 554 ↩
    8. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 554 ↩
    9. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), pp. 163-178: The unit had this number of officers and men “present for duty equipped” on June 30, 1864.  Present for Duty Equipped attempts to strip away anyone not actually going into combat.  Those non-combatants are included in PFD, the way I represent unit strengths across this web site for consistency.  So the unit had at least this number of officers and men PFD, though we know that number is higher. ↩
    10. Volume 14 (Ordnance Returns for the Second Quarter, April-June, 1864); 37th United States Colored Troops Entry, Page 95; Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867, 1870-1876. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1281, Roll 7); Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, 1797-1969, Record Group 156; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    11. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), page 265: The 37th USCT is shown as potentially being unattached but at least temporarily serving with X/AotJ in this OR source, but see below. ↩
    12. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738: The 37th USCT is shown as unattached , Army of the James in this OR source, but see above. ↩
    13. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738 ↩
    14. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 622: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864” ↩
    15. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 622: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864” ↩
    16. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1304. ↩
    17. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 136: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces (September-October 1864)” ↩
    18. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 467: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)” ↩
    19. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 151: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces…Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Va., October 27-28, 1864” ↩
    20. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 467: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)” ↩
    21. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    22. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1126: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864) ↩
    23. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1126: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864) ↩
    24. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    25. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    26. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩
    27. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3) ↩

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