Maine 17th Infantry Regiment
HISTORICAL NOTES:
The 17th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was Active August 18, 1862, to June 10, 1865. It was mustered in at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, for three years' service on August 18, 1862, and was mustered out on June 10, 1865. Recruits still liable to serve were transferred to 1st Maine Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment.
The 17th Maine enrolled 1,371 