Maine in the American Civil War
Encyclopedia
During the American Civil War
, the state of Maine
was a source of military manpower, supplies, ships, arms, and political support for the Union Army
. Maine was the first state in the northeast to be aligned with the new Republican Party
, partly due to the influence of evangelical Protestantism, and partly to the fact that Maine was a frontier
state, and thus receptive to the party's "free soil" platform. Abraham Lincoln
chose Maine's Hannibal Hamlin
as his first Vice President, and said on meeting Brunswick
novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe
(the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
), "so this is the little lady who made this big war".
Maine was so eager for the cause that it ended up contributing a larger number of combatants, in proportion to its population, than any other Union state. It was second only to Massachusetts
in the number of its sailors who served in the Union Navy
. Colonel
Joshua L. Chamberlain (later a major general
) and the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
played a key role at the Battle of Gettysburg
, and the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment
lost more men in a single charge (during the Siege of Petersburg
) than any Union regiment
in the war.
and two cavalry
regiment
s, and seven light Artillery batteries
and one heavy artillery regiment. Hundreds of civilians served as nurses, doctors, relief workers, and agents at home and on the field of battle. Many served in the United States Sanitary Commission
or United States Christian Commission
, as well as similar organizations.
Thomas Lincoln Casey
oversaw the state's coastal fortifications including forts McClary
and Preble
. He completed the massive Fort Knox
on the Penobscot River
.
No Civil War land battles were fought in Maine, but anti-Confederate passions were inflamed in June 1863 when Southern raiders triggered the Battle of Portland Harbor
after seizing a revenue cutter and trying to escape to the ocean.
of Paris, Maine
, was Lincoln's vice-president during his first term. A strong orator and opponent of slavery
, he urged both the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation
and the arming of African Americans. He strongly supported Joseph Hooker
's appointment as commander of the Army of the Potomac
, which was a dismal failure. He became aligned with Radical Republicans, which may have caused him to be dropped from the ticket in 1864.
Augusta
newspaperman and U.S. Congressman James G. Blaine
was a powerful voice on Capitol Hill and dominated post-war politics during the Reconstruction period. The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
was substantially Blaine's proposition, and later he was the 1884 Republican nominee for President.
s at one time or another as colonels. The highest ranking officer was Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard
of Leeds
, who commanded the XI Corps
in several major battles, including Chancellorsville
and Gettysburg. He had lost an arm at the Battle of Seven Pines
during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
. In the fall of 1863, Howard and his corps were transferred to the Western Theater
to join the Army of the Cumberland
in Tennessee
. In the Battle of Chattanooga, Howard's corps helped capture Missionary Ridge and force the retreat of Gen. Braxton Bragg
. In July 1864, Howard became commander of the Army of the Tennessee
and fought in the Atlanta Campaign
. He led the right wing of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman
's forces in the famous March to the Sea
and the subsequent Carolinas Campaign
.
Perhaps the most widely known officer from Maine to today's generation is Brewer
native Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, whose exploits in defending Little Round Top
during the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg were celebrated in the book Killer Angels and the corresponding 1993 film Gettysburg. His subordinate officers, including Ellis Spear
and Holman S. Melcher
, and the men of the 20th Maine successfully repulsed a series of charges made by Alabama
troops of the Confederate
Army of Northern Virginia
. Earlier in the war, the 20th had been led by Adelbert Ames
of Rockland
. The son of a sea captain, Ames rose at Gettysburg to command of a division
. He led the successful assault in the Battle of Fort Fisher
(commanding the 2nd Division, XXIV Corps
), accompanying his men into the formidable coastal fortress as most of his staff were shot down by Confederate snipers.
Other notable generals from Maine included George Lafayette Beal
of Norway, who led a brigade in the Red River Campaign
and the Valley Campaigns of 1864
. He was promoted to general for gallant service at the Battle of Cedar Creek
, where his brigade broke the Confederate lines during the turning point of the battle. Hiram Berry
of Rockland was killed at Chancellorsville while leading his 2nd Division of the III Corps
in a bayonet
charge. James G. Blunt
, a fiery abolitionist born in Trenton
, won a victory at the Battle of Honey Springs
, bringing much of the Indian Territory
into Union control. In 1864, Blunt's division inflicted the final defeat to Sterling Price
at the Second Battle of Newtonia
, ending Price's Missouri Raid
.
