12th Maine Infantry Regiment

12th Maine Infantry Regiment November 16, 1862, to April 18, 1866 United States Union Infantry Siege of Port Hudson Battle of Opequon Battle of Cedar Creek Valley Campaigns of 1864 Maine U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiments 1861-1865 11th Maine Infantry Regiment 13th Maine Infantry Regiment thumb|George F. Shepley thumb|First Lieutenant Jacob A. Field of Company K thumb|Samuel W. Doble of Company D The 12th Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.Dyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 Formation The 12th Maine Regiment, formed in November 1861, was one of the 10 regiments Major General Benjamin F. Butler of Massachusetts received permission to form.Dyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 George F. Shepley a Democrat and a noted Portland lawyer and U.S. Attorney for Maine, headed the new regiment.Maine State Archives – Civil War Pages, 12th Maine On October 1, 1861, Shepley wrote to Maine Governor Israel Washburn Jr. to report that he expected the new 12th Maine Regiment to be filled soon "with the very best men in the State."Maine State Archives – Civil War Pages, 12th Maine Shepley also reported, "I have abandoned every other thought and pursuit, and have embarked in this movement all my hopes energies and efforts and, if need be my fortune and my life."Maine Memory NetworkDyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 Accounts of engagements The 12th Maine in Louisiana According to The New York Times, "The town of Madisonville, La., on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain, has been captured without resistance and is now garrisoned by our forces. The expedition consisted of a portion of the Maine Twelfth, the Connecticut Ninth, two battalions from the convalescent camp of the Thirteenth Corps, the Massachusetts Fifteenth battery, battery of the United States artillery and a company of the Louisiana Second cavalry, the whole under the command of Col. Kimrall, of the Maine Twelfth. The 8th of January was observed by a salute at meridian by order of Gen. Banks. The great Union mass meeting was held here the same night at the St. Charles Theatre, which was crowded from pit to dome, including a large number of planters from up and down the river. Speeches were made by Messrs. Flandres, L. Madison Day, and Thos. J. Durant."The New York Times, Capture of the Town of Madisonville, 21 January 1864Maine State Archives – Civil War Pages, 12th Maine NPS 12th Regiment, Maine Infantry Maine Memory Network Significant events 1861Dyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 November 16 — Organized at Portland and mustered in November 24 — Unit left Maine for Camp Stevens, Massachusetts December 22 — Unit in the midst of training at Camp Chase, Massachusetts December 30 — To BostonThe Civil War in the East 2024 1862Dyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 January 2 — Embarked on Steamer Constitution for Ship Island, Mississippi February 12 — Arrived Ship Island. Attached to Butler's Expeditionary Corps. March — Attached to 3rd Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf May 4 — Moved to New Orleans and duty at U.S. Mint June 16–20 — Expedition to Pass Manchac June 17 — Pass Manchac September 13–18 — Expedition to Ponchatoula (Companies C, D, & F) September 15 — Pouchatoula October 21 — Moved to Camp Parapet November 19 — Moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Attached to Grover's Division, Baton Rouge, Dept. Gulf 1863Dyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 January — Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. Gulf February — Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Corps, Dept. Gulf March 7–27 — Operations against Port Hudson April 9–May 14 — Moved to Donaldsonville. Operations in Western Louisiana April 11–20 — Teche Campaign April 13 — Porter's and McWilliams' Plantation at Indian Head April 14 — Irish Bend April 18 — Destruction of salt works at New Iberia April 20–May 20 — Advance to the Red River May 21–24 — Advance on Port Hudson May 24–July 8 — Siege of Port Hudson May 27 — Assault on Port Hudson June 14 — Second Assault on Port Hudson June 20 — Thibodeaux (Detachment) July 9 — Surrender of Port Hudson July 13 — Donaldsonville August 12 — Moved to New Orleans, then to Ship Island, Mississippi October — At Camp Parapet 1864Dyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 thumb|328x328px| The 12th Maine in a skirmish during Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, sketched by Alfred Waud, 1864 January 3–7 — Expedition to Madisonville (Companies B, F, K) January 7 — Capture of Madisonville March 11 — Ordered to New Orleans April–June 16 — Veterans on furlough, Non-Veterans at Camp Parapet May 27 — Veterans returned from Portland to New Orleans June 16 — Regiment moved to Morganza, Louisiana July 3 — Moved to Algiers July 13–20 — To Fort Monroe, Virginia July 21 — To Bermuda Hundred, Virginia July 21–25 — Duty in trenches July 27–29 — Demonstration on north side of James River July 27–28 — First Battle of Deep Bottom July 31 — Moved to Washington, D.C. August 2 — To Taneytown, Maryland August 7–November 28 — Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Attached to Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division September 3–4 — Berryville, Virginia September 19 — Battle of Opequon, Winchester, Virginia September 22 — Fishers Hill October 19 — Battle of Cedar Creek October 20 — Duty at Cedar Creek November 9 — At Opequon November 19 — Non-Veterans left front. Veterans consolidated to a Battalion of four Companies. December 7 — Non-Veterans mustered out 1865Dyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 January — Ordered to Savannah, Georgia and attached to District of Savannah, Georgia, Dept. of the South February–March — Six new Companies organized for one year service and assigned as E, F, G, H, I, K. March — Attached to 1st Brigade. 