20th maine regiment roster

Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. The Battle of Gettysburg began July 1, 1863, and at the end of the first day the Union Army had dug in on Cemetery Ridge and had command of the battlefield while the Confederate Army had taken position on Seminary Ridge. During the charge, a second enemy line of the 15th and 47th Alabama tried to make a stand near a stone wall. Colonel Chamberlain returned to Maine on an extended sick leave for malarial fever.. Melcher was an inspiration to the tiring regiment as he sprang a full 10 paces to the front with his sword glittering in the sunlight. Confederate reports showed that the Union company had been magnified into two regiments. There is some disagreement about exactly what Chamberlain said to order the bayonet charge. Gen. James J. Pettigrew approached the town leading a 2,584-man brigade that was part of Maj. Gen. Henry Heths division, he became aware of the Union cavalry force positioned there. return to 20th Maine Homepage. Seth W. Clark, Priv. Musters, Erroneously reported muscian in '63; Disch. "Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine" by Tom Desjardin. Colonel Chamberlain took command of the brigade. The 20th Regiment, Maine Infantry was organized at Portland, and mustered in August 29, 1862. A Roster (15 Volumes); Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. The 16th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 9 officers and 172 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 257 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. Chamberlain claimed there was no hesitation and said that the line quivered for the start. The 2nd Maine men were in a state of mutiny and refused to fight, angry because the bulk of the regiment men with only two-year enlistments had been discharged and sent home, and the regiment had been disbanded. The regiment wasnot engaged in the battle, staying in reserve with much of the Fifth Corps. Corporal Elisha Coan, a member of the 20th Maines color guard, claimed that 1st Lt. Holman S. Melcher, the acting commander of Company F, actually conceived the idea to advance the colors and that Colonel Chamberlain initially hesitated, fearing that it would be extremely hazardous. When Chamberlain went to the Governor of Maine to acquire a commission in the Army, the Governor offered him the rank of Colonel. Acton Memorial Library Civil War Archives | Twentieth Regiment The men took to Chamberlain, admiring him for his willingness to get into the midst of things alongside of them. Davis, Moses, mortally wounded; died Aug. 6, 1863. Civil War Regiments, Rosters and Muster Rolls | Access Genealogy First Lieutenant Arad H. Linscott, wounded; died July 27, 1863. Second Lieutenant Warren L. Kendall, killed. Henry W. Getchell, Winslow, James H. Harrington, Bumham. Benjamin W. Grant, Priv. Military Units Participating in 1865 Mobile Campaign. Out of a total enlistment of 1,621 men, nine officers and 138 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded and one officer and 145 enlisted men died of disease, for a total of 293 lost. Included along with the flag were historic prints, art work, documents, and the famous Colt revolver taken by Chamberlain from a Confederate officer after it providentially mis-fired, sparing him at Little Round Top. Roster. First Sergeant, Charles R. Shorey, Waterville. Spear, who would later become a brevet brigadier general, believed that all the officers at Little Round Top shared in the battle fully and honorably, but that the bayonet charge was a success largely due to the spirit of the enlisted men. Second Lieutenant, Mattson C. Sanborn, South Berwick. Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Spear was brevetted colonel for faithful and meritorious service, 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps, Organized at Portland and mustered in under Colonel Adelbert Ames and Lieutenant Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, Left State for Alexandria, Va. Edward Alonzo True Correspondence 1860-1864. The Union defensive line on aptly named Cemetery Ridge resembled an inverted fishhook, extending from Culps Hill on the north, down Cemetery Ridge and southward toward Big and Little Round Tops. His contingent created the impression of two regiments rushing through the woods, though it consisted only of 44 Company B soldiers and 14 U.S. Sharpshooters. If the Southern troops could take and hold the hill, they could theoretically roll up the entire Union line. 20th Regiment, Maine Infantry FamilySearch The unit was unable to participate in the Battle of Chancellorsville in April-May 1863, due to a quarantine prompted by a tainted smallpox vaccine that had been issued to the unit's soldiers. wounded The Regt. hospital east of Fiscel house. Chaplain, Luther P. French, East Corinth; at hospital. Had the 20th Maine retreated from the hill, the entire Union