United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine > 17th Maine Infantry Regiment


The 17th Maine Infantry Regiment lost 12 officers and 195 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 4 officers and 159 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

The regiment is honored by two monuments at Gettysburg.

1862
August 18 The 17th Maine Infantry Regiment was organized and mustered in at Camp King, Cape Elizabeth.
August 21 Left Maine for Washington, D.C.; Attached to Defenses of Washington
August 23-
October 7
Garrison duty in the Defenses of Washington; Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army Potomac
October 8-12 At Upton’s Hill, Virginia
October 12-28 At Edwards Ferry
October 28-
November 22
Advance to Warrenton, thence to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

1863
January 20-24
“Mud March”
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign

May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

June 13-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

Text from the monuments:

The Seventeenth Maine fought here in the Wheatfield 2 1/2 hours, and at this position from 4:10 to 5:45 p.m., July 2, 1863. On July 3, at the time of the enemy’s assault, it reinforced the centre and supported artillery. Loss 132. Killed or mortally wounded 3 officers, 37 men. Wounded, 5 officers, 87 men.

130 killed and wounded July 2, 1863. 357 engaged; Lt. Col. Chas. B. Merrill, commanding. Wheat-field July 2, 1863; Pickett’s Repulse, July 3, 1863.

July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
July 23 Wapping Heights
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

October 14

Auburn and Bristoe

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
November 28-30

Mine Run

1864
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps
May 3-June 15

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James

May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

May 8

Laurel Hill

May 8-21
Battle of 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

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

Totopotomoy

June Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps
June 1-12

Cold Harbor

June 16-19

First Assault on Petersburg

June 16

Siege of Petersburg begins

June 22-23

Jerusalem Plank Road

July 27-28

Deep Bottom, north of the James

July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg

August 13-20 Demonstration north of the James
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains
August 25

Ream’s Station

September 29-October 2 Poplar Springs Church
October 27-28
Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
December 7-11
Raid on Weldon Railroad
1865
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills

March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps
March 28-
April 9

Appomattox Campaign

March 29 South Side Railroad
March 30-31 Boydton Road and White Oak Ridge
April 2

Fall of Petersburg

April 5 Jettersville
April 6

Sailor’s Creek

April 6-7

High Bridge

April 7

Farmville

April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.

April 11-May 1 At Burkesville
May 1-15 March to Washington, D. C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 4 The 17th Maine Infantry Regiment mustered out at Bailey’s Cross Roads; Recruits were transferred to 1st Maine Heavy Artillery
June 10 Discharged at Portland, Me.