History of the Forty-second regiment infantry, Massachusetts volunteers, 1862, 1863, 1864

A veteran sergeant‑major turned his own recollections, fellow soldiers’ diaries, and the regiment’s official papers into a vivid portrait of a Massachusetts volunteer unit from its first muster in the summer of 1862. Listeners hear the bustle of Readville’s makeshift camp, the hurried enrollment of raw recruits alongside seasoned militia, and the community’s effort to avoid a forced draft by offering its men for nine‑month service. The narrative captures the practical challenges of organizing a new regiment—quartermaster logistics, the mix of ages and experience, and the early bonds forged under Colonel Burrell’s command.

Beyond the paperwork, the account brings to life the daily rhythms of camp: drills beside the Boston‑Providence rail line, the humor and hardships of young men adjusting to military discipline, and the quietly heroic roles of cooks, chaplains, and frontline officers. Listeners gain a personal sense of the era’s optimism and uncertainty, experiencing the regiment’s origins as a microcosm of the larger Civil War effort.