Field & Staff Officers

he men listed below were commissioned as field officers of the 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry or enlisted as non-commissioned field staff, most of them at the time the regiment formed and began training was in late 1861 and early 1862.

During the unit's subsequent three and a half years of service, most of the other men who held these positions were promoted from lower ranks. For this reason, their names appear on the rosters of the individual companies in which they originally served.

From time to time, however, individuals from the outside the 28th obtained commissions as officers largely through political connections with the Governor's Office or Irish community leaders in Boston. Even if most of these men turned out to be excellent soldiers owing to previous service with other regiments, this practice raised not only eyebrows but ire among those men who had served faithfully in the ranks and believed they had earned promotions.

William Monteith. Colonel. New York, 34, builder; comm. 11/25/1861, must.1/3/1862; resigned and disch. to date 8/3/1862. Later court martialed.

Richard Byrnes. Colonel. New Jersey, 28, soldier; comm. 9/29/1862, must. 9/29/1862; wounded 6/3/1864 at Cold Harbor, Va.; died of wounds 6/12/1864, Washington, D.C. Prior service as officer in 5th U.S. Cavalry. Photo.

McLelland Moore. Lieutenant Colonel. Boston, 24, bookbinder; comm. 11/25/1861, must. 1/3/1862; resigned and disch. 7/25/1862. See also Co. A, 11th Mass. Inf. Vols.

George W. Cartwright. Major. Boston, 32, printer; comm. 10/8/1861; must. 12/24/1861; comm. Lt. Col., 7/26/1862, must. 11/15/1862; wounded 9/30/1862 at 2nd Bull Run, Va.; and 5/6/1864 at Wilderness, Va.; comm. Col. 7/21/1864, not must.; must. out as Lt. Col. on 12/19/1864. Photo.

James Magner. Quarter Master and 1st Lieutenant. New York City, 28, ---; comm. 10/15/1861, must. 12/13/1861; comm. Captain and must. to date 4/5/1862; wounded 7/3/1863 at Gettysburg, Pa.; killed 5/18/1864 at Spotsylvania, Va. as Captain of Co. I.

Addison A. Hosmer. Quarter Master and 1st Lieutenant. West Boylston, 28, lawyer; comm. 10/24/1861, must. 10/28/1861; transf. to Co. A, 1st Mass. Heavy Arty. (14th Mass. Inf.) on 1/29/1862.

Charles H. Sanborn. Adjutant and 1st Lieutenant. Boston, 27, submarine engineer; comm. 10/8/1861, must. 12/30/1861; comm. Captain, 4/4/1862; wounded 12/13/1862 at Fredericksburg, Va.; resigned and disch. 6/3/1862 as Captain of Co. K.

Patrick A. O'Connell. Surgeon. Boston, 26, physician; comm. 10/25/1861, must. 12/13/1861; prisoner 8/30/1862 at 2nd Bull Run, Va., exchanged date not hown; disch. to date 6/7/1863. Also served in 9th Mass. Inf.

Peter E. Hubon. Surgeon. Worcestor, ---, physician; comm. 5/27/1863, must. 7/1/1863; must. out 7/22/1865. Previous service with 27th Mass. Inf.

George W. Snow. Assistant Surgeon. Chelsea, 24, physician; comm. 9/30/1861; must. 12/2/1861; captured 8/30/1862 at 2nd Bull Run, Va., exchanged, date not shown; promoted to Surgeon, 35th Mass. Inf. on 3/13/1863.

James T. Rood. Assistant Surgeon. Rutland, 31, physician; comm. and must. 8/11/1862; resigned and disch. 11/23/1862 at Falmouth, Va.

John E. Parsons. Assistant Surgeon. Charlestown, 27, physician; comm. 3/18/1863, must. 4/11/1863; resigned and disch. 7/30/1863.

Albert A. Chase. Assistant Surgeon. Meredith, N.H., 24, physician; comm. 4/7/1865, must. 4/14/1865; must. out 6/30/1865.

Nicholas O'Brien. Chaplain. Roxbury, ---, clergyman; comm. 1/7/1862; disch. 5/5/1862 per Special Order #43 War Dept.

Lawrence McMahon. Chaplain. Boston, 35, clergyman; comm. and must. 6/28/1862; resigned and disch. 5/30/1863.

Levi C. Brackett. Sergeant Major. Boston, 21, clerk; enl. 10/12/1861, must. 1/1/1862; comm. 2nd Lieut., 4/4/1862; comm. and must. 1st. Lieut., 9/24/1862; comm. Captain, 5/12/1863 and declined; wounded 12/13/1862 at Fredericksburg, Va., disch. 11/19/1864 for promotion to Captain of Co. B, 57th Mass. Inf.

Benjamin F. Weeks. Quarter Master Sergeant. Boston, 24, ---; enl. 9/24/1861 and must. as Private; appointed Qr. Master Sergt. from Commissary Sergt., 3/26/1862; comm. 1st. Lieut. and Quarter Master, 4/6/1862; disch. 6/5/1864 as 1st Lieut. and Qtr. Master for promotion.

John C. Barrington. Hospital Steward. Chelsea, 39, physician; enl. 11/1/1861, must. 1/1/1862; comm. Asst. Surgeon and must. 12//5/1862; resigned and disch. 6/17/1864 as Asst. Surgeon. See also 2nd Mass. Heavy Arty.