12th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, "The Webster Regiment"

The 12th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment lost 18 officers and 175 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 83 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It was named after its first colonel, Fletcher Webster, and in honor of his father, Daniel Webster.

The regiment is honored by a monument at Gettysburg (right). Colonel Webster is honored by a monument on the battlefield of Bull Run.

Monument to the 12th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg

1861
June 26	Organized at Fort Warren and mustered in under Colonel Fletcher Webster
July 23-27	Moved to Sandy Hook, Md. and attached to George H. Thomas' Brigade, Dept. of the Shenandoah
August	Operations on the Upper Potomac
October	Abercrombie's Brigade, Banks' Division, Army of the Potomac
October 21-24	Operations opposite Edward's Ferry
1862
March	Assigned to 2nd Brigade, Williams' 1st Division, Banks' 5th Army Corps
March 24 - April 27	Operations in the Shenandoah Valley
March 27	Strasburg
April 1-2	Edenburg
April 18	Rappahannock Crossing
May	Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
June	Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia
August 6	Captain James Bates of Company H promoted to major of the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry
August 9	Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 16 - September 2	Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 20-23	Rappahannock Station
August 28	Thoroughfare Gap
August 30	Bull Run Colonel Webster is killed, and Major Elisha Burbank takes command of the regiment
September 1	Chantilly
September	Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
September - October	Maryland Campaign
September 14	Battle of South Mountain
September 16-17	Battle of Antietam Major Elisha Burbank commanded the 334 men of the regiment until he was mortally wounded in the Cornfield. The regiment lost 49 killed and 165 wounded. Captain Benjamin F. Cook took command after Major Burbank fell.
September 18 - October 30	Duty at Sharpsburg
September 19	Major Bates of the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry returned to the regiment and promoted to colonel
October 30 - November 19	Movement to Warrenton, thence to Falmouth, Va.,
November	Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps
December 12-15	Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24	"Mud March"
Janury 25 - April 27	At Falmouth and Belle Plain, Va.
April 27-May 6	Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2	Operations at Pollock's Mill Creek
April 29-30	Fitzhugh's Crossing
May 1-5	Battle of Chancellorsville
June 11-July 24	Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3	Battle of Gettysburg Commanded by Colonel James L. Bates until he was wounded on July 1. Lieutenant Colonel David Allen, Jr. then took over the regiment. The 12th brought 301 men to the field, losing 5 killed, 52 wounded and 62 missing.
July - October	Picket duty on the Rapidan
October 9-22	Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8	Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26- December 2	Mine Run Campaign Commanded by Major Benjamin Cook
1864
February 6-7	Demonstration on the Rapidan
March	Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps
May-June	Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7	Battles of the Wilderness
May 8	Laurel Hill
May	Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps. Colonel Bates commanded the brigade while Major Cook commanded the regiment.
May 8 - 12	Spottsylvania
May 12 - 21	Spottsylvania Court House
May 12	Assault on the Salient
May 23-26	North Anna River
May 23	Jericho Ford
May 26-28	Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31	Totopotomoy
June 1-12	Cold Harbor
June 1-3	Bethesda Church
June 13	White Oak Swamp
June 16-18	Before Petersburg
June 25	Ordered home for muster out
July 8	Mustered out under Colonel Bates and Lieutenant Colonel Cook