History of the Second Massachusetts Regiment of Infantry: Beverly Ford

In Short

This memoir captures the visceral, granular experience of the Second Massachusetts Regiment of Infantry during the pivotal June 1863 campaign. Through the lens of the Battle of Beverly Ford, it documents the transition of the Union cavalry from a disorganized force into a disciplined, effective weapon against J.E.B. Stuart’s horsemen. It remains a vital record not for its grand strategic theories, but for its honest, unvarnished portrait of the men who stood in the wheat fields, the camaraderie of the mess tent, and the crushing, quiet cost of a soldier’s duty.

The Story

The narrative begins in the dispiriting aftermath of Chancellorsville, where the men of the Second Massachusetts return to their rain-soaked, abandoned camp. The atmosphere is thick with the malaise of defeat, punctuated by the grim reality that some of their comrades will never return. Amidst the mundane labor of camp life and the departure of Colonel Shaw to lead the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, the regiment is suddenly shaken from its routine. In early June, rumors of a massive Confederate cavalry mobilization under J.E.B. Stuart at Culpepper reach Union headquarters. General Hooker, though hampered by administrative interference from Washington, authorizes a bold strike.

The regiment is selected to "stiffen" the cavalry columns—a dangerous honor that requires thinning their ranks to only the most reliable men. The narrative follows their brisk, spirited march toward the Rappahannock, defined by a deep, fraternal bond with the Third Wisconsin. The soldiers move with a mix of professional pride and nervous anticipation, trading barbs with cavalrymen and speculating on their destination. As they reach the outskirts of Beverly Ford, the tension tightens. The men are ordered into silence and darkness, forbidden to light fires, leading to inevitable bouts of insubordination and the temporary arrest of the author himself—a minor, humanizing disciplinary wrinkle that highlights the friction between rigid military command and the restless, exhausted men in the ranks.

The dawn of June 9th brings the eruption of the Battle of Beverly Ford, or Fleetwood Hill. The surprise attack on the Confederate camp is chaotic and immediate. The narrative captures the swift, violent shifts of the engagement: the death of the talented Colonel Davis, the desperate charges of the cavalry, and the crucial, supporting role played by the infantry. The regiment finds itself tasked with rooting out Confederate sharpshooters from behind a stone wall—a task that requires a delicate, coordinated maneuver through a wheat field. The success of this operation, though bought at the cost of beloved comrades like Sergeant Nutting, marks a turning point in the day’s fortunes.

As the two Union columns converge on Fleetwood Hill, the fighting turns into a brutal, seesawing struggle of sabers and artillery fire. The engagement concludes with a strategic withdrawal, as the Union command decides against engaging Confederate infantry reinforcements. The regiment returns to camp, battered but triumphant, having successfully frustrated the enemy's plans and inflicted a psychological blow that reverberates all the way to Richmond. The narrative closes with the transition to General Meade’s leadership, framing the success at Beverly Ford as the moment the Army of the Potomac shed its long history of mismanagement and began its march toward the decisive collision at Gettysburg.

How It Unfolds

The return to the mud Following the disappointment of Chancellorsville, the regiment settles back into a routine of camp maintenance and drilling. The men, weary of the campaign’s failure, find ironic humor in their discomfort until preparations for a new, secret expedition disrupt the monotony.

The call to move The regiment is chosen to support the cavalry in a high-stakes raid against Stuart’s gathering forces. The march is characterized by a high-spirited, almost familial atmosphere, bolstered by the last-minute arrival of their brothers-in-arms from the Third Wisconsin.

The tension of the eve Upon nearing Beverly Ford, the men are subjected to strict orders regarding silence and light, leading to significant friction between officers and the rank-and-file. The author and his peers grapple with the stresses of command while the enemy lies waiting just across the river.

The collision at dawn The battle begins with a sudden, chaotic crossing that catches the Confederate pickets off guard. The narrative vividly depicts the brutal, cinematic quality of a cavalry charge and the vital, disciplined support provided by the infantry’s rifles.

