Poignantly Identified Carte de Visite of Private Samuel A. Nightingale Co. H 4^th Mass. Infantry and Co. D 39^th Mass. Infantry Accompanied by an Ambrotype and Tintype of Family Members – This CDV depicts a young Private Nightingale in an image taken of him when he enlisted, at the age of 23, in Quincy, Massachusetts, in April 1861, into Co. H of the 4^th Mass. Infantry. Identified and dated, in pencil, on the back of the image:

“4/61 full

Nightingale”

The photographer’s imprint on the back of the CDV is not complete, as the image was apparently glued to a backing, in the period, tearing some of the imprint. Private Nightingale stands, in the image, wearing a Union enlisted man’s nine button, infantry frock coat; his newly issued forage cap sits on a table beside him. Nightingale would serve his initial tour of duty with the 4^th Mass. Infantry, a three-month regiment, mustering out in July 1861. He would then re-enlist into Co. D of the 39^th Mass. Infantry, in August 1862, remaining in service until being discharged for disability in August 1864. During his second tour of duty his regiment would participate in the Mine Run Campaign, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, the North Anna and Cold Harbor. Private Nightingale apparently contracted a debilitating case of diarrhea at this time and was subsequently discharged. He never would recover from this disorder, succumbing to the illness, on August 25, 1865.

This CDV was mounted shortly after Private Nightingale’s death, on a sheet of cardstock; above the image, hand-inked in a calligraphic mode, is this poignant descriptor:

“Our Dear Soldier Brother”

Below the image is this hand-inked inscription, also done in a calligraphic mode:

“Samuel A. Nightingale.

Born Sept.  30^th, 1837

Died Aug. 20^th, 1865.”

Accompanying the CDV are two hard images – a quarter plate ambrotype of several women, ranging in ages; behind this image is a more recent piece of thin cardboard that has written on it:

“Nightingale

Girls

c 1850s

Quincy

Mass”

Also accompanying the CDV is a sixth plate tintype of a middle-aged man; there is no identification of this man on the paper behind the image in its half case.

Samuel A. Nightingale

Residence Quincy, MA; a 23-year-old Clerk.
Enlisted on 4/16/1861 at Quincy, MA as a Priv.

On 4/22/1861, he mustered into “H” Co. Massachusetts 4th Infantry.
He was Mustered Out on 7/22/1861 at Long Island, Boston Harbor, MA

On 8/6/1862, he mustered into “D” Co. Massachusetts 39th Infantry.
He was disch disability on 8/19/1864 at Boston, MA

Promotions:

• Corpl 8/6/1862 (As of Co. D 39th MA Infantry)

Samuel A. Nightingale
Name: Samuel A Nightingale
Residence: Quincy, Massachusetts
Occupation: Clerk
Age at enlistment: 23
Enlistment Date: 29 Jul 1862
Rank at enlistment: Corporal
State Served: Massachusetts
Survived the War?: Yes
Service Record: Enlisted in .
Enlisted in Company D, Massachusetts 39th Infantry Regiment on 06 Aug 1862.
Mustered out on 19 Aug 1864 at Boston, MA.
Birth Date: abt 1839

Cause of death: Chronic diarrhea

Timeline

• 1837Age 0(AGE)

Birth

30 Sep 1837 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

• 1840Age3

Birth of sister Ellen Frances Nightingale (1840–1933)

1840 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

• 1843Age6

Birth of brother Augustus Frederick Nightingale (1843–1925)

11 Nov 1843 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

• 1850Age13

Residence

1850 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

• 1854Age16

Death of mother Alice Brackett (1802–1854)

28 Apr 1854 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

• 1855Age18

Residence

1855 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

1 source

• 1860Age23

Residence

1860 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

Residence Post Office: Quincy

• 1861Age24

Military

1861-1865 • Massachusetts

• 1861Age24

Residence

1861 • Quincy, Massachusetts

• 1861Age24

Residence

1861-1865 • Massachusetts, USA

• 1862Age25

Residence

1862 • Massachusetts, USA

• 1865Age27

Corp Samuel A Nightingale

20 Aug 1865 • Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA

• 1865Age27

Death

20 Aug 1865 • Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

• 1865

Residence

1865 • Quincy West, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

Marital Status: Single

Burial

Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States of America

*Massachusetts, Deaths
name: Samuel A. Nightingale
event: Death
event date: 20 Aug 1865
event place: Quincy, Massachusetts
residence: Quincy, Mass
gender: Male
age: 27
marital status: Single
occupation: Provision Dealer
birthplace: Quincy, Mass
estimated birth year: 1838
father: Thomas J.
father’s birthplace: Quincy, Mass
mother: Alice
mother’s birthplace: Quincy, Mass

