United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine > 20th Maine Infantry Regiment
The 20th Maine Infantry Regiment lost 9 officers and 138 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 145 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by three monuments at Gettysburg.
1862
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August 29 | The 20th Maine Infantry Regiment was organized at Portland and mustered in under the command of Colonel Adelbert Ames and Lieutenant Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain. |
September 3 | The regiment left Maine for Alexandria, Virginia. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac |
September 16-17 |
Battle of AntietamThe regiment was not engaged in the battle, staying in reserve with much of the Fifth Corps |
September 19 |
Battle of ShepherdstownCorporal Waterhouse became the regiment’s first casualty when he was wounded in the foot. Two other men were wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain lost the first of many horses shot from under him during the Civil War. |
October | Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps |
October – November |
Advance to Falmouth, Va. |
December 6 | Two men froze to death in their tent as four inches of snow fell |
December 12-15 |
Battle of FredericksburgThe regiment lost four men killed and 32 wounded, charging the deadly Confederate defenses on Marye’s Heights late in the day on the 13th and spending the next day and two nights lying in the open in front of enemy positions. , The 20th Maine was one of the last regiments to retreat back across the Rapahnnock, serving as a rear guard for the army. |
December 20-30 | Expedition to Richards and Ellis Fords |
1863
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January 20-24 |
“Mud March” |
April 17 | Surgeon N. P. Monroe reported 84 cases of smallpox in the regiment. Three men died of the disease, which was probably due to a botched innoculation. |
April 19 | The regiment was moved to Quarantine Hill. Colonel Ames was transferred to General Meade’s staff at Corps Headquarters, while Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain took command of the regiment. |
April 27 |
Chancellorsville Campaign |
May 1-5 |
Battle of ChancellorsvilleThe regiment missed the battle due to being under smallpox quarantine. Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain pleaded with Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield to put the men into the fight and was refused. Chamberlain replied, “If we couldn’t do anything else we would give the Rebels the smallpox!” Instead, the regiment was assigned to guard duty on the telegraph line from headquarters to United States Ford, although Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain joined the First Division for the fight and lost another horse shot from underneath him. |
May 6 | The regiment returned to camp in the night in a driving rainstorm as the army retreated back across the Rappahannock. |
May 20 | Colonel Ames was promoted to brigadier general and given command of a brigade in the 11th Corps. Lieutenant Colonel Chamberlain was promoted to colonel and took command of the regiment, whose strength was around 400 men. |
May 23 | About 120 three-year men from the 2nd Maine Infantry Regiment were transferred to the 20th at the end of the 2nd Infantry’s two-year enlistment. |
June 12 |
Gettysburg Campaign |
June 17 | Aldie |
June 21 | Upperville |
June 24 | Middleburg |
July 1-3 |
Battle of GettysburgFrom 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 Longstreet’s Corps and charged in turn, capturing 308 prisoners. The regiment lost 38 killed or mortally wounded and 93 wounded out of 358 engaged. Names of the officers and men of the Twentieth Maine Volunteers who were killed or died of wounds received in this action: Co. C, Capt. Charles W. Billings; Co. I, 1 Lieut. Arad H. Linscott; Co. G, 2nd Lieut. Warren L. Kendall; Co. A, Corp. Joseph D.Simpson, Priv. John Reed Jr., 1st Serg. Issac W. Estes, Priv. Elliott L. Fogg, Priv. Moses Davis, Priv. Oliver L. Stevens, Priv. Charles M. Beadle, Corp. Willard Pinkham, Corp. Andrew D. Maybury, Priv. Stephen A. Prescott, Corp. Paschal M. Tripp, Corp. John Foss, Corp. William S. Hodgdon, Priv. Seth W. Clark, Priv. John Wentworth; Co. F, Priv. Oscar Wyer, Priv. Charles F. Hall, Priv. Benjamin W. Grant, Priv. Frank B. Curtis, Priv. Elfin J. Ross, Co. G, Serg. William S. Jordan, Corp. Melville C. Law, Priv. James A. Knight; Co. H, 1st Serg. Charles W. Steele, Serg.George W. Buck, Serg Isaac