Hiram Burnham
of Narraguagus
was killed while assaulting Confederate positions near Richmond, Virginia
, during the Battle of Chaffin's Farm
. Lowell's
John C. Caldwell
led a division in the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg in the fighting in the Wheatfield. Aaron S. Daggett
of Greene
was the last surviving Union Civil War general when he died in 1938 at the age of 100. Neal S. Dow
of Portland led a brigade during the Federal capture and occupation of New Orleans
and later commanded the District of Florida.
Brothers Francis
and James Fessenden
, members of a prominent Maine political family, were both generals in the Union Army. Cuvier Grover of Bethel
commanded a division in the XIX Corps
during the capture of Baton Rouge
and the Siege of Port Hudson
. Hampden's Cyrus Hamlin
led a brigade
of black troops at Port Hudson and in other engagements. Albion P. Howe
of Standish
commanded 2nd Division of the VI Corps
at Fredericksburg
, Chancellorville, and Gettysburg. Rufus Ingalls
of Denmark, Maine
, was the Quartermaster General
of the Army of the Potomac and later of all armies operating during the sieges of Richmond and Petersburg. He built up the huge supply depot at City Point, Virginia
.
Erasmus D. Keyes
of Kennebec County
commanded the IV Corps
of Army of the Potomac during the first half of the war. Augusta's Seth Williams
was assistant adjutant general
of the Army of the Potomac and later was inspector general
on the staff of Ulysses S. Grant
. At Appomattox Court House
in April 1865, he carried Grant's message offering to accept Robert E. Lee
's surrender to the Confederate lines and later delivered Grant's terms to the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Danville Leadbetter
, born in Leeds, cast his lot with the Confederacy and became a general in its army.
Many others, such as William Googins
of Old Orchard, served as private soldiers.
of Portland
commanded the steam sloop USS Brooklyn
in the action with Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan and with the Confederate gunboats in the Battle of Mobile Bay
. Henry K. Thatcher
of Thomaston
commanded the West Gulf Blockading Squadron in a combined arms action against Mobile
, which surrendered April 12, 1865.
:Category:People of Maine in 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...
, the state of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
was a source of military manpower, supplies, ships, arms, and political support for 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...
. Maine was the first state in the northeast to be aligned with the new Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, partly due to the influence of evangelical Protestantism, and partly to the fact that Maine was a frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
state, and thus receptive to the party's "free soil" platform. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham 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...
chose Maine's Hannibal Hamlin
Hannibal Hamlin
Hannibal Hamlin was the 15th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War...
as his first Vice President, and said on meeting Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
(the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
), "so this is the little lady who made this big war".
Maine was so eager for the cause that it ended up contributing a larger number of combatants, in proportion to its population, than any other Union state. It was second only to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in the number of its sailors who served in the Union Navy
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
. Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Joshua L. Chamberlain (later a major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
) and the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a combat unit of the United States Army during the American Civil War, most famous for its defense of Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1863.-Organization:...
played a key role at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, and the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment
1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment
The 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment was a regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It suffered more casualties in an ill-fated charge during the Siege of Petersburg than any Union regiment lost in a single day of combat throughout the war...
lost more men in a single charge (during the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
) than any Union 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...
in the war.
Maine's contributions
About 70,000 men from Maine served in the U.S. military as soldiers and sailors. They were organized into 32 infantryInfantry
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...
and two cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
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...
s, and seven light Artillery batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
and one heavy artillery regiment. Hundreds of civilians served as nurses, doctors, relief workers, and agents at home and on the field of battle. Many served in the United States Sanitary Commission
United States Sanitary Commission
The United States Sanitary Commission was a private relief agency created by federal legislation on June 18, 1861, to support sick and wounded soldiers of the U.S. Army during the American Civil War. It operated across the North, raised its own funds, and enlisted thousands of volunteers...
or United States Christian Commission
United States Christian Commission
The United States Christian Commission was an important agency of the Union during the American Civil War. It was designed to offer religious support, but also provided numerous social services and recreation to the soldiers of the U.S. Army. It provided Protestant chaplains and social workers,...
, as well as similar organizations.
