3rd Maine Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine > 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment

The 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment enrolled 1,586 men during the Civil War. It lost 10 officers and 124 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 148 enlisted men to disease. The regiment is honored by a monument and two markers at Gettysburg.

1861
June 4 The 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment was organized at Augusta on the statehouse grounds and mustered in under the command of Colonel Oliver O. Howard. Many of the volunteers were Kennebec lumbermen.
June 4 The 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment was organized at Augusta on the statehouse grounds and mustered in under the command of Colonel Oliver O. Howard. Many of the volunteers were Kennebec lumbermen.
June 5 Left Maine for Washington, D.C.
June Camped on Meridian Hill in the 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, Virginia
July 21

Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
August Duty in the Defenses of Washington assigned to Howard’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac
September 7 Colonel Oliver O. 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 Corps, Army Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Virginia.
April to August

Peninsula Campaign

Moved to the Virginia Peninsula.
April 5-May 4

Siege of Yorktown
May 5

Battle of Williamsburg
May 31-June 1

Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks

One third of the men who were engaged became casualties. Captain Moses B. Lakeman 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 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 (Brawner’ Farm)
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1

Chantilly
September-
October		 Guarded 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 3rd Maine Infantry 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. General Sickles remarked, “The little 3d Me. saved the army today.”

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 The 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Colonel Moses Lakeman. Only one man – Colonel Lakeman – remained of the original officers above the rank of captain, and only 17 officers and 176 enlisted men were still in the ranks to muster out. Sixty four of these Veterans reenlisted, and they and the new recruits were transferred to the 17th Maine Infantry Regiment.