3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine

The 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 10 officers and 124 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 148 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument and two markers at Gettysburg.

1861
June 4 Organized at Augusta and mustered in under Colonel Oliver O. Howard
June 5 Left State for Washington, D.C.
June Camp on Meridian Hill, Defenses of Washington, D.C. Attached to Howard’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeastern Virginia
July 16-21 Advance on Manassas, Va.
July 21
Battle of Bull Run
August Duty in the Defenses of Washington assigned to Howard’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac
September 7 Colonel Howard was promoted to brigadier general.
September 12 Major Henry G. Staples was promoted to colonel.
October Attached to Sedgwick’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army of the Potomac
1862
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April to August Virginia Peninsula Campaign
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown
May 5 Battle of Williamsburg
May 31-June 1
Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks

Captain Moses B. Lakeman of Company was wounded
June 18 Near Richmond
June 25-July 1 Seven days before Richmond
June 25 Oak Grove
June 27 Jordan’s Ford
June 29 Peach Orchard and Savage Station
June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1 Malvern Hill
July At Harrison’s Landing
July 7 Captain Moses B. Lakeman of Company I was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
August Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps
August 16-27 Retreat from the Peninsula and movement to Centreville
August 27-
September 2		 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 29 Battle of Groveton
August 30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1 Chantilly
September-
October		 Guard fords from Monocacy River to Conrad’s Ferry
October 11-
November 23		 March to Leesburg, thence to Falmouth, Va. Colonel Staples commanded the brigade as senior colonel while Lieutenant Colonel Lakeman commanded the regiment.
November 14 Colonel Staples resigned due to family affairs and Lieutenant Colonel Lakeman was promoted to colonel.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February-April At Falmouth
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5
Battle of Chancellorsville
June 13-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Moses B. Lakeman. Colonel Lakeman took over the brigade on July 3rd, and Captain William C. Morgan took command of the regiment. It lost 1 officer and 17 men killed, 2 officers and 57 men wounded, and 45 men missing out of a strength of 14 officers and 196 men. The entire color guard was killed or captured. At the end of the day on July 2nd only 97 men answered roll call.

From the monument in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg:

Detached from the Brigade. Fought here in the afternoon of July 2nd, 1863. Having been engaged in the forenoon at point in advance as indicated by a marker.

July 3rd in position on left centre of line, until afternoon, when with other regiments of the Brigade, it moved to support of the centre at time of the enemy’s assault.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
July 23 Wapping Heights, Va.
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7 Kelly’s Ford
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
November 27 Payne’s Farm
1864
February 5-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
March Assigned to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps
May 3-June 5 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8 Laurel Hill
May 8-21
Spotsylvania Court House
May 10 Po River
May 12 Bloody Angle, Assault on the Salient
May 19 Harris Farm, Fredericksburg Road
May 23-26
North Anna River

Colonel Lakeman was shot in the groin.
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-5 Cold Harbor
June 5 Ordered to the rear
June 28 Mustered out. Veterans and recruits transferred to 17th Regiment Maine Infantry.