line would have been flanked, endangering and hurting other Union regiments in the vicinity. Chamberlain whose right foot had been pieced by a shell fragment or a stone chip then limped along the regimental line giving instructions to align the left side of the regiment with the right. The Mobile Campaign, Battle of Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort. Maine. The 20th Maine was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War, renowned for its action on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War. Although the 650-foot-high Little Round Top was overshadowed by its larger neighbor, its position was more important because much of the hill was cleared of trees and it could better accommodate troops. Maine Infantry Regiment, 20th (1862-1865). Sanford A. Carpenter, Portland, Oliver French, Solon. Without Tozier, there would not have been an opportunity for Chamberlain to attack. Mustered out June 5, 1865. Price) 23rd TN Infantry Co C. 24th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, Co. G., Duck River Rifles (hosted at Duck River Rifles) 37th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Fort Blakeley, AL -The Last Battle of the Civil War. ; John Stockman, Oldtown, wagon master; In late 1865 Joshua Chamberlain wrote of the 20th Maine, "It was made of the surplus recruits drifted together, the last of a call for 300,000 more. Commanding officer Col. Ames was trained as a military officer. U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center th Civil War Unit: 20 Maine Infantry Regiment 950 Soldiers Drive Carlisle Barracks, PA 17013-5021 17 Oct 2012 1 20th Maine Infantry Regiment Chamberlain, Joshua L. Address.at the Dedication of the Maine Monuments, Battlefield of Gettysburg, October 3, 1889. [1] The Civil War Archive section, 21st Regiment Infantry, (accessed 30 May 2012) The Wikipedia article, 21st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, (accessed 6 July 2012) Abner R. Small summed up the war well when he wrote in a letter to a friend, "War and heroes sound well in history but the reality is known to but the few that survive the strife.". But Spear gets curiously little credit for marshaling and organizing the tactics of the left flank of the 20th. The regiment lost 2 officers and 13 men killed, 6 officers and 38 men wounded . Being primarily farmers and lumbermen before they enlisted, most of the men had no military background, but many were used to hard work and surviving in an often unforgiving environment, were familiar with firearms and had the benefit of having volunteered for service. Iredell Lamson; Co. Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 172 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 257 Enlisted men by disease. Chamberlain, for his part, wrote incorrectly to his wife that his regiment had been attacked by a whole brigade. Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin, Beginning United States Civil War Research, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=20th_Regiment,_Maine_Infantry&oldid=5037428. From the main monument on Little Round Top: Here the 20th Maine Regiment Col. J. L. Chamberlain commanding, forming the extreme left of the national line of battle on the 2nd day of July 1863, repulsed the attack of the extreme right of Longstreets Corps and charged in turn, capturing 308 prisoners. The next day, July 1, Heth headed toward Gettysburg with four brigades of infantry to drive off the reported Union troopers and secure the town. George H. Moulton, Lagrange, William H. Owen, Milo, Charles E. Bowker, Orrington battery L, ist Ohio. Company G at Gettysburg . To mark the return to Maine of the 20th Maine's restored Gettysburg battle flag the Maine State Museum opened an exhibit September 5th, 1998. He sympathized with the mutineers and wrote to Maine Governor Abner Coburn, asking that he write to the men personally about the mix-up in three-year versus two-year contracts they had signed. 1868. Theodore Gerrish (4 mb) Reunions of the 20th Maine Maine Regiment (.5 mb) 21st Maine - Historic Record and Complete Biographical Roster, 21st Maine Vols. The 20th Maine Infantry Regiment was a volunteer regiment of the United States Army during the American Civil War (1861-1865), most famous for its defense of Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1-3, 1863.The 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard and the United States Army today carries on the lineage and traditions of the 20th . battery C, ist N. Y.; Joseph Linscott, Newcastle, regimental armorer; James Stevens. ; Henry Reaviel, Bangor, and William N. Witham, The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Phase Three of Gaines Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign, An Unparalleled Preservation Opportunity at Gettysburg Battlefield. hosp. Warren L. Kendall; Co. A, Corp. Joseph D.Simpson, Priv. