United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine > 16th Maine Infantry Regiment


The 16th Maine Infantry Regiment lost 9 officers and 172 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 257 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a moument at Gettysburg.

1862
August 14 Organized at Augusta and mustered in
August 19 The 16th Maine Infantry Regiment left Maine for Washington, D.C. and camped at Arlington Heights
September 6 Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps, Army Potomac
September 6-16 March into Maryland
September 13 The regiment was detached from the brigade as railroad guard and missed the Battle of Antietam.
September 18 –
October 28
Duty near Sharpsburg, Md.
October 28 –
November 7
Moved to Warrenton, Va.
November Transferred to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps
November 11 Forced march to Rappahannock Station
November 19 At Brooks Station
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

1863
January 20-24
“Mud March”
February – April At Falmouth and Belle Plains
April 27 – May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign

April 29-30 Fitzhugh’s Crossing
May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

June 13-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The 16th Maine was commanded by Colonel Charles W. Tilden. He was captured with most of the regiment when it sacrificed itself as the rear guard for the division on July 1st. Captain Daniel Marston then took over command of the survivors.

Text from the monument: 

July 1st, 1863, fought here from 1 o’clock until 4 p.m. when the division was forced to retire, by command of General Robinson to Col. Tilden, the regiment was moved to the right near the Mummasburg Road, as indicated by a marker there, with orders ‘to hold the position at any cost.’ July 2d & 3d, in position with the division of Cemetery Hill.

Casualties: Killed 2 officers 9 men; Wounded 9 officers 54 men; Captured 11 officers, 148 men. Strength of regiment, 25 officers, 250 men.

< See Lieutenant Colonel Augustus B. Farnham’s Official Report on the Sixteenth Maine in the Gettysburg Campaign. >
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
October 9-23

Bristoe Campaign

November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26

Mine Run Campaign

1864
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
March Assigned to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Corps
May 3

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James

May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

May 8

Laurel Hill

May 8-21

Spotsylvania Court House

May 23-26

North Anna River

May 23

Jericho Ford

May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy

June Assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps
June 1-12

Cold Harbor

June 1-3 Bethesda Church
June 13

White Oak Swamp

June 16-19

First Assault on Petersburg

June 16

Siege of Petersburg

June 22-23

Jerusalem Plank Road

July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg (Reserve)

August 18-21

Weldon Railroad

Colonel Tilden and over a hundred members of the regiment were captured.

August 23 Colonel Tilden returned to the regiment after escaping from his captors.
September Assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps
September 15 Reconnaissance toward Dinwiddie Court House
September – December Assigned as garrison of Fort Wadsworth
December 7-12

Warren’s Hicksford Raid

1865
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills

March 28-
April 9

Appomattox Campaign

March 29-30

White Oak Road

March 31

Gravelly Run

April 1

Five Forks

April 6

Sailor’s Creek

April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army

April 21-May 1 At Black and White Station
May 1-12 Moved to Manchester, then marched to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
May 24 – June 5 Duty at Ball’s Cross Roads
June 5 The 16th Maine Infantry Regiment mustered out. Recruits were transferred to the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment.