12th Maine Regiment Infantry

HISTORICAL NOTES: 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.

George F. Shepley a Democrat and a noted Portland lawyer and U.S. Attorney for Maine, headed the new regiment.

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."

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.

The Maine 12th Infantry Regiment left the state for Lowell, Mass., November 24, thence moved to Boston December 30 and embarked on Steamer "Constitution" for Ship Island, Miss., January 2, 1862, arriving there February 12.

The Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 49 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 237 Enlisted men by disease. Total 291. OFFICERS:

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

ASSIGNMENTS: Attached to Butler's Expeditionary Corps January to March, 1862. 3rd Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to November, 1862. Grover's Division, Baton Rouge, La., Dept. Gulf, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. Gulf, to February, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Corps, Dept. Gulf, to July, 1864, and Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to January, 1865. District of Savannah, Ga., Dept. of the South, to March, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Army Ohio, to April, 1865. District of Savannah, Dept. South, to April, 1866. SERVICE: Duty at Ship Island, Miss., to May 4, 1862. Moved to New Orleans, La., and duty at U. S. Mint till October, 1862. Expedition to Pass Manchac June 16-20. Pass Manchac June 17. Expedition to Ponchatoula (Cos. "C," "D," "F") September 13-18. Ponchatoula September 15. Moved to Camp Parapet October 21, and duty there till November 19. Moved to Baton Rouge, La., and duty there till March, 1863. Operations against Port Hudson March 7-27. Moved to Donaldsonville. Operations in Western Louisiana April 9-May 14. Teche Campaign April 11-20. Porter's and McWilliams' Plantation at Indian Head April 13. Irish Bend April 14. Destruction of salt works at New Iberia April 18. Advance to the Red River April 20-May 20. Advance on Port Hudson May 21-24. Siege of Port Hudson May 24-July 8. Assaults on Port Hudson May 27 and June 14. Thibodeaux June 20 (Detachment). Surrender of Port Hudson July 9. Donaldsville July 13. Moved to New Orleans August 12, thence to Ship Island, Miss,, and duty there till October. At Camp Parapet till January 3, 1864. Expedition to Madisonville (Cos. "B," "F," "I," "K") January 3-7. Capture of Madisonville January 7, and duty there till March 11. Ordered to New Orleans March 11. Veterans on furlough April to June 16. Non-Veterans at Camp Parapet till June 16. Veterans moved from Portland to New Orleans May 27, thence Regiment moved to Morganza, La., and duty there till July 3. Moved to Algiers, thence to Fort Monroe, Va., July 13-20, thence to Bermuda Hundred, Va., July 21. Duty in trenches at Bermuda Hundred till July 25. Demonstration on north side of James River July 27-29. Deep Bottom July 27-28. Moved to Washington, D. C., July 31, thence to Tennallytown, Md., August 2. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Berryville September 3-4. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty at Cedar Creek till November 9 and at Opequan till November 19. Non-Veterans left front November 19, and mustered out December 7, 1864. Veterans consolidated to a Battalion of four Companies. Ordered to Savannah, Ga., January 3, 1865, and duty there till April, 1866. Six new Companies organized February and March, 1865, and assigned as "E," "F," "G," "H," "I," "K." Mustered out in February and March, 1866. Regiment mustered out April 18, 1866. ROSTERS:

The composite rosters of this unit contain the names of 2960 men.

Capt. Gideon A. Hastings of Bethel (Co. A)[7]

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)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998. Ref. See p. 1222 (1 photocopied page) for a concise summary of the regiment's service.

Edwards, Abial H. "Dear Friend Anna": The Civil War Letters of a Common Soldier From Maine. Orono, ME: U ME, 1992. 161 p. E601E38.

Maine. AGO. Annual Report...for the Years 1864 and 1865. Augusta, ME: Stevens & Sayward, 1866. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2010. UA43M2.1864-1865.AppD. See pp. 379-86 (5 photocopied pages) for a roster of the regiment. Although regimental rosters appear in earlier Annual Reports, that found in this edition is the most complete for the unit's wartime service.

Whitman, William W.S. Maine in the War for the Union: A History of the Part Borne by Maine Troops.... Lexington, ME: Nelson Dingley, 1865. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2010. E511W61. See pp. 225-60 (19 photocopied pages) for a brief history of the regiment.
REFERENCES:
Dyer, Frederick H. - A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1