One of the Civil War Heroes of 37th Regiment
From the "Springfield Mass. Daily News" March 30, 1961 by retired Daily News reported, John W. Culver.
From the "Springfield Mass. Daily News" March 30, 1961 by retired Daily News reported, John W. Culver.
The record of the 37th Regiment (Western) Massachusetts Volunteers, can be horribly summarized in its casualty list: 103 killed in action, 392 wounded, 52 fatally; 11 died in prison; another 77 died of disease.
Pvt. Charles A. Taggart was one of the members to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
He was only 19 years old when the regiment was mustered on August 30, 1862. Four days later, the 37th received their Springfield rifled muskets, and within a week, the regiment was in Washington. Three months later, the regiment entered in its first major battle, Fredericksburg, and suffered its first losses.
It was at Gettysburg that the regiment was in the lead of a brigade moving toward the Round Tops when it came under the fire of hostile batteries. "In a moment, six men were killed and 25 wounded," according to the regiment's historians. Pvt. Taggart was one of eight members of his company to be wounded in the battle.
His medal-winning heroism occurred during the campaign leading to the fall of Petersburg, Va., the last great campaign of the war. The regimental color guard of nine men was shot down in battle, and Pvt. Taggart rushed forward and seized the colors which had fallen less than 20 feet from enemy lines. For heroism beyond the call of duty in saving the colors, Pvt. Taggart was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
After the war, Mr. Taggart was a farmer in Blandford and, in his later years, was a resident of the Soldier's National Home in Ohio. He last visited Springfield in 1930 when he attended the reunion of the last few veterans of the 37th, and he posed with them for a portrait.
(Taggart's Congressional Medal of Honor is now in the Blandford Historical Society.)
Pvt. Charles A. Taggart was one of the members to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
He was only 19 years old when the regiment was mustered on August 30, 1862. Four days later, the 37th received their Springfield rifled muskets, and within a week, the regiment was in Washington. Three months later, the regiment entered in its first major battle, Fredericksburg, and suffered its first losses.
It was at Gettysburg that the regiment was in the lead of a brigade moving toward the Round Tops when it came under the fire of hostile batteries. "In a moment, six men were killed and 25 wounded," according to the regiment's historians. Pvt. Taggart was one of eight members of his company to be wounded in the battle.
His medal-winning heroism occurred during the campaign leading to the fall of Petersburg, Va., the last great campaign of the war. The regimental color guard of nine men was shot down in battle, and Pvt. Taggart rushed forward and seized the colors which had fallen less than 20 feet from enemy lines. For heroism beyond the call of duty in saving the colors, Pvt. Taggart was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
After the war, Mr. Taggart was a farmer in Blandford and, in his later years, was a resident of the Soldier's National Home in Ohio. He last visited Springfield in 1930 when he attended the reunion of the last few veterans of the 37th, and he posed with them for a portrait.
(Taggart's Congressional Medal of Honor is now in the Blandford Historical Society.)