5th Maine Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine > 5th Maine Infantry Regiment

The 5th Maine Infantry Regiment lost 8 officers and 99 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 76 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
Organized at Portland under Colonel Mark H. Dunnell, on temporary leave of absence as United States Consul at Vera Cruz, Mexico.
June 24 The 5th Maine Infantry Regiment mustered in under the command of Colonel Mark Dunnell.
June 26 The regiment left Maine for Washington, D.C. Camp at Meridian Hill 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)

After an exhausting forced march to the battlefield the regiment lost over 400 casualties.
August 4 Duty in the Defenses of Washington assigned to Heintzelman’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac
September 2 Colonel Mark Dunnell resigned and returned to his post as United States Consul at Vera Cruz. Nathaniel Jackson, formerly of the 1st Maine Infantry, was assigned as colonel. There was a near mutiny in the regiment when an outsider was brought in, and several officers resigned.
September 25 Captain Edward A. Scamman of Company H was promoted to major.
October Attached to Slocum’s Brigade, Franklin’s Division, Army of the Potomac
October 3 Expedition to Pohick Church, Virginia.
December Brigade commander Henry Slocum replied to a letter from Maine’s Governor Washburn, who was concerned about the 5th Maine.

“I do not think there is a regiment in the entire army which has improved so rapidly as Col. Jackson’s has. The change has been wonderful. Their sick list is less than one third of what it was two months since. The men are cleanly, well drilled and ambitious. They are becoming proud of their regiment and are uniting cordially with Col. Jackson in all his efforts. I shall be greatly disappointed if this regiment does not do credit to your state.”
1862
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Army Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Virginia.
April 4-12 McDowell’s advance on Fredericksburg, Va. Attached to the 1st Division, Department of the Rappahannock
April 22

Peninsula Campaign

Ordered to the Virginia Peninsula.
April 24-May 4

Siege of Yorktown (on Transports)
May 7-8
West Point
May Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Corps, Army Potomac
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 27

Gaines’ Mill

The regiment lost 10 men killed, 69 wounded and 16 missing. Colonel Jackson was wounded and Lieutenant Colonel Heath was killed. Major Edward Scamman took command of the regiment.
June 28

Golding’s Farm
June 29

Savage Station
June 30

Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1

Malvern Hill
July At Harrison’s Landing
July 25 Major Scamman was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
August 27-31 In works at Centreville
September 1 Assisted in checking Pope’s rout at Bull Run and covered its retreat to Fairfax C. H.
September-October

Maryland Campaign

Colonel Jackson returned to command of the regiment after recovering from his Gaines Mill wound.
September 14

Battle of South Mountain

The regiment lost 4 men killed and 28 wounded in fighting at Crampton’s Gap. After engaging in a firefight which exhausted their ammunition, they fell back a short distance, and were then ordered to assault the enemy line in a bayonet charge, They did so, carrying the position.
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

From the War Department tablet for Slocum’s Division on the Antietam battlefield:

Slocum’s Division followed Smith’s in its march from near Crampton’s Pass on the morning of the 17th, and upon reaching the field, occupied the ground from which Smith was advancing; Torbert’s Brigade in the center on either side of this road; Newton’s Brigade on the right connecting with Hancock, and Bartlett’s Brigade on the left, extending beyond the cemetery and into the low ground between Mumma’s and Roulette’s. Beyond supporting the Artillery the Division was not actively engaged.
September 24 Colonel Jackson was promoted to brigadier general. Lieutenant Colonel Scamman took commad of the regiment.
September 26 – October 29 At Hagerstown, Md.
October 29 –
November 19		 Movement to Falmouth, Virginia.
November 1 Lieutenant Colonel Scamman was promoted to colonel and Major Clark Edwards to lieutenant colonel.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24
“Mud March”
January 8 Colonel Scamman resigned due to the “state of (his) private affairs at home.”
March 2 Lieutenant Colonel Clark S. Edwards was appointed colonel
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Franklin’s Crossing
May 3

Maryes Heights, Second Fredericksburg
May 3-4

Salem Heights
May 4

Banks’ Ford
June 6-13 Operations about Deep Run Ravine
July 2-4

Battle of Gettysburg

The 5th Maine Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel Clark Edwards. It brought 340 men to the field,  was in reserve and suffered no casualties.
July 10-13 Near Funkstown, Md.
July 13 Hagerstown
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7

Rappahannock Station
November 26-
December 2

Mine Run Campaign
1864
May 3 to June 15

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 12

Assault on the Salient “Bloody Angle”
May 23-26

North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
June 1-12

Cold Harbor
June 19-22

First Assault on Petersburg.

Ordered to the rear for muster out.
July 27 The 5th Maine Infantry Regiment mustered out on the expiration of its term. Veterans and Recruits were transferred to 6th Maine Infantry Regiment.