37th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

The 37th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War.

History
The regiment was formed in September of 1862 at Camp Briggs, Massachusetts under Major Oliver Edwards and served until the end of the war in April 1865, seeing action at many battles including Fredricksburg and Gettysburg, duty in New York City after the draft riot, the Siege of Petersburg and the final pursuit and destruction of General Robert E. Lee's Army. They currently have a monument on the Gettysburg battlefield.

It was formed from volunteers mainly from the far western counties of Massachusetts, and it subsequently absorbed members of other units (notably the 7th and the 10th Massachusetts ) in May and June 1864. The 37th was one of the first regiments to be issued the new Spencer repeating rifle, on July 15, 1864, increasing their firepower. During service in the regiment a total of 4 Officers and 165 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, and 92 enlisted men were killed by disease. Total 261.