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11th Maine
Regiment Infantry
in the Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Eleventh Infantry. — Cols., John C. Caldwell, Harris M. Plaisted,
Jonathan A. Hill; Lieut.-Cols., Harris M. Plaisted, William M. Shaw, Robert F. Campbell,
Winslow P. Spofford, Jonathan A. Hill, Charles P. Baldwin; Majs., William M. Shaw, Robert
F. Campbell, Winslow P. Spofford, Jonathan A. Hill, Charles P. Baldwin, Henry C. Adams.
The ten preceding regiments had been raised at the expense of the state, under the act of
the legislature of April 25, 1861, and the captains and subalterns of the organized
companies elected the field officers. The 11th was the first to be raised at the direct
expense of the general government, and the colonel, lieutenant-colonel and major were
chosen before the companies were organized. The regiment was organized for active service
Oct. 11, 1861, and mustered into the U. S. service on Nov. 12, to serve for three years.
It left the state the next day for Washington, where it remained encamped until March 28,
1862, when, as part of Casey's division, it proceeded to Alexandria, thence to Newport
News. Here on April 6 it was detached from its brigade (Naglee's), and went to the mouth
of Warwick creek, where it was under the fire of the rebel gunboat Teazer. On the 17th, it
rejoined the division and brigade and proceeded to Yorktown, where on the 29th it was in a
sharp engagement with the enemy. Later it took a prominent part in the battles of
Williamsburg, Seven Pines and White Oak swamp. From Aug. 16, to Dec. 26, 1862, it was at
Yorktown, and on the latter date embarked with Naglee's brigade for Port Royal, S. C,
where it landed on Feb. 10, 1863. Gen. Naglee, having been promoted to the command of a
division, issued a spirited order on leaving the regiment, of which the following is a
part : "Yours is the honor of having been the first to pass and the last to leave the
Chickahominy. And, while you led the advance from this memorable place near Richmond, you
were the last in the retreating column, when, after seven days' constant fighting, it
reached a place of security and rest at Harrison's Landing." The regiment remained in
the South until April, 1864, during which time it participated in the unsuccessful attack
on Charleston, and was engaged for a long time as artillerists, shelling Sumter and the
Confederate works on Sullivan and James' islands. In April, 1864, it joined Gen. Butler's
command at Gloucester Point, Va., and during the remainder of the war saw almost
continuous fighting. On Nov. 2, 1864, about 130 of the men left the field for Maine, as
their term of service had expired, and were mustered out at Augusta on Nov. 18. The next
day, Nov., 3, the rest of the regiment went with Gen. Butler to New York to assist in
maintaining order in that city at the presidential election, after which it returned to
the front. The total casualties of the regiment during 1864 were 363, killed, wounded,
missing and prisoners. If received 549 recruits, also a full company of volunteers —
the 8th unassigned infantry. During the first three months of 1865, it formed a part of
the 3d brigade, 1st division, 24th corps, and was stationed near the New Market road, 10
miles from Richmond. On March 27, it crossed the James and Appomattox rivers, engaged the
enemy at Hatcher's run on the 31st, and was almost constantly exposed to the fire until
April 2, losing meanwhile 3 enlisted men killed, 2 officers and several enlisted men
wounded, and 1 officer and 15 enlisted men captured. It participated in the assault and
capture of Forts Gregg and Baldwin, losing 25 enlisted men killed and wounded, and on the
3d moved with the army in pursuit of Lee's forces. At "Clover Hill" on the 9th,
it lost 6 enlisted men killed, 2 officers and 29 enlisted men wounded. It remained in the
vicinity of Richmond until Nov. 24, and on the 26th, moved to Fredericksburg, where it
remained, doing patrol and other duties until the middle of Jan., 1866, when it was
ordered to City Point, Va., to be mustered out. It was mustered out on Feb. 2, 1866, in
accordance with orders of the war department, and left on the 3d for Augusta, Me., where
the men were paid and finally discharged. The regiment saw an unusual amount of hard
service, and left a splendid name for intrepidity and heroism. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
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