Colonel Nathaniel J. Jackson of the 1st Maine InfantryMemorial to Company K of the First Maine Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish–American War, Brunswick, Maine
In 1847, during the War with Mexico, the President of the United States requested that a regiment of Maine infantry be mobilized for field duty. This was accomplished on paper, but field officers were never assigned and the regiment's companies never trained together. However, this partial mobilization and the influence of the Crimean War of 1853–56 excited military enthusiasm in Maine, and caused new militia companies to be organized in 1854–56. In 1854 there were 58 companies in the Volunteer Maine Militia, and the request of the companies in and near Portland to be named the 1st Regiment was granted by orders of the Maine state government approved 21 June 1854. General Smith of the 5th Division was ordered to carry out the plan. In 1856, 47 of the 56 volunteer companies of the state were disbanded, having lost interest in military affairs. However, the First Regiment continued from 1856 to 1859, though without annual training as a regiment.[2]
Civil WarEdit
Abraham Lincoln's first call for volunteers in April, 1861 required Maine to raise one regiment of infantry for three months of Federal service. This was done by reorganizing ten existing companies of the state militia, completed at Portland, Maine on 28 April 1861 and mustered into service on 3 May 1861, a total of 779 soldiers. The regimental commander was ColonelNathaniel Jackson.
The First Maine was transferred to Washington, D.C. on 1 June 1861, where it remained until 1 August 1861, encamped on Meridian Hill. It spent its entire service in the Washington defenses and saw no combat. They were mustered out on 5 August 1861.
Although the regiment's required Federal service was only three months, all of the soldiers had enlisted for two or three years. Many soldiers in the regiment who were required to remain in service joined the 10th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which retained eight of the 1st Maine's ten companies.
The regimental history was published as History of the 1st-10th-29th Maine Regiment written by Major John Mead Gould.
Spanish–American WarEdit
The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States at Augusta, Maine on 26 May 1898, with 46 officers and 979 enlisted men. The regiment moved to Chickamauga, Georgia, then a mobilization center. On 31 May it was assigned to Third Brigade, Second Division, Third Army Corps. The regiment did not deploy further and returned to Augusta, Maine 23–27 August after three months' service. On 21 September the regiment was furloughed for 30 days, and on 25 October the regiment's components began to muster out after five months' service. This was completed on 13 December with 46 officers and 1,211 enlisted men mustered out.[1][3] A memorial plaque for Company K of the 1st Maine in the Spanish–American War is in a park near Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Dana T. Merrill, a brigadier general in the United States Army, began his career by enlisting in Company H in 1898.[4]
CasualtiesEdit
The regiment lost no men during its brief period of service in the Civil War.[5] In the Spanish–American War the unit lost two officers and 39 enlisted men to disease and 24 enlisted men to desertion.[1][3]
LineageEdit
The companies of the 1st Maine in the Civil War were named as follows:[6]
The 1st Maine was originally formed in state service in 1854,[2] and thus was older than any other Maine regimental organization. An historian of the 240th AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery) Group, a former Maine Army National Guard unit, has concluded that numerous subsequent Volunteer Maine Militia and Maine National Guard units inherited the lineage of the 1st Maine via the Portland Light Infantry company.[7] From 1924 through 1944 this was the 240th Coast Artillery Regiment.[2] As of 2018 this lineage is carried by the 240th Regional Training Institute, Maine Army National Guard, in Bangor.[8]
^240th Regional Training Institute at the Maine Army National Guard website
^U.S. Army Center of Military History. . history.army.mil. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
ReferencesEdit
Center of Military History, United States Army (1902). (PDF). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. p. 596. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, Iowa: Dyer Publishing Co.
Edwards, Abial Hall (1992). "Dear Friend Anna": The Civil War Letters of a Common Soldier from Maine. Orono, Maine: University of Maine Press. ISBN0-89101-079-3.
Gould, John Mead (1997). The Civil War Journals of John Mead Gould, 1861–1866. Baltimore: Butternut and Blue. ISBN0-935523-63-4.