4th MA Infantry

Organized: Fortress Monroe, VA on 4/22/1861

Mustered out: 7/22/1861

Officers killed or mortally wounded: 0

Officers died of disease, accidents, etc.: 0

Enlisted men killed or mortally wounded: 1

Enlisted men died of disease, accidents, etc.: 0

 

From	To	Brigade	Division	Corps	Army	Comments
Apr ’61	May ’61		Camp Hamilton		Department of Virginia
May ’61	Jul ’61		Newport News		Department of Virginia	Mustered Out

FOURTH REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER MILITIA (INFANTRY) THREE MONTHS The 4th Regt. Mass. Vol. Mill “Minute Men,” was summoned to Boston by Special Order No. 14, issued on the afternoon of April 15, 1861, from the office of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts. Company F of Foxboro had offered its services, if they should be needed “at any point of our country,” as early as January 10, 1861. The 4th had the honor of being the first regiment to leave the State, entraining for Fall River en route for Fort Monroe on the afternoon of April 17. For a month it formed a part of the garrison of Fort Monroe. On May 27, it was sent to Newport News, where it was employed most of the time until its return to Massachusetts in fortifying Camp Butler. On June 10, Company H and four other companies took part in the battle of Big Bethel. Transferred to the village of Hampton July 3, on the 11th it marched to Fort Monroe, where on the 15th it embarked for Boston. Arriving in Boston Harbor, it was mustered out at Long Island on July 22, exactly three months from the day of its muster into the service. Three companies, K, L, and the Wightman Rifles, which had enlisted for three years and had joined the regiment in May, were retained in the service and became Companies A, C, and K of the 29th Regt., which was then being organized.

39th MA Infantry

Organized: Lynnfield, MA on 9/1/1862

Mustered out: 6/2/1865

Officers killed or mortally wounded: 5

Officers died of disease, accidents, etc.: 0

Enlisted men killed or mortally wounded: 91

Enlisted men died of disease, accidents, etc.: 183

From	To	Brigade	Division	Corps	Army	Comments
Oct ’62	Feb ’63	Grover’s			Military District of Washington
Feb ’63	May ’63	Jewett’s Indpt		22	Department of Washington, D.C.
May ’63	Jul ’63		Dist of Washington	22	Department of Washington, D.C.
Jul ’63	Mar ’64	1	2	1	Army of Potomac
Mar ’64	Jun ’64	1	2	5	Army of Potomac
Jun ’64	Sep ’64	1	3	5	Army of Potomac
Sep ’64	May ’65	2	3	5	Army of Potomac	Mustered Out

