From the Worcester Historical Museum 30 Elm Street Worcester, Massachusetts U. S. A.

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(NOTE from the webmaster --  the Ward Collection has now been catalogued at the museum, and many of their photos of the men of the 15th are online here. Dec 2003)

Ronald Borjeson writes:

December 3, 1997

The 15^th Mass was organized in Worcester, and the Regiment is referred to as the Worcester County Regiment. Many of the initial members had previous training in the various town militias and came here to enlist after Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers and militia. Camp Scott (Worcester’s Brooks Farm), where the „row of tents" were set up in June 1861 to receive the incoming companies, is today called Camp Street.

The GAR Post in Worcester, Post 10, is named after George Hull Ward, Colonel of the 15^th Mass. Ward died at Gettysburg and is buried in a Worcester cemetery. Willie Grout, an 18 year old graduate of the Highland Military Academy was a Lieutenant in the 15^th Massachusetts Regiment who was killed at Balls Bluff. He was honored in 1861 by the song „The Vacant Chair."

The O’Connor bust of Grout is on display in this Museum. Grout is also buried in Worcester. The S. V. (Sons of Union Veterans) post, Worcester, was named after Grout and some of his military memorabilia is also on display here.

The Worcester Historical Museum does have a Civil War Collection that is called the "Ward Collection." It had been originally collected by Emily Ward, the widow of Brig. Gen. (Brevet) George Hull Ward and is composed of 15^th Massachusetts related material.

Some of the material is as follows:

1. Journal of George H. Ward (1861, 24 pages.) A journal written by Ward describing his departure from Camp Scott and his return home (January 31, 1862) after being wounded at Balls Bluff.
2. Letters from George Ward to Emily Ward, August 10, 1861 – October 30, 1862 (69 pages).
3. Letters from George Ward to Emily Ward, February 3, 1863 – June 27, 1863.
4. Letters from Emily Ward to George Ward, August 14, 1861 – January 29, 1862 (92 pages).
5. Letters from Emily Ward to George Ward, February 7, 1863 – June 5, 1863 (52 pages).
6. Diary 1863 Col. Geo. Ward and Lt. Henry Ward January 1, 1863 – December 31, 1863 (16 pages).
7. Description of Battles of Gettysburg and Balls Bluff (15^th Mass Assoc., written by Albert Everett).

Other material is:

• Appointment of George Ward to Lt. Col. July 24, 1861, June 6, 1862.
• Letter from Lt. Col. J. W. Kimball to Col. Ward reporting on the Battle of Fair Oaks, VA.
• Muster rolls (1862) by George Ward while he was home, wounded, as Commander of Camp Wool.
• Various other letters, military and personal ca. 1862 and Worcester Wartime newspapers.

We have in the Ward Collection, an album kept by Emily Ward that contains pictures (Cartes de Visite) of many officers who were in the 15^th Mass. Reg.  

For some 15^th Mass. Trivia, consider that in April 1861 Ward was a General in the militia, and Devens was a Major. Why, then, was Devens made Colonel of the 15^th Mass., while Ward – who organized the 15^th – was made Lt. Col.? Ward was a very competent soldier. Perhaps Devens, who was a partner in the law firm of "Devens, Hoar & Hill" had political connections that made this possible. His partner, Hoar, became a U. S. Senator from Worcester, MA..