Gould, John Mead (1889). Directory of the First – Tenth – Twenty-ninth Maine regiment Association. Portland, Maine: Stephen Berry.
Gould, John Mead; Jordan, Leonard G. (1871). History of the First – Tenth – Twenty-Ninth Maine Regiment: In Service of the United States from May 3, 1861, to June 21, 1866. Portland, Maine: Stephen Berry.
Hodsdon, John L. (1862). Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine, 31 Dec 1861. Augusta, Maine: Stevens & Sayward.
United States Army (1941). "Harbor Defenses of Portland, 1941: pictorial history". World War Regimental Histories. World War Regimental Histories. 99. Atlanta, GA: Army-Navy Publications.
Attribution
This article contains text from a text now in the public domain: Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.
External linksEdit
History of the 1st-10th-29th Maine Regiment Online
Photograph of Company A, 1st Regiment, ca. 1861, from the Maine Memory Network
Units descended from 1st Maine
August 26, 2023
maine, infantry, regiment, infantry, regiment, that, served, union, army, during, american, civil, later, activated, 1898, spanish, american, serve, overseas, flag, united, states, 1861, 1863active3, 1861, august, 1861, october, 1898countryunited, statesallegi. The 1st Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War It was later re activated in 1898 for the Spanish American War but did not serve overseas 1 1st Maine Infantry RegimentFlag of the United States 1861 1863Active3 May 1861 to 5 August 1861 26 May to 5 October 1898CountryUnited StatesAllegianceUnionBranchInfantryEngagementsAmerican Civil WarSpanish American WarCommandersColonelNathaniel J JacksonColonel Nathaniel J Jackson of the 1st Maine InfantryMemorial to Company K of the First Maine Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish American War Brunswick Maine Contents 1 Service 1 1 Pre Civil War 1 2 Civil War 1 3 Spanish American War 2 Casualties 3 Lineage 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksService EditPre Civil War Edit In 1847 during the War with Mexico the President of the United States requested that a regiment of Maine infantry be mobilized for field duty This was accomplished on paper but field officers were never assigned and the regiment s companies never trained together However this partial mobilization and the influence of the Crimean War of 1853 56 excited military enthusiasm in Maine and caused new militia companies to be organized in 1854 56 In 1854 there were 58 companies in the Volunteer Maine Militia and the request of the companies in and near Portland to be named the 1st Regiment was granted by orders of the Maine state government approved 21 June 1854 General Smith of the 5th Division was ordered to carry out the plan In 1856 47 of the 56 volunteer companies of the state were disbanded having lost interest in military affairs However the First Regiment continued from 1856 to 1859 though without annual training as a regiment 2 Civil War Edit Abraham Lincoln s first call for volunteers in April 1861 required Maine to raise one regiment of infantry for three months of Federal service This was done by reorganizing ten existing companies of the state militia completed at Portland Maine on 28 April 1861 and mustered into service on 3 May 1861 a total of 779 soldiers The regimental commander was Colonel Nathaniel Jackson The First Maine was transferred to Washington D C on 1 June 1861 where it remained until 1 August 1861 encamped on Meridian Hill It spent its entire service in the Washington defenses and saw no combat They were mustered out on 5 August 1861 Although the regiment s required Federal service was only three months all of the soldiers had enlisted for two or three years Many soldiers in the regiment who were required to remain in service joined the 10th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment which retained eight of the 1st Maine s ten companies The regimental history was published as History of the 1st 10th 29th Maine Regiment written by Major John Mead Gould Spanish American War Edit The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States at Augusta Maine on 26 May 1898 with 46 officers and 979 enlisted men The regiment moved to Chickamauga Georgia then a mobilization center On 31 May it was assigned to Third Brigade Second Division Third Army Corps The regiment did not deploy further and returned to Augusta Maine 23 27 August after three months service On 21 September the regiment