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, to assess the situation. 20th Maine Infantry Regiment - Wikipedia Gen. John Buford, who had dismounted and deployed his cavalry on McPhersons Ridge, west of Gettysburg. Chamberlain claimed later that one word Bayonet! 5th U. S. Sergeants: Reuel Thomas, Thomaston, special orderly for Colo- Gen. Charles Griffins 1st Division of the V Corps, received word from a harried courier about the threat to Little Round Top and led his men to the hill at the double-quick. It was this group that Oates believed caused panic in his men. His Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. This monument marks the extreme left of the Union line during the battle of the 3d day. Stephen C. Chase, Priv. 1st Regiment Cavalry: 2nd Regiment Cavalry: 1st Regiment Heavy Artillery: 1st Battery Light Artillery "A" 2nd Battery Light Artillery "B" . 2. The Wikipedia article, 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, (accessed 6 July 2012). William M. Oilman, No. William F. Merrill, Priv. ton, Hanover, and Erskine C. Smith, Hanover, in quarterm'r dept. Included along with the flag were . USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration The 20th Regiment, Maine Infantry was organized at Portland, and mustered in August 29, 1862. Research OnLine - 20th Maine Regiment Infantry Ref. Chamberlain replied, If we couldnt do anything else we would give the Rebels the smallpox! Instead, the regiment wasassigned to guard duty on the telegraph line from headquarters to United States Ford, although Lt. The winter was spent near Stevensburg. Altogether, 1,621 men served in the regiment, of whom 293 died (146 . The regiment wasmoved to Quarantine Hill, while Colonel Ames wastransferred to General Meades staff at Corps Headquarters. 94, Discharged Today, we're pleased to welcome guest author Anthony Trusso. Meanwhile, Colonel Vincent tried to rally his 3rd Brigade as the 16th Michigan staggered under the heavy assault by the 4th and 5th Texas. It brought 439 men to the field and suffered no casualties, being held in reserve with Howe's brigade in the . and Albert L. Spencer, Bangor, battery C, ist Mass. Winslow Nathaniel O, Wyman Charles B, Young Leroy. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. 16 p. E475.56.C52. It had been Chamberlains idea to elevate Tozier to the post of color sergeant for the 20th Maine, a move designed to instill a new esprit de corps in the mutineers. Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. The heritage of the 20th Maine is carried on today by the 133rd Engineer Battalion, Maine Army National Guard. This page has been viewed 5,022 times (0 via redirect). The regiments sudden, desperate bayonet charge blunted the Confederate assault on Little Round Top and has been credited with saving Major General George Gordon Meades Army of the Potomac, winning the Battle of Gettysburg and setting the South on a long, irreversible path to defeat. was enough and that it was vain to order Forward because no one could hear it over the noise. from the Muster-out Rolls and subsequent Returns from Commissary of Toziers personal gallantry in defending the 20th Maines colors became the regimental rallying point for Companies D, E and F to retake the center. with Tozier beside him and Chamberlain not far behind. Also helping to defend Little Round Top were Major Homer R. Stoughtons 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, armed with .52-caliber breechloading rifles. To Heths surprise, waiting for him was Union Brig. [citation needed], The 20th Maine and its color-bearer Andrew Tozier are the subjects of "Ballad of the 20th Maine", a song by the Maine band The Ghost of Paul Revere; it is the official state ballad of Maine. The mutineers claimed they had only enlisted to fight under the 2nd Maine flag, and if their flag went home, so should they. Second Lieutenant James H. Stanwood, wounded, leg. Two other men were wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain lost the first of many horses shot from under him during the Civil War. return First Sergeant, Charles W. Steele, Oakfield Plantation. Duty at Ball's Cross Roads until June 5. For many years, historians and writers have given the lions share of the credit for the 20ths dramatic action on Little Round Top to Chamberlain. Captain Ellis Spear was promoted to major and took command of the Regiment. 