The Unattached Companies of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia were units of infantry raised for the defenses of the eastern coast of
Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. Twenty-six companies were mustered into the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 during 1864-1865, several of them reorganizing for additional terms of service.

History

Beginning in April 1864, companies of infantry were needed for guard and garrison duty along the coast of Massachusetts; to be stationed at the numerous military posts located there for a ninety day period. With the Independent Division of Militia, a home guard militia organization, already established in the state in 1863, eight companies were recruited from their ranks, and mustered into United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 service. Five other companies were detached from existing regiments of the Massachusetts Militia to finish the required roster.
Their term of enlistment soon ending, a call for 100-day companies was then ordered in July and August 1864 to fill the soon to be vacant positions at the coastal forts. Again, the state militia regiments were used to fill most of the quota, with a need to only recruit two new companies.
In late October 1864, the office of the Adjutant General released orders to the commanding officers of the "Companies of One Hundred Days Troops belonging to Massachusetts, now doing garrison duty at the forts on the coast", to reenlist their commands for one year, and to fill with new recruits any positions held by those men not choosing to rejoin. Six of the 100-day companies were re-mustered, including the 2nd Unattached Company now beginning its third term. None of the one-year companies finished a full term, as the war had come to an end, and all were mustered out by July 1865.

Unattached Companies

Co	service	off	enl	died	muster in	muster out	station	ref
1st	90 day	3	97	0	29 Apr 1864	1 Aug 1864	Fort Independence, Boston Fort Independence (Massachusetts) Fort Independence is a granite star fort that provided harbor defenses for Boston, Massachusetts. Located on Castle Island, Fort Independence is the oldest continuously fortified site of English origin in the United States. The first primitive fortification was placed on the site in 1634 and...
2nd	90 day	3	88	0	3 May 1864	6 Aug 1864	Eastern Point, Gloucester
2nd	100 day	3	98	0	7 Aug 1864	15 Nov 1864	Gloucester Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
2nd	1 year	3	99	3	16 Nov 1864	7 Jul 1865	Eastern Point, Gloucester
3rd	90 day	3	84	0	3 May 1864	5 Aug 1864	Fort Pickering, Salem Fort Pickering Fort Pickering is a historic fort site on Winter Island in Salem, Massachusetts.The fort was first established in 1644 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973....
4th	90 day	3	98	0	3 May 1864	6 Aug 1864	Clark's Point, New Bedford
5th	90 day	3	98	0	4 May 1864	2 Aug 1864	Beech St Barracks, Boston
6th	90 day	3	80	0	4 May 1864	2 Aug 1864	Camp Meigs, Readville Readville, Massachusetts Readville, called Low Plains from 1655 until renaming in 1847 after Mr. James Read originally part of Dedham until 1867 but now a part of Boston, is considered either a part of the Hyde Park neighborhood, or a neighborhood in its own right. It is served by Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
7th	90 day	3	98	1	4 May 1864	5 Aug 1864	Gallops Island Gallops Island Gallops Island, also known as Gallups Island, is an island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, situated between Georges Island and Long Island and just over from downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of , plus an intertidal zone of a further , and is composed of one...
8th	90 day	3	94	0	May 1864	10 Aug 1864	Gallops Island Gallops Island Gallops Island, also known as Gallups Island, is an island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, situated between Georges Island and Long Island and just over from downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of , plus an intertidal zone of a further , and is composed of one...
9th	90 day	3	97	0	10 May 1864	11 Aug 1864	Gallops Island Gallops Island Gallops Island, also known as Gallups Island, is an island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, situated between Georges Island and Long Island and just over from downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of , plus an intertidal zone of a further , and is composed of one...
10th	90 day	3	98	0	10 May 1864	8 Aug 1864	Fort Warren, Boston Harbor Fort Warren (Massachusetts) Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
11th	90 day	3	92	0	16 May 1864	15 Aug 1864	Fort Sewall, Marblehead Fort Sewall Fort Sewall is a historic fort on Fort Sewall Promontory in Marblehead, Massachusetts.It was founded in 1644 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The fort:... ; Eastern Point, Gloucester
12th	90 day	3	98	0	16 May 1864	15 Aug 1864	Long's Point, Provincetown
13th	90 day	3	89	0	16 May 1864	15 Aug 1864	Clark's Point, New Bedford
15th	100 day	3	88	0	29 Jul 1864	15 Nov 1864	Fort Warren Fort Warren (Massachusetts) Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