The homefront
During the early part of the war, several vocal abolitionist organizations kept the issue of slavery in the public eye. Newspaper editors informed the populace of the conduct and outcome of the war efforts. Maine factories produced ships, naval stores and supplies, army equipment, tents, etc.Thomas Lincoln Casey
Thomas Lincoln Casey
Thomas Lincoln Casey, Sr. was a soldier and engineer.-Biography:Casey was born in Sackets Harbor, New York...
oversaw the state's coastal fortifications including forts McClary
Fort McClary
Fort McClary is a former defensive fortification of the United States military located along the southern coast of Maine at Kittery Point, the seaside district of Kittery. Used primarily throughout the 19th century, it was built to protect approaches to the nearby Piscataqua River...
and Preble
Fort Preble
Fort Preble is a military fort in South Portland, Maine, United States. It is now on the campus of Southern Maine Community College.Henry A. S. Dearborn built this second-system fortification as an "embargo fort" in 1808 and named it in honor of Commodore Edward Preble...
. He completed the massive Fort Knox
Fort Knox, Maine
Fort Knox, now Fort Knox State Park or Fort Knox State Historic Site, in Maine was built from 1844-1869. It is located on the western bank of the Penobscot River in the town of Prospect, Maine, about from the mouth of the river. It was the first fort in Maine built of granite...
on the Penobscot River
Penobscot River
The Penobscot River is a river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's West Branch and South Branch increases the Penobscot's length to , making it the second longest river system in Maine and the longest entirely in the state. Its drainage basin contains .It arises from four branches...
.
No Civil War land battles were fought in Maine, but anti-Confederate passions were inflamed in June 1863 when Southern raiders triggered the Battle of Portland Harbor
Battle of Portland Harbor
The Battle of Portland Harbor was a naval battle of the American Civil War, fought in June of 1863, in the waters off Portland, Maine. Two United States Navy warships engaged two vessels under Confederate States Navy employment.-Background:...
after seizing a revenue cutter and trying to escape to the ocean.
Political
Hannibal HamlinHannibal Hamlin
Hannibal Hamlin was the 15th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War...
of Paris, Maine
Paris, Maine
Paris is a town in and the county seat of Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,793 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place of South Paris is located within the town. Because the U.S. Post Office refers to the entire town as South Paris, the town as a whole is commonly...
, was Lincoln's vice-president during his first term. A strong orator and opponent of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, he urged both the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
and the arming of African Americans. He strongly supported Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
's appointment as commander of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, which was a dismal failure. He became aligned with Radical Republicans, which may have caused him to be dropped from the ticket in 1864.
Augusta
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
newspaperman and U.S. Congressman James G. Blaine
James G. Blaine
James Gillespie Blaine was a U.S. Representative, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Senator from Maine, two-time Secretary of State...
was a powerful voice on Capitol Hill and dominated post-war politics during the Reconstruction period. The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
was substantially Blaine's proposition, and later he was the 1884 Republican nominee for President.
Union Army
More than two dozen men from Maine served in the Union army as generals, and dozens more Mainers led brigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s at one time or another as colonels. The highest ranking officer was Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard
Oliver O. Howard
Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War...
of Leeds
Leeds, Maine
Leeds is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,001 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area.-Geography:According to the United...
, who commanded the XI Corps
XI Corps (ACW)
The XI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, best remembered for its involvement in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg in 1863.-Formation and the Valley Campaign:...
in several major battles, including Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
and Gettysburg. He had lost an arm at the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
. In the fall of 1863, Howard and his corps were transferred to the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
to join the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. In the Battle of Chattanooga, Howard's corps helped capture Missionary Ridge and force the retreat of Gen. Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
. In July 1864, Howard became commander of the Army of the Tennessee
Army of the Tennessee
The Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. It should not be confused with the similarly named Army of Tennessee, a Confederate army named after the State of Tennessee....
and fought in the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
. He led the right wing of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
's forces in the famous March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
and the subsequent Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
.
Perhaps the most widely known officer from Maine to today's generation is Brewer
Brewer, Maine
Brewer is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after its first settler, Colonel John Brewer. The population was 9,482 at the 2010 census....
native Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, whose exploits in defending Little Round Top
Little Round Top
Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg....
during the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg were celebrated in the book Killer Angels and the corresponding 1993 film Gettysburg. His subordinate officers, including Ellis Spear
Ellis Spear
Ellis Spear was an officer in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment who rose to the rank of general during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
and Holman S. Melcher
Holman S. Melcher
Holman Staples Melcher was an American Civil War officer and postbellum mayor of Portland, Maine. Melcher was a company commander in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment that charged down Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg....