M. Lathrop, Priv. Aaaron Adams, Priv. Goodwin S. Ireland, Priv. Iredell Lamson; Co. I, Priv. Alexander E. Lester; Co. K, 1st Serg. George S. Noyes, Priv. James R. Merrill, Priv. William F. Merrill, Priv. Stephen C. Chase, Priv. Williard W. Buxton From the Company B monument, located about 50 yards to the east of the main monument on Little Round Top:Position of Company B, 20th Me. Vols., Capt. Walter G. Morrill, detached as skirmishers, attacking the enemy’s right flank, afternoon of July 2, 1863. From the regiment’s monument near the summit of Big Round Top:The 20th Maine Reg. 3d Brig. 1st. Div. 5th Corps Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain captured and held this position on the evening of July 2d, 1863, pursuing the enemy from its front on the line marked by its monument below. The Regt. lost in the battle 130 killed and wounded out of 358 engaged. This monument marks the extreme left of the Union line during the battle of the 3d day. |
July 5-24 | Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va. |
August 29 | Colonel Chamberlain took command of the brigade. Captain Ellis Spear was promoted to major and took command of the regiment. |
October 9-22 |
Bristoe Campaign |
November 7-8 | Advance to line of the Rappahannock |
November 7 |
Rappahannock Station |
November | Colonel Chamberlain returned to Maine on an extended sick leave for malarial fever. |
November 26- December 2 |
Mine Run Campaign |
1864
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April | Colonel Chamberlain returned from sick leave and court martial duty in Washington to resume command of the Regiment. | |
May |
Campaign from the Rapidan to the James |
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May 5-7 |
Battle of the Wilderness |
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May 8 |
Laurel Hill |
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May 8-21 |
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House |
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May 23-26 |
North Anna River |
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May 23 | Jericho Mills | |
May 26-28 | Line of the Pamunkey | |
May 28-31 |
Totopotomoy |
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June 1-3 |
Battle of Cold Harbor |
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June 1-3 | Bethesda Church | |
June | Colonel Chamberlain again took over brigade command and Major Ellis Spear took command of the regiment. | |
June 16-19 |
First Assault on Petersburg |
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June 18 |
Siege of Petersburg begins |
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June 18 |
Rive’s SalientColonel Chamberlain was badly wounded in the right hip and groin. It was considered a mortal wound and was reported as such in the newspapers, and General Grant promoted him to brigadier general based on the recommendation of Major General Gouverneur K. Warren. But Chamberlain recovered and returned to the army by the end of the year, serving until the end of the war. It is believed the wound was eventually responsible for Chamberlain’s death, 50 years later in 1914. |
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June 21-23 |
Weldon Railroad |
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July 30 |
Mine Explosion, Petersburg (Reserve) |
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August 18-21 | Six Mile House, Weldon Railroad | |
September 29 – October 2 |
Poplar Springs Church, Peeble’s Farm |
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September | Major Spear brevetted lieutenant colonel of volunteers for “gallant and distinguished serves” at Peeble’s Farm | |
October 27-28 |
Boydton Plank Road (First Hatcher’s Run) |
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December 7-11 | Warren’s Hicksford Raid |
1865
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February 5-7 |
Hatcher’s Run (Dabney’s Mills) |
March 28 |
Appomattox Campaign |
March 29 |
White Oak RoadBrevet Lieutenant Colonel Spear was brevetted colonel for “faithful and meritorious service” |
March 30 | Quaker Road |
March 30-31 | Boydton Road |
April 1 |
Battle of Five Forks |
April 5 | Amelia C. H. |
April 6 |
High Bridge |
April 9 |
Appomattox Court HouseSurrender of Lee and his army |
May 2-12 | March to Washington, D.C. |
May 23 | Grand Review |
May 29 | Brevet Colonel Spear was promoted to full colonel |
June 4 | Old members were mustered out |
July 16 | The 20th Maine Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Colonel Ellis Spear |