The wheat field encounter The regiment executes a precise, dangerous maneuver to clear a stone wall of Confederate sharpshooters. This sequence highlights the individual courage of the soldiers and the heavy, personal price paid for tactical objectives.

The shift in momentum The day’s hard fighting concludes with the successful frustration of the enemy's cavalry schemes. The regiment retires with the understanding that they have proven their worth, signaling a new, more effective era for the Army of the Potomac.

The People

The narrative is anchored by the presence of General Buford, who serves as the moral and tactical center of the operation. He is depicted as a figure of "manly and picturesque simplicity," smoking a pipe while riding his gray horse, providing a calm, reassuring anchor for his men amidst the chaos of the fray. His leadership style, which relies on the initiative of his subordinates, contrasts sharply with the frantic administrative interference from higher up.

The author, Daniel Oakey, presents himself as a reflective observer and a participant who is not above human error. His temporary arrest for the rowdiness of Company D serves to ground the high-level military maneuvers in the reality of managing men who are tired, hungry, and impatient. Alongside him, Captain Stevenson of the Third Wisconsin emerges as an essential partner in tactical decision-making, particularly during the grueling assault on the stone wall.

The soldiers themselves, represented by men like the plucky Sergeant Nutting—who dies in the author's arms—and the insubordinate yet capable Lieutenant Parker, represent the true engine of the regiment. Parker’s aggressive, unauthorized "charge" on the stone wall provides a moment of grim amusement, illustrating the fierce, individual drive that often defined the unit’s successes. These men, along with figures like the dashing, hair-trigger Custer, populate the narrative, showing the varied temperaments of those who found themselves in the crucible of civil war.

In Its Own Voice

"The scholarly Fitzgerald, who died so bravely, was the only officer of 'ours' killed at Chancellorsville."

The author reflects on the heavy, personal cost of the previous campaign, acknowledging the loss of a mentor or friend who left a void in the regiment.

"A sabre charge, with both sides going at top speed, is, perhaps, the most exciting and picturesque combination of force, nerve, and courage that can be imagined."

Observing the combat from the infantry line, the author captures the paradoxical beauty and horror of the cavalry conflict during the heat of the engagement.

"The Army of the Potomac was not very sorry to part with General Hooker, nor specially pleased to be commanded by Mead."

The author offers a candid assessment of the soldiers' cynical, pragmatic view of the high-level military leadership that dictated their fate.

What It's Really About

At its core, this account is a meditation on the nature of military competence. It tracks the evolution of the Army of the Potomac from a force defined by "mismanagement, disaster, sacrifice, blood, and tears" to one capable of sustained, professional success. The book argues that this transformation was not birthed in the halls of command in Washington, but in the small, brutal, and often overlooked skirmishes where infantry and cavalry learned to work in tandem. It addresses the fundamental question of how a group of volunteers, prone to dissent and exhaustion, can be forged into a machine of war. Beneath the tactical descriptions lies the persistent tension between the soldier’s desire for recognition and the anonymous, sacrificial nature of the conflict they were forced to endure.

Why Read It Today

This book is essential for readers who prefer their history to feel like a lived experience rather than a list of dates. It offers a rare, intimate look at the Second Massachusetts, written with the clear-eyed, unsentimental precision of a man who was there. It is not an idealized, romanticized version of the Civil War; it is a story of bugs, mud, insubordination, and the quiet camaraderie of men sharing a tin mug of coffee on the eve of a battle.

Modern readers may find the pacing slow at times, as it lingers on the minutiae of camp life, but that patience is rewarded by a deep, tactile understanding of the period. The author’s prose is direct and warm, though he occasionally employs the Victorian penchant for literary quotation, which may feel jarring to some. However, for anyone curious about how the Civil War actually functioned at the regiment level—how the decisions were made, how the rumors spread, and how the men felt about their commanders—this book provides an unfiltered, reliable, and deeply human perspective. It stays with you not because of its scale, but because of the small, vivid moments: the pipe-smoking General, the hole in a hat, and the quiet, crushing grief of losing a comrade in a patch of wheat.