4th Maine Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine > 4th Maine Infantry Regiment

The 4th Maine Infantry Regiment lost 14 officers and 156 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 135 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument and a marker at Gettysburg.

1861
The 4th Maine Infantry Regiment was organized at Rockland, Maine for three months service
May 8 The regiment elected Hiram Berry as colonel, Adelbert Ames (who had just graduated from the West Point Class of 1861) as lieutenant colonel, and Frank Nickerson as major. But Ames was not allowed to accept the volunteer commission by the War Deartment, so Nickerson was advanced to lieutenant colonel and Thomas Marshall became major.
Late May The regiment was ordered to change its enlstment to three years service. A number of men from company F declined to do so and the company was disbanded, with some men willing to serve the three years being placed in other companies. A company from Brooks took the place of the original Company F
June 15 Mustered in for three years service by Captain Thomas Hight, U.S.A.
June 16 Knapsacks were packed and one days rations were cooked.
June 17 Left State for Washington, D.C. The regiment marched through town accompanied by the Rockland Band, and halted while militia Major-General Titcomb presented Colonel Berry with a state flag. They then marched to the wharf and boarded the steamship Daniel Webster, which proceeded to Portland. At Portland the regiment debarked and was lodged in the City Hall.
June 18 Early in the morning the regiment marched to the train station. The regiment suffered its first casualty here – a private Roland slipped on the march to the train, breaking his leg. The rest of the regiment boarded their twenty car train for Boston, arriving in early afternoon. Crowds met the train all along the route. At Boston they spent the day on the Common, then in early evening boarded another train for Fall River, where they boarded the steamship Bay State.
June 19 Arrived in New York at mid-day. The regiment marched to City Hall, where the Reverend Dr. Hitchcock presented them with a set of national and state colors. The men then retired to their barracks in the park and the officers to the Astor House. untl evening, when they took a train for Philadelphia. They arrived late at night but were treated to a feast of sandwiches and baked beans attended by a host of “pretty waiting maids.”
June 21 Arrived in Washington
June Camp on Meridian Hill, in the Defenses of Washington. Attached to Howard’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeastern Virginia
July 8 Crossed the Potomac and camped at Bush Hill.
July 16-21 Advance on Manassas, Virginia
July 21

Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)

The regiment lost 23 men killed, 3 officers and 24 men wounded, and 3 officers and 38 men missing.
August Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C. assigned to Howard’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac
September The regiment mutinied when a number of men who had signed up for 30 days service were now being forced to serve for three years. One hundred men were transferred, and Company H was disbanded.
October Assigned to Sedgwick’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army of the Potomac
November Company H was reconstituted with new recruits
1862
March Assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
March 17 Moved to the Virginia Peninsula
March 25 Colonel Berry was promoted to brigadier general and Colonel Elijah Walker asumed command
April to August

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
June 18 Near Richmond
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 25

Oak Grove
June 30

Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1

Malvern Hill

Held the front line, and were the last infantry to leave the field.
July – August At Harrison’s Landing
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 (Second Manassas)

The regiment lost 14 men killed, 85 wounded and 15 missing.
September 1

Battle of Chantilly

The regiment lost 10 men killed, 2 officers and 34 men wounded and 8 men missing
Saptember Guarded fords on the Potomac from the Monocacy River to Conrad’s Ferry
October 11-
November 23		 March to Leesburg, thence to Falmouth, Va.
October 12 Mouth of Monocacy, White’s Ford
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment llost 3 officers and 19 men killed, 7 officers and 59 men wounded and 32 missing, including Major Pitcher, who was killed
1863
January 20-24

“Mud March”
February-April At Falmouth
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

The 4th Maine Infantry Regiment llost 1 officer and 2 men killed, 3 officers and 15 men wounded and 7 men missing
June 11

Gettysburg Campaign

Marched from camp to Bealton Station, then to Catlett’s Station, Manassas junction and Blackburn’s Ford
June 17 Arrived in Centreville
June 19 Bivouacked at Gum Springs
June 25 Moved to and bivouacked at the mouth of the Monocacy.
June 26 To Point of Rocks, Md.
June 27 To Middletown
June 29 To Taneytown
June 30 To near Emmitsburg
July 1 To Emmitsburg. Arrived at Gettysburg around 7 p.m.
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The 4th Maine Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel Elijah Walker. It lost 11 killed, 59 wounded, and 74 missing out of 332 men engaged, including Colonel Walker, who was wounded, and Major Whitcomb, who was mortally wounded. Captain Edwin Libby took command after July 2.
July 5-23 Pursuit of Lee. Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps.
July 23

Wapping Heights, Virginia
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

Colonel Walker rejoined the regiment
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 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
March Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps
May 3-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River. Assigned to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

On May 5 the regiment lost 4 officers and 17 men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 104 enlisted men wounded, and 3 missing. On May 6th it lost 1 officer and 4 men killed, 26 men wounded and 6 missing, and on the 7th 4 men wounded and 1 missing. These included Major Grey and Captains Amos Wooster and Edwin Libby and Lieutenants C. C. Grey, Henry O. Ripley, and J. R. Conant, who were killed or mortally wounded.
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

The regiment lost 5 killed and 19 wounded, including Colonel Walker, who was again wounded
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
June 1-12

Cold Harbor
June 15

First Assault on Petersburg
June 15 Ordered to the rear.
July 19 Thirteen officers and 113 enlisted men of the 4th Maine Infantry Regiment mustered out. Two hundred seventeen Veterans and recruits were transferred to 19th Maine Infantry.