CHAPTER V.
Company B, Third Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.
[Written by Sergt. Benjamin S. Atwood.]
This company was formed by consolidation of three companies of the Third Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. Company K from Carver furnished captain and forty-six enlisted men; Company B, of Plymouth, furnished first lieutenant and thirty-one enlisted men, and Company H, from Plympton, furnished second lieutenant and twenty-one enlisted men, making a total of one hundred and one.
These three companies served under Col. David A. Wardrop the first three months of the war at Fortress Monroe and Hampton, Va. The Third Regiment was detailed immediately upon its arrival at Fortress Monroe for service on United States gunboat Pawnee, which went up to Gosport Navy Yard, there helped destroy the Navy Yard, sink the ships and pulled the Cumberland out, when they returned to Hampton Roads. At that time the Third Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers were the only troops in the enemy’s country, and were the first troops to invade the same, being at that time the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, not having been sworn into the United States service.
Company B formed of the three companies aforementioned, reported for duty at Camp Joe Hooker and organized as follows:
Capt. Thomas W. Griffith, from Co. K.
First Lieut. Charles A. S. Perkins, from Co. B.
Second Lieut. William S. Briggs, from Co. H.
First Sergt. Asa Shaw, from Co. K.
Second Sergt. Charles W. Griffith, from Co. K.
Third Sergt. Job B. Oldham, from Co. B.
Fourth Sergt. Benjamin S. Atwood, from Co. H.
Fifth Sergt. James R. Robbins, from Co. B.
Corp. George A. Shaw, from Co. K.
Corp. John M. Cobb, from Co. K.
Corp. Hosea S. Bumpus, from Co. K.
Corp. Andrew T. DeMerritt, from Co. K.
Corp. Amasa M. Bartlett, from Co. B.
Corp. Charles M. Perry, from Co. B.
Corp. William S. White, from Co. H.
Corp. Gideon Shurtleff, from Co. H.
Musician John Murdock, from Co. K.
Wagoner Lorenzo N. Shaw, from Co. K.
The members of the company were recruited from seven different towns as follows: Carver, 30; Plymouth, 29; Middleboro, 11; Plympton, 10; Wareham, 12; Rochester, 3; Kingston, 5; East Bridgewater, 1.
The ages of the company were as follows: 22, less than 20 years old; 29, from 20 to 24 years inclusive; 16, from 25 to 29 years inclusive; 18, from 30 to 34 years inclusive; 8, from 35 to 39 years inclusive; 8, from 40 to 44 years inclusive. Average age, 26 years, 9 months.