was furloughed for 30 days and on 25 October the regiment s components began to muster out after five months service This was completed on 13 December with 46 officers and 1 211 enlisted men mustered out 1 3 A memorial plaque for Company K of the 1st Maine in the Spanish American War is in a park near Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine Dana T Merrill a brigadier general in the United States Army began his career by enlisting in Company H in 1898 4 Casualties EditThe regiment lost no men during its brief period of service in the Civil War 5 In the Spanish American War the unit lost two officers and 39 enlisted men to disease and 24 enlisted men to desertion 1 3 Lineage EditThe companies of the 1st Maine in the Civil War were named as follows 6 A Portland Light Infantry B Portland Mechanic Blues C Portland Light Guards D Portland Rifle Corps E Portland Rifle Guards F Lewiston Light Infantry G Norway Light Infantry H Auburn Artillery I 2nd Co Portland Rifle Guards K Lewiston ZouavesThe 1st Maine was originally formed in state service in 1854 2 and thus was older than any other Maine regimental organization An historian of the 240th AAA Anti Aircraft Artillery Group a former Maine Army National Guard unit has concluded that numerous subsequent Volunteer Maine Militia and Maine National Guard units inherited the lineage of the 1st Maine via the Portland Light Infantry company 7 From 1924 through 1944 this was the 240th Coast Artillery Regiment 2 As of 2018 this lineage is carried by the 240th Regional Training Institute Maine Army National Guard in Bangor 8 The 1st Maine is also one of the ancestor units along with the famed 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the modern day 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard 9 See also Edit American Civil War portalList of Maine Civil War units Maine in the American Civil War 10th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment 29th Maine Volunteer Infantry RegimentNotes Edit a b c 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry at FortWiki com a b c United States Army Harbor Defenses of Portland pp 42 98 a b Center of Military History p 596 Who Was Who in American History The Military Chicago IL Marquis Who s Who Inc 1975 ISBN 9780837932019 Maine State Archives 1st Maine Infantry page Gould and Jordan pp 66 79 Units descended from 1st Maine 240th Regional Training Institute at the Maine Army National Guard website U S Army Center of Military History 133d Engineer Battalion Lineage and Honors U S Army Center of Military History CMH history army mil Archived from the original on 1 July 2016 Retrieved 25 May 2016 References EditCenter of Military History United States Army 1902 Correspondence Relating to the War with Spain vol 1 reprinted 1993 PDF Washington DC Government Printing Office p 596 Archived from the original PDF on 13 October 2022 Retrieved 8 July 2016 Dyer Frederick H 1908 A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion Des Moines Iowa Dyer Publishing Co Edwards Abial Hall 1992 Dear Friend Anna The Civil War Letters of a Common Soldier from Maine Orono Maine University of Maine Press ISBN 0 89101 079 3 Gould John Mead 1997 The Civil War Journals of John Mead Gould 1861 1866 Baltimore Butternut and Blue ISBN 0 935523 63 4 Gould John Mead 1889 Directory of the First Tenth Twenty ninth Maine regiment Association Portland Maine Stephen Berry Gould John Mead Jordan Leonard G 1871 History of the First Tenth Twenty Ninth Maine Regiment In Service of the United States from May 3 1861 to June 21 1866 Portland Maine Stephen Berry Hodsdon John L 1862 Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine 31 Dec 1861 Augusta Maine Stevens amp Sayward United States Army 1941 Harbor Defenses of Portland 1941 pictorial history World War Regimental Histories World War Regimental Histories 99 Atlanta GA Army Navy Publications Attribution This article contains text from a text now in the public domain Dyer Frederick H 1908 A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion Des Moines IA Dyer Publishing Co External links EditHistory of the 1st 10th 29th Maine Regiment Online State of Maine Civil War Records Website Photograph of Company A 1st Regiment ca 1861 from the Maine Memory Network Units descended from 1st Maine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1st Maine Infantry Regiment amp oldid 1160084383, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
