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Killed in action at Port Hudson, LA

My great grandfather served in this unit during the civil war. He was from Hanson Ma where he spent the remainder of his life after the war. He is buried in the town cemetary and is listed on the monument beneath the civil war soldier next to the town hall.

Resided in Scituate. Enlisted 14 August 1862. Participated in the Bank's Expedition. Had received disability for illness or wounds while in the 38th discharged as a Corporal 6 November 1863

Dennis B.Nash joined for duty-3years- on August 5,1862 at Cambridge, Ma. He was a private in Cpt. Wyman's Co.,38th Reg't Mass foot volunteers. He was an Irish immigrant 37 years of age. He was mustered by Capt. Goodhue.
He was wounded on Sept.19th 1864 at the 3rd battle of Winchester, Va. and died of wounds received at that battle.
His five motherless childen placed a rememberance in the Boston Traveler on Monday February 13th 1865, that indicated he died at Andersonville, Ga. in the hands of the rebels, which was evidently misinformation.

Farewell our lost and loving father-
May thy children,soon from time,
Fly and join thee, where no parting
Darkens heaven's golden clime

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Myron fell ill at Port Hudson and died on 26 Aug 1863 in hospital at Baton Rouge.His name is on the Civil War monument on the East Bridgewater,Mass town common.

Andrew Murray Hyland was born in Scituate Massachusetts in 1844. He was the son of Peleg and Mary Jane (Bates) Hyland. At the time of his enlistment in Co.D in August of 1862, he was employed as a shoecutter and worked on the family farm. After training in Lynnfield MA the 38th embarked for Baltimore where they joined other regiments encamped outside the city. Like his cousin Edmund Hyland who served with the 32nd Mass, Andrew wrote home constantly and his surviving letters give a vivid account of camp life as a union private. In one letter he proudly boasts to his parents about how he and several other Scituate boys in his company built a bake oven out of discarded bricks and mud, using a wood shingle for a trowel. He describes the drilling and reviews for visiting politicians. In November 1862 just as the regiment was to set off on General Banks expedition to Louisiana. Pvt Hyland came down with typhus fever. He was admitted to Mansion Hill Hospital in Baltimore where he died on November 17th. He was buried in Loudon National Cemetery in Baltimore. The Hyland family erected a stone in his memory at the family plot in Mount Hope Cemetery in Scituate MA. Copies of his wartime letters and a pre-war tintype image of Andrew were donated to the Scituate Historical Society by his descendents.

William Lewis
Residence: Weymouth, Massachusetts
Occupation: Shoemaker
Enlistment Date: 15 Aug 1862
Side Served: Union
State Served: Massachusetts
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 15 August 1862 at the age of 35.
Enlisted in Company D, 38th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 20 Aug 1862.
Killed Company D, 38th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 14 Jun 1863 at Port Hudson, LA.

Source Information:

Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.
Original data: Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA form the following list of works.

Billings Merritt was born in Scituate Massachusettts in 1830. He was a direct descendent of Henry Merritt who was one of the town's original settlers in the 1630's. Before the war Billings was a carpenter by trade and had a successful partnership with his cousin Henry Merritt. In 1852 Billings married Emily Gordak and between 1853 to 1861 they would have six children with five surviving. With a growing family Billings built a home on property owned and occupied by extended kin. The home and other ancestral dwellings still stand today. On August 20, 1862 in the neighboring town of Hingham, Billings enlisted in Co.D of the 38th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. After training at Camp Stanton the regiment boarded ship for Baltimore and thence to Louisiana where they participated in the Port Hudson Campaign. It was while the regiment was in North Carolina that Sgt Merritt was first listed as suffering from chronic diarrhea and general fatigue. Despite his suffering he continued to serve with his regiment throughout the remainder of the war including the 1864 Virginia Campaign and was present at the Battle of Cedar Creek in October. He was discharged with his regiment in June of 1865 and returned home to Scituate where his family sadly embraced a much changed man. Chronically ill Billings was unable to return to his carpentry business yet had the responsibilty of supporting five children and a wife. Able only to perform light farm chores, extended family may have assisted in the care and well being of Billing's children. In July of 1866 Billings applied for an invalid pension with neighbors Charles Clapp and Henry Brown swearing on oath that Mr. Merritt had been physically robust and hard working before he enlisted in 1862. They also attested that since he returned from the war he was physically much reduced and could no longer work his trade. In December 1866 Billings Merritt died at home from his lingering condition. He was buried among his ancestors and next to their one year old daughter Emily they lost in 1853. In the small family cemetery just a short walk from the home he built is the stone erected by his family reminding family and visitors alike that 'He died for his country'.

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Served during the Port Hudson campaign in 1863.

Sumner O. Litchfield was born in Scituate Massachusetts in 1842. He was a descendant of that town's original settlers of the 1630's. In the Summer of 1862 Sumner enlisted with several other local boys in Co.G of the 38th Mass Vol. The regiment took ship from Boston to Baltimore MD in early Fall and thence to Louisiana and participated in the Port Hudson Campaign. It was during this time that Cpl Litchfield contracted a respitory illness that required time in field hospitals. Returning to duty, Cpl Litchfield participated with his regiment as they were sent to North Carolina and from there to the Virginia Campaigns of 1864. Litchfield's illness persisted as a racking cough with the evidence of blood. He continued to answer the muster call each morning. On October 19, 1864 Cpl Litchfield was wounded at Cedar Creek, VA in the early morning fighting, taking a musket ball to the lower calf. He was transported to Baltimore and later to Philadelphia PA where he was hospitalized then released and discharged from the army in the Summer of 1865. He returned home to his wife and extended family but was only able to perform light farm work as his lungs were weakened and he walked with a pronounced limp from his leg wound. He and his wife Salome lived with his parents on the family farm until 1877 when a home was built for them next to the farm. Less than a year later Sumner Otis Litchfield died from his weakened state. The family doctor listed the cause of death as nephritis. His widow survived him by 50 years and was a leading member of the local Women's Relief Corps #121. They were also survived by one son Frank. Both the Litchfield farm and the 1877 house stand today in Scituate Massachusetts. Sumner & Salome rest at Mount Hope Cemetery near the former farm.

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38th regt., Mass. Vol. Inf., Co. G. Private, res. Scituate, farmer, 19. Enl. Aug. 4, 1862, must. Aug. 20, 1862; trans. to Veteran Reserve Corps (date not shown); re-transf. to 38th Mass. Inf. March 19, 1864, must. out June 30, 1865.

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Thanks to the folks who gave us his real name. We've since found out his DOB/DOD (1820-1888), and his family info. Thanks again. :)

This is my great great grandfather.

Enlisted as a Private on 10 August 1862 at the age of 27.
Mustered in Company K, 38th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 20 August 1862.
Killed on 19 September 1864 at Winchester, VA.

- Enlisted as a Private on 12 August 1862 at the age of 28.
- Enlisted in Company K, 38th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 20 Aug 1862.
- Received a disability discharge from Company K, 38th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 26 Nov 1862 at Baltimore, MD.