Brigadier General Henry Shaw Briggs Pittsfield, MA - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

A monument to Henry Shaw Brigs consisting of a bronze plaque attached to a large boulder contains a brief biography and his military history. It is located on the north west side of the Berkshire Courthouse grounds. The plaque is inscribed:

HENRY SHAW BRIGGS
A LEADER OF BRAVE MEN
BORN IN LANESBORO AUGUST 1, 1824
SON OF GOVERNOR GEORGE NIXON BRIGGS
GRADUATED WILLIAMS COLLEGE 1844
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL 1848
CAPTAIN OF PITTSFIELD GUARDS 1855
CAPTAIN OF ALLEN GUARDS 1861
RESPONDED APRIL 18, 1861
TO LINCOLN’S FIRST CALL FOR TROOPS
COLONEL OF 10TH. MASS. VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
A REGIMENT
DISCIPLINED BY HIS TRAINING
INSPIRED BY HIS EXAMPLE
MUSTERED INTO UNITED STATES SERVICE
JUNE 21, 1861
SERVED WITH HONOR IN
TWENTY BATTLES OF THE CIVIL WAR 1861-64
BRIGADIER GENERAL JULY 27, 1862
DIED, PITTSFIELD, SEPTEMBER 23, 1887

“PALE GLORY WALKS BY VALOR’S BIER”

Before the Civil War Henry Shaw Briggs was the captain of a company of state militia in Pittsfield known as the "Allen Guards." When the Civil War began Briggs's company became Company K of the 8th Massachusetts Regiment. On June 21, 1861, Briggs was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the newly formed 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment serving in the Army of the Potomac under Major General George B. McClellan. During the Peninsula Campaign to capture Richmond, VA Colonel Briggs was placed in command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the IV Corps. returned to command the 10th Massachusetts.

The 10th Massachusetts was engaged in the Battle of Fair Oaks on May 31, 1862. The regiment suffered severe casualties and Colonel Briggs was shot through both legs. He returned to Massachusetts for the summer of 1862 to recuperate. For his gallantry in battle, Henry Shaw Briggs promoted to brigadier general on July 17, 1862.

Briggs returned to the army in a non field capacity. He was assigned the to command the training camp for new recruits, Camp Chase on Arlington Heights, VA. In February 1863, Briggs commanded a brigade in the VIII Corps who were assigned to guard Maryland. He ended his military career as commander of a training camp in Alexandria, VA. Thereafter he served on the court martial boards in Washington.

He resigned from the army on December 4, 1865 and returned to Pittsfield to serve as Massachusetts Auditor. He then was appointed to be a judge with the District Court of Central Berkshire County. Henry Shaw Briggs died on September 23, 1887 and is buried in Pittsfield Cemetery.

Website pertaining to the memorial: [Web Link] List if there are any visiting hours: Always available. Entrance fees (if it applies): 0 Type of memorial: Monument

Visit Instructions:

*(1.)* Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit.
*(2.)* If you have additional information about the memorial which is not listed in the waymark description, please notify the waymark owner to have it added, and please post the information in your visit log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.