, and the men of the 20th Maine successfully repulsed a series of charges made by Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
troops of the Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. Earlier in the war, the 20th had been led by Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames was an American sailor, soldier, and politician. He served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. As a Radical Republican and a Carpetbagger, he was military governor, Senator and civilian governor in Reconstruction-era Mississippi...
of Rockland
Rockland, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
. The son of a sea captain, Ames rose at Gettysburg to command of a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
. He led the successful assault in the Battle of Fort Fisher
Battle of Fort Fisher
Two battles were fought over Fort Fisher during the American Civil War. The first battle was a failed attempt by the Union army and Navy to capture the fort. The second battle was a successful operation which led to the fall of the fort and the city of Wilmington, North Carolina.* First Battle of...
(commanding the 2nd Division, XXIV Corps
XXIV Corps (ACW)
XXIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.In December 1864, the white and black units of the Army of the James were divided into two corps. The black troops were sent to the XXV Corps; the white troops became the XXIV Corps, under the command of Edward O. Ord...
), accompanying his men into the formidable coastal fortress as most of his staff were shot down by Confederate snipers.
Other notable generals from Maine included George Lafayette Beal
George Lafayette Beal
George Lafayette Beal was an American politician from the state of Maine who served in the Union forces during the American Civil War.-Early life and background:...
of Norway, who led a brigade in the Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
and the Valley Campaigns of 1864
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
. He was promoted to general for gallant service at the Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
, where his brigade broke the Confederate lines during the turning point of the battle. Hiram Berry
Hiram George Berry
Hiram Gregory Berry was an American politician and general in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-Birth and early years:Hiram G...
of Rockland was killed at Chancellorsville while leading his 2nd Division of the III Corps
III Corps (ACW)
There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*In the Army of Virginia:**Irvin McDowell ;**James B...
in a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
charge. James G. Blunt
James G. Blunt
James Gillpatrick Blunt was a physician and abolitionist who rose to Union major general during the American Civil War.-Early life & career:...
, a fiery abolitionist born in Trenton
Trenton, Maine
Trenton is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States, near Acadia National Park. The population was 1,370 at the 2000 census. Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport is located in Trenton....
, won a victory at the Battle of Honey Springs
Battle of Honey Springs
The Battle of Honey Springs was an American Civil War battle, an important victory for Union forces in their efforts to gain control of the Indian Territory. The battle was also unique in the fact that white soldiers were the minority in both forces...
, bringing much of the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
into Union control. In 1864, Blunt's division inflicted the final defeat to Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
at the Second Battle of Newtonia
Battle of Newtonia II
The Second Battle of Newtonia was fought on October 28, 1864, in Newton County, Missouri, as part of Major General Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of the American Civil War....
, ending Price's Missouri Raid
Price's Raid
Price's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate cavalry raid through the states of Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. While Confederate Major General Sterling Price enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten at the Battle...
.
Hiram Burnham
Hiram Burnham
Hiram Burnham was an officer in the Union Army who commanded a regiment and then a brigade in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War...
of Narraguagus
Cherryfield, Maine
Cherryfield is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States on the Narraguagus River. It was named for the wild cherries that once peppered the banks of the river. The population was 1,157 at the 2000 census. The town bills itself as the "Blueberry Capital of the World"...
was killed while assaulting Confederate positions near Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, during the Battle of Chaffin's Farm
Battle of Chaffin's Farm
The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought September 29–30, 1864, as part of the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
. Lowell's
Lowell, Maine
Lowell is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 291 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
John C. Caldwell
John C. Caldwell
John Curtis Caldwell was a teacher, a Union general in the American Civil War, and an American diplomat.-Early life:Caldwell was born in Lowell, Vermont...
led a division in the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg in the fighting in the Wheatfield. Aaron S. Daggett
Aaron S. Daggett
- External links :*...
of Greene
Greene, Maine
Greene is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,076 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area.-History:Greene was settled in 1773...
was the last surviving Union Civil War general when he died in 1938 at the age of 100. Neal S. Dow
Neal S. Dow
Neal S. Dow , nicknamed the "Napoleon of Temperance" and the "Father of Prohibition", was mayor of Portland, Maine. He sponsored the "Maine law of 1851", which prohibited the manufacture and sale of liquor...
of Portland led a brigade during the Federal capture and occupation of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and later commanded the District of Florida.
Brothers Francis
Francis Fessenden
Francis Fessenden was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of Maine who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
and James Fessenden
James Deering Fessenden
James Deering Fessenden was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of Maine who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Primarily a staff officer and operations planner until the latter stages of the war, he commanded an infantry brigade in the Western...
, members of a prominent Maine political family, were both generals in the Union Army. Cuvier Grover of Bethel
Bethel, Maine
Bethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,411 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of West Bethel and South Bethel...
commanded a division in the XIX Corps
XIX Corps (ACW)
XIX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of its service in Louisiana and the Gulf, though several units fought in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley....
during the capture of Baton Rouge
Battle of Baton Rouge (1862)
The Battle of Baton Rouge was a ground and naval battle in the American Civil War fought in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, on August 5, 1862. The Union victory halted Confederate attempts to recapture the capital city of Louisiana.-Background:...
and the Siege of Port Hudson
Siege of Port Hudson
The Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 22 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of Port Hudson, Louisiana, during the American Civil War....
. Hampden's Cyrus Hamlin
Cyrus Hamlin (general)
Cyrus Hamlin was an attorney, politician, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
led a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of black troops at Port Hudson and in other engagements. Albion P. Howe
Albion P. Howe
Albion Parris Howe was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. Howe's contentious relationships with superior officers in the Army of the Potomac eventually led to his being deprived of division command....
of Standish
Standish, Maine
Standish is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of Standish Corner, Sebago Lake Village and Steep Falls, and the localities known as Richville, Standish Neck and Two Trails...
commanded 2nd Division of the VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)
The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Formation:The corps was organized as the Sixth Provisional Corps on May 18, 1862, by uniting Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin's Division, which had just arrived on the Virginia Peninsula, with Maj. Gen. William F. Smith's...
at Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, Chancellorville, and Gettysburg. Rufus Ingalls
Rufus Ingalls
Rufus Ingalls was an American military general who served as the 16th Quartermaster General of the United States Army.-Early life and career:...
of Denmark, Maine
Denmark, Maine
Denmark is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,004 at the 2000 census. A number of recreationally-used ponds and lakes are located within the town.-History:...
, was the Quartermaster General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
of the Army of the Potomac and later of all armies operating during the sieges of Richmond and Petersburg. He built up the huge supply depot at City Point, Virginia
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
.
Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus Darwin Keyes was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
of Kennebec County
Kennebec County, Maine
Kennebec County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 122,151. Its county seat is Augusta. The center of population of Maine is located in Kennebec County, in the city of Augusta....
commanded the IV Corps
IV Corps (ACW)
There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–63, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater,...
of Army of the Potomac during the first half of the war. Augusta's Seth Williams
Seth Williams
Seth Williams was an American military officer who served as assistant adjutant general of the Union's Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
was assistant adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of the Army of the Potomac and later was inspector general
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
on the staff of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. At Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
in April 1865, he carried Grant's message offering to accept Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's surrender to the Confederate lines and later delivered Grant's terms to the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Danville Leadbetter
Danville Leadbetter
Danville Leadbetter was a career U.S. Army officer and later he served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War....
, born in Leeds, cast his lot with the Confederacy and became a general in its army.
Many others, such as William Googins
William Googins
William Hayes Googins is a Union veteran of the American Civil War. He was a soldier in the 27th Maine Regiment known for its controversial, and later revoked, Medals of Honor.-Biography:...
of Old Orchard, served as private soldiers.
Union Navy
James Alden, Jr.James Alden, Jr.
James Alden, Jr. was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.-Early career:Alden was born in Portland, Maine, and was a direct descendant of John Alden, a Mayflower pilgrim...
of Portland
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...
commanded the steam sloop USS Brooklyn
USS Brooklyn (1858)
USS Brooklyn was a sloop-of-war authorized by the U.S. Congress and commissioned in 1859. Brooklyn was active in Caribbean operations until the start of the American Civil War at which time she became an active participant in the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America.With her one...
in the action with Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan and with the Confederate gunboats in the Battle of Mobile Bay
Battle of Mobile Bay
The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Adm...
. Henry K. Thatcher
Henry K. Thatcher
Henry Knox Thatcher was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, who served during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
of Thomaston
Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine is a town on the coast of Maine the United States. The name may also refer to:*Thomaston , Maine, a census-designated place comprising the center of the town*South Thomaston, Maine, an adjacent town...
commanded the West Gulf Blockading Squadron in a combined arms action against Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, which surrendered April 12, 1865.
See also
- Maine Units in the Civil WarMaine Units in the Civil WarList of military units raised by the state of Maine during the American Civil War.-Artillery units:-Cavalry units:*1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment*2nd Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment-Infantry units:-See also:...
:Category:People of Maine in the American Civil War
- History of MaineHistory of MaineThe history of the area comprising the U.S. state of Maine spans thousands of years, measured from the earliest human settlement, or less than two hundred, measured from the advent of U.S. statehood in 1820. The present article will concentrate on the period of European contact and after.The origin...