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Army Ohio 1866 February–March — Companies E, F, G, H, I, & K mustered out The regiment was discharged from service on April 18, 1866. Total strength and casualties The regiment lost 3 officers and 49 enlisted men killed in action or died of wounds. 2 officers and 237 died of disease for a total of 291 fatalities from all causes.Maine State Archives – Civil War Pages, 12th MaineDyer 1908 1223 Federal Publishing Company 1908 48-49 Officers Field and staff officersWhitman True 1865 288 Col. George Foster Shepley of Portland Lt. Col. William K. Kimball of Paris Lt. Col. and Adjutant Edward Ilsley of Lewiston Maj. David R. Hastings of Lovell Quartermaster Horatio Jose of Portland Surgeon James H. Thompson of Orono Chaplain Joseph Colby of Gorham Sergeant Major John W. Dana of Portland Company officersWhitman True 1865 288 Capt. Gideon A. Hastings of Bethel (Co. A)Howe 2009 36 1st Lt. Elbridge Bolton of Portland (Co. A) 2nd Lt. Charles D. Webb of Portland (Co. A) Capt. George A. Chadwell (Co. B) Capt. Charles Cutts Gookin Thornton of Scarborough (Co. C) 1st Lt. Horatio Hight (Co. C) Capt. Elisha Winter of Dixfield (Co. D) Capt. Enoch Knight of Bridgton (Co. E) Capt. Seth C. Farrington of Fryeburgh (Co. F) Capt. Moses M. Robinson of Portland (Co. G) Capt. John F. Appleton of Bangor (Co. H) Capt. Menzies R. Fessenden of Portland (Co. I) Capt. George Washburn of Calais (Co. K) Mascots "The oddest pets we have yet seen were two bears, which the 12th Maine regiment of the 19th Corps, led through the city recently. These bears were brought all the way from Louisiana, and have been in several fights. They have become perfectly tame and tractable, and march along at the head of the band, with an air that indicates they feel themselves veteran soldiers of the bruin order, and that they have a character to sustain."Shenandoah1864 Mascots in the XIX Corps, Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah 2010 See also American Civil War List of Maine Civil War units Maine in the American Civil War References Citations 60em Sources 60em Dyer Frederick Henry Frederick H. Dyer A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion Dyer Pub. Co. Des Moines, IA 1908 B01BUFJ76Q https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OBkNAQAAMAAJ/page/1225/mode/1up?view=theater PDF August 8, 2015 1223 Federal Publishing Company Military Affairs and Regimental Histories of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, And Delaware Federal Publishing Company The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65 – Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. I 1908 Madison, WI https://archive.org/details/unionarmyhistory01madi/page/53/mode/1up 694018100 PDF 48–49 Howe Stanley Russell 2009 Bethel, Maine: A Brief History https://books.google.com/books?id=f8x2CQAAQBAJ&dq=Gideon%20A.%20Hastings%20(1821-1905)&pg=PT36 History Press Charleston, SC 36 978-1-62584-316-6 742450302 en October 3, 2024 subscription Whitman William E. S. True Charles Henry Maine in the war for the union : a history of the part borne by Maine troops in the suppression of the American rebellion. 288–299 N. Dingley jr. & Co. Lewiston, ME 1865 01742514 http://www.state.me.us/sos/arc/archives/military/civilwar/12meinf.htm dead 17th Maine Infantry Maine State Archives December 3, 1998 https://web.archive.org/web/19981206122652/http://www.state.me.us/sos/arc/archives/military/civilwar/12meinf.htm December 6, 1998 2006-12-30 Maine State Archives – Civil War Pages, 12th Maine Maine Memory Network, a collaborative digital museum of the Maine Historical Society Maine Memory Network https://www.mainememory.net/ Maine Memory Network October 3, 2024 https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UME0012RI Battle Unit Details, 12th Regiment, Maine Infantry nps.gov January 19, 2007 U.S. National Park Service December 4, 2023 NPS 12th Regiment, Maine Infantry DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF.; Capture of the Town of Madisonville--The Eighth of January--Cotton and Sugar. The New York Times January 28, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/1864/01/21/archives/department-of-the-gulf-capture-of-the-town-of-madisonvillethe.html The New York Times, Capture of the Town of Madisonville, 21 January 1864 October 3, 2024 12th Maine Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War The Civil War in the East March 18, 2024 http://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/maine/12th-maine/ The Civil War in the East 2024 October 3, 2024 https://shenandoah1864.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/41/ "Mascots in the XIX Corps, Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah," Janesville Gazette, August 31, 1864 2010-03-20 Shenandoah1864 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20180615083143/https://shenandoah1864.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/41/ 2018-06-15 Shenandoah1864 Mascots in the XIX Corps, Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah 2010 External links Steve A. Hawks. The Civil War in the East: 12th Maine Category:Units and formations of the Union army from Maine Category:1862 establishments in Maine Category:Military units and formations established in 1862 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1866 Category:1866 disestablishments in Maine