16th	100 day	3	83	0	6 Aug 1864	14 Nov 1864	Gallops Island Gallops Island Gallops Island, also known as Gallups Island, is an island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, situated between Georges Island and Long Island and just over from downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of , plus an intertidal zone of a further , and is composed of one...
17th	100 day	3	98	0	5 Aug 1864	12 Nov 1864	Fort Pickering Fort Pickering Fort Pickering is a historic fort site on Winter Island in Salem, Massachusetts.The fort was first established in 1644 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973....
17th	1 year	3	98	0	13 Nov 1864	30 June 1865	Fort Pickering Fort Pickering Fort Pickering is a historic fort site on Winter Island in Salem, Massachusetts.The fort was first established in 1644 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973....
18th	100 day	3	81	0	6 Aug 1864	14 Nov 1864	Gallops Island Gallops Island Gallops Island, also known as Gallups Island, is an island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, situated between Georges Island and Long Island and just over from downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of , plus an intertidal zone of a further , and is composed of one...
18th	1 year	3	98	1	6-7 Dec 1864	12 May 1865	Camp Meigs, Readville Readville, Massachusetts Readville, called Low Plains from 1655 until renaming in 1847 after Mr. James Read originally part of Dedham until 1867 but now a part of Boston, is considered either a part of the Hyde Park neighborhood, or a neighborhood in its own right. It is served by Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
19th	100 day	3	80	0	9 Aug 1864	16 Nov 1864	Fort Warren Fort Warren (Massachusetts) Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
19th	1 year	3	98	0	25 Nov 1864	27 Jun 1865	Fort Warren Fort Warren (Massachusetts) Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War... , Fort Winthrop Fort Winthrop Fort Winthrop was a defensive fortification in Boston Harbor named after John Winthrop, the early governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was built on Governors Island, which had been granted to Winthrop in 1632. His family owned the island until 1808, when the United States acquired land in...
20th	100 day	3	87	0	11 Aug 1864	18 Nov 1864	Fort Sewall, Marblehead Fort Sewall Fort Sewall is a historic fort on Fort Sewall Promontory in Marblehead, Massachusetts.It was founded in 1644 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The fort:...
20th	1 year	3	98	0	19 Nov 1864	29 Jun 1865	fort at Salisbury Beach
21st	100 day	3	97	0	11 Aug 1864	18 Nov 1864	Long's Point, Provincetown
21st	1 year	3	97	1	23 Nov 1864	28 Jun 1865	Provincetown
22nd	100 day	3	85	0	18 Aug 1864	25 Nov 1864	Camp Meigs, Readville Readville, Massachusetts Readville, called Low Plains from 1655 until renaming in 1847 after Mr. James Read originally part of Dedham until 1867 but now a part of Boston, is considered either a part of the Hyde Park neighborhood, or a neighborhood in its own right. It is served by Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
23rd	100 day	3	98	0	18 Aug 1864	26 Nov 1864	Camp Meigs, Readville Readville, Massachusetts Readville, called Low Plains from 1655 until renaming in 1847 after Mr. James Read originally part of Dedham until 1867 but now a part of Boston, is considered either a part of the Hyde Park neighborhood, or a neighborhood in its own right. It is served by Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
24th	1 year	3	98	0	16-22 Dec 1864	12 May 1865	Camp Meigs, Readville Readville, Massachusetts Readville, called Low Plains from 1655 until renaming in 1847 after Mr. James Read originally part of Dedham until 1867 but now a part of Boston, is considered either a part of the Hyde Park neighborhood, or a neighborhood in its own right. It is served by Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
25th	1 year	3	98	0	9 Dec 1864	29 Jun 1865	Fort Miller, Marblehead
26th	1 year	4	98	0	13 Dec 1864	12 May 1865	Camp Meigs, Readville Readville, Massachusetts Readville, called Low Plains from 1655 until renaming in 1847 after Mr. James Read originally part of Dedham until 1867 but now a part of Boston, is considered either a part of the Hyde Park neighborhood, or a neighborhood in its own right. It is served by Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
27th	1 year	3	98	2	30 Dec 1864-9 Jan 1865	30 Jun 1865	Fort Standish, Plymouth

Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Many of the new Unattached Companies were organized from companies previously in, or detached from, regiments of volunteer militia infantry units in Federal service from Massachusetts. They included:

3rd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Co A = 22nd Unatt., Co E = 15th Unatt., Co H = 18th Unatt., Co I = 23rd Unatt.

4th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Co E = 20th Unatt.

6th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Co I = 8th Unatt.

7th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Co K = 17th Unatt.

8th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Co C = 27th Unatt., Co E = 2nd Unatt., Co I = 11th Unatt.

42nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Co G = 7th Unatt.

50th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia

Co A = 13th Unatt.