3d Brig. Randall B. Morton, Windham, Jonathan G. Johnson, Garland. John Wentworth; Co. F, Priv. At the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, as a part of Webb's Brigade, Gibbon's Division, Hancock's (2d) Corps, the 20th was heavily engaged on the Plank road losing Maj. Abbott and 35 officers and men killed or mortally wounded. The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 3,600 men on its roster for this unit. Others who merited more credit than they received were Gouverneur Warren, who conducted one of the best reconnoitering jobs of the war, and Strong Vincent, who unhesitatingly put his brigade on Little Round Top and rallied that brigade under intense fire until he fell mortally wounded. But did Chamberlain really deserve the credit he received? Ellis Spear later suggested somewhat bitterly that the abundance of articles written by Chamberlain himself indirectly led to Chamberlain receiving sole credit for the victory. The Battle of Antietam, known as the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, was the 20th's first taste of the war. But after weighing all the evidence, it seems fair to say that without the contributions of the 2nd Maine Infantry, Andrew J. Tozier, Company B and Holman Melcher, Chamberlain clearly and convincingly would have been defeated. Sergeant James R. Martin, wounded, face, severely. Morrill led his unit at the decisive point of the bayonet charge without orders. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! By ord. Later, when Sickles infantry did arrive, the controversial general moved his men, without orders, westward toward the Emmitsburg Road. Although spread thinly, the Union troopers held their ground with repeating carbines. Recruits transferred to 20th Maine Infantry. [1]. The last thing Vincent told Chamberlain was: This is the left of the Union line. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first. Captain, Atherton W. Clark, Waldoboro, acting Field Officer. The regiment is victorious in a fictional battle that portrays a young Union soldier who has left his love in Maine to serve in the regiment. 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment: Battles, Casualties He was convinced that only the tenacity of the 358 Maine men had enabled Chamberlain to defeat Oates two Alabama regiments. George H. Wood, Hartford, Andrew J. Roberts, Sunmer. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Aaaron Adams, Priv. Charles W. Billings; Co. First Lieutenant, Weston H. Keene, Bremen. Throughout the morning, Confederate pressure continued to build against the Union line. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. At . and Frank C. Williams, Bangor, battery D, 5th U. S.; Frank A. Johnson, The regiment later participated in every major battle with the Army of the Potomac, but Gettysburg had been its moment in the sun. Meanwhile, Meade also sensed something significant about the two adjacent hills to his left. Help Purchase & Restore Sought-after Property at Gettysburg. 0 Reviews. Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. If your ancestor was a Union soldier, he may have been part of the U.S. Regulars, a unit of the United States Army though most Civil War soldiers served in a volunteer regiment raised by his home state, for example the 11th Virginia Volunteer Infantry or the 4th Maine Volunteer Infantry. James A. Knight; Co. H, 1st Serg. They came from coastal Maine, from central and western Maine. Lees main objective was to move across the Potomac River and try to separate the Union forces from Washington. Medal of Honor Monday: Army Maj. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain Hand-written roster and service record of the 41st Regiment, Co. E, New York State Volunteers. Sawyer, A.C.M. The 20th maine volunteers regiment at Gettysburg. On Special Duty or Detached Service: Charles W. Jackins, Bangor, It was not until Gettysburg that the armies met in a full-scale fight. Lore, Charles, Waterville, Marden, Ezra B., Bangor. For more information on Maine Civil War regiments visit the Maine State Archives. return By law, however, the men still owed the Army another year of service. Goodwin S. Ireland, Priv. Prior to their notable actions at Gettysburg in July 1863, the regiment was held in reserve at Antietam in September 1862. Later in life, Chamberlain wrote that his regiment was the first in line, but it actually took up its position last, curving its line back around to the east and forming the Union Armys extreme left flank. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. United States. The war had a profound affect on many soldiers and transition back into civilian life was not always easy. Nor was there time. PDF U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center th Civil War Unit: 20 Maine He issued the more detailed Proclamation in January 1863. Captain Howard L. Prince, former 20th Maine quartermaster-sergeant, considered Captain Morrill the coolest man in the regiment a man who had no superior on the skirmish line. return to Research and Current Projects . I swear the men will shoot him the first battle we are in.". On June 28, as the bulk of the Federal troops enjoyed a brief respite near Frederick, Md., Meade replaced Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Click the "thumbnails" below for the full size pictures. mortally, shot in left lung, died July 24, buried 6th Corps and deceased in 1863-Final record given in last report. The Union Army won a strategic victory as Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia withdrew after suffering considerable losses. JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. Spear literally controlled half the regiment during the climactic counterattack. On June 3, 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee began the Army of Northern Virginias second invasion of the North. But Chamberlain recovered and returned to the army by the end of the year, serving until the end of the war. By June 30 Lees forces, including those of corps commanders Lt. Gens. [First Lieutenant Ruhis B. Plummer of co. C, commanding.]. ; Joseph Tyler, The 1st Maine Heavy Artillery suffered the largest losses of any regiment in a single . Melcher broke this momentary disruption by running down the slope screaming: Come on! Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Duty at Bell's Cross Roads till June 5. . Finding Your Civil War Ancestor - National Park Service Personal Correspondence and Diaries. Fortunately for the men of the 2nd Maine, Chamberlain was born and grew up in Brewer, the twin city to Bangor across the Penobscot River where the 2nd Maine regiment was recruited. Gettysburg, and Descriptive rolls of the 2nd and 20th ME and personal Army. They mustered out August 25, 1863, with expiration of term. PDF The Third Regiment Maine Volunteer Infantry ; Henry H. Butler, Acting First Sergeant, William Griffin, Stockton. It served between autumn 1862 and spring 1865, fighting at Shepherdstown Ford, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Overland Campaign, Peebles Farm, Hatcher's Run, and Five Forks. The 20th Maine was organized in the state of Maine and mustered into federal service on August 29, 1862, with Col. Adelbert Ames as its commander. The regiment was also among those forced to remain overnight within sight of the Confederate lines at Fredericksburg in December 1862, forcing the regiment's Lt. Col. Joshua Chamberlain to shield himself with a dead man. The regiment missed the battle due to being under quarantine. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Coan said other officers joined Melcher in urging a forward movement. wounded The Twentieth Maine was assembled as if by destiny. Portland, ME: Lakeside, 1889. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, IV Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May . Commissary-Sergeant, Elmas M. Kalloch, Warren. When Confederate Brig. 20th ME Official Final Roster - LMi.net Colonel Chamberlain was badly wounded in the right hip and groin. The general did not want to fight at Gettysburg, but alert Union horsemen had reached the area a fact that would put a wrinkle in Lees plans. Tennessee Civil War Regiments, Rosters and Muster Rolls As he arrived on Little Round Top, Colonel Vincent chose a line of defense that started on the west slope of the hill. Charles M. Beadle, Corp. Willard Pinkham, Corp.Andrew D. Maybury, Priv. Corporal Waterhouse became the regiments first casualty when he was wounded in the foot. Another crisis soon faced the Maine soldiers when the left side of the regiment drew even with the right, short of its planned position. The 20th Maine regiment was mustered out of service on June 16, 1865. Acting Field Officer, Captain Atherton W. Clark, Waldoboro, company E. Acting Field Officer, Captain Ellis Spear, Wiscasset, company G. Acting Adjutant, First Lieutenant Thomas D. Chamberlain, Bangor, co. G. Quartermaster, Alden Litchfield, Rockland. It was assigned to the Army of the Potomac in the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps, where it would remain until mustered out on July 16, 1865. Chamberlain later said he communicated his decision to counterattack to Captain Ellis Spear, the acting battalion commander of the units left flank. Lacking adequate intelligence from his scouting forces, Lee directed his army to gather at Gettysburg. 1863. Walton, Waldoboro. Total 440. Company B, with its 44 men, was subsequently cut off by a flanking attack by the enemy, leaving the 20th with only 314 armed men on the main regimental line. Theodore Gerrish, then a private in Company H, stated that Melcher led the men down the slope when the enemy was only 30 yards away. Spear, however, claimed he received no such orders. When their ammunition had almost run out, Chamberlain decided to fix bayonets and charge down into the two Alabama regiments. If not for their heroism might we not be heirs to a different history, a very different America? Maine in the Civil War: The 7th Maine Infantry, part 1 William S. Jordan, Corp. Melville C. Law, Priv. The Third Maine regiment of infantry was organized for active service May 28, 1861 and mustered into Union service at Augusta on June 4, 1861 with West Point graduate Oliver Howard of Leeds as its Colonel. 20th Maine. . Charles H. Reed, Freedom, David J. Lewis, Waterville.

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