1st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
's first call for volunteers in April, 1861 required Maine to raise one regiment of infantry. 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 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. Many soldiers in the regiment who wanted to remain in service reenlisted into other Maine regiments being organized.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Service
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's first call for volunteers in April, 1861 required Maine to raise one regiment of infantry. This was done by reorganizing ten existing companies of the state militia, completed at Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
on 28 April 1861 and mustered into service on 3 May 1861, a total of 779 soldiers. The First Maine was transferred to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on 1 June 1861, where it remained until 1 August 1861, encamped on Meridian Hill
Meridian Hill Park
Meridian Hill Park, is located in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Columbia Heights in the United States. The 12 acres of landscaped grounds are maintained by the National Park Service as part of Rock Creek Park, but are not contiguous with the main part of that park...
. It spent its entire service in the Washington defenses and saw no combat. They were mustered out on 5 August 1861. Many soldiers in the regiment who wanted to remain in service reenlisted into other Maine regiments being organized.
See also
- List of Maine Civil War units
- Maine in the American Civil WarMaine in the American Civil WarDuring the American Civil War, the state of Maine was a source of military manpower, supplies, ships, arms, and political support for the Union Army...