Organized: Lynnfield, MA on 9/1/1862

Mustered out: 6/2/1865

THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY THREE YEARS The 39th Regt. Mass. Vol. Inf. was recruited in the late summer of 1862 in towns and cities in the eastern part of the State. It went into camp first at Lynnfield, but was later transferred to Camp Stanton, Boxford. Here Col. P. Stearns Davis took command Sept. 1, and on the following day the last two companies, G and H, were mustered into the service. On Sept. 6 the regiment left for Washington City arriving two days later and being sent to Camp Chase on Arlington Heights. Here it was assigned to Briggs’ Brigade of Casey’s Division of Reserves. About the middle of the month the 39th was sent with the other troops of the brigade to guard the north bank of the Potomac River from Seneca Creek to Conrad’s Ferry. Stationed at first at Conrad’s Ferry, on Oct. 14 it was transferred to Seneca Creek where it was assigned to Grover’s Brigade. From the 11th of November, 1862, to January 5, 1863, Col. Davis commanded the brigade. Winter camp was established at Poolesville, Md., and here the regiment remained until April, 1863,when it returned to Washington and there did guard duty until after the battle of Gettysburg in July of that year. Leaving Washington July 9, it was assigned to a provisional brigade commanded by Gen. Henry S. Briggs, and on July 12 joined the Army of the Potomac at Funkstown, Md. Here the brigade was assigned to Robinson’s (2d) Division, Newton’s (1st) Corps. Transferred to Rappahannock Station, it here became a part of Coulter’s (1st) Brigade. The regiment served through the campaign of the fall in the vicinity of the Rappahannock, and participated in the Mine Run Campaign in the latter part of November. The winter of 1863-64 was spent at Mitchell’s Station near the Cedar Mountain battlefield, Col. Leonard now commanding the brigade. In the consolidation of the Army of the Potomac into three corps in the latter part of the winter Robinson’s Division became the 2d Division of Warren’s (5th) Corps. May 4, 1864, the 39th broke camp and started for Germanna Ford, crossing at midday and proceeding with the 5th Corps to the vicinity of Wilderness Tavern. It was engaged on the Orange pike in the Wilderness May 5 and 6, Col. Lyle succeeding Col. Leonard in command of the brigade on the 6th. On these two days the 39th lost 2 killed and 18 wounded. Moving on the night of the 7th toward Spotsylvania, it was engaged on the 8th and 10th on the Brock Road near the Spindle farm, losing a total of 135 men of whom 32 were killed or mortally wounded. The fighting on this part of the field of Spotsylvania was known as the battle of Laurel Hill. Laurel Hill was a name by which the old William E. Jones farm was locally known. Gen. Robinson commanding the 2d Division having been seriously – wounded in the fighting May 8, his command wail broken up and Lyle’s Brigade was transferred to Cutler’s Division. After the great assault on the “Angle”, May 12, in which the 5th Corps did not participate, the 39th was moved with its corps to the extreme Union left where it remained, suffering few casualties, until the 21st when it left for the North Anna River. From the 23d to the 26th of May the regiment was in position near Jericho Ford on the North Anna, suffering small loss. After the Cold Harbor fighting, during which the 39th lay near Bethesda Church and suffered only a few casualties, Col. Lyle’s command became the 1st Brigade in Crawford’s (3d) Division. The James River was crossed at Wilcox Landing) June 16, and the regiment took its place in the lines before Petersburg. On the 25th it received 241 recruits by transfer from the 12th Mass. Regt. and on the 14th of July 103 from the 13th, the term of service of these two regiments having expired. Near the Weldon Railroad on the 18th and l9th of August the 39th was heavily engaged losing 10 killed, 32 wounded, and 245 prisoners. Here Lieut. Col. Peirson was very severely wounded and obliged to relinquish the command of the regiment. Early in the fall the 39th became a part of Coulter’s (2d) Brigade, Crawford’s (3d) Division. In October Gen. Henry Baxter succeeded Col. Coulter in command of the brigade. About Nov. 5 Major Tremlett returned and resumed command of the regiment, relieving Capt. Nelson who had been in command since Lieut. Col. Peirson was wounded. The regiment was engaged in various siege activities on the south side of Petersburg during the winter of 186~65. Late in March 1865, it was moved to the extreme Union left, was in action near White Oak Road, March 31, the same day as that of the battle of Dinwiddie C. H., here losing Major Tremlett and Captain Kingsbury, both of whom were mortally wounded. Captain Cooper now assumed command of the regiment and held it until the close of its service. The regiment was present at Five Forks on April 1, but suffered small loss. The 39th now participated in the pursuit of Lee’s Army and was but a few miles from Appomattox C. H. at the time of the surrender, April 9. Remaining at Appomattox until the 15th, it proceeded to Blacks and Whites Station where it remained ten days, then marched by easy stages to Washington, reaching Fort Albany May 12. After the Grand Review, May 23, the recruits were transferred to the 32d Regiment, and the original members of the 39th were mustered out of the service. Returning to Readville, Mass., which was reached June 6, on the 14th the members of the regiment were paid off and discharged.

Samuel A Nightingale

in the Massachusetts, U.S., State Census, 1855

 

Name	Samuel A Nightingale
Gender	Male
Birth Year	abt 1838
Birth Place	Massachusetts
Residence Place	Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA
Enumeration Year	1855
Age	17
Household Number	1003
Reel Number	21
Volume Number	28
Household Members (Name) Age Thomas J Nightingale 54 Thomas B Nightingale 29 Maria J Nightingale 25 Elvira A Nightingale 23 William Nightingale 18 Samuel A Nightingale 17 Ellen F Nightingale 15 Augustus F Nightingale 12 George W Brooks 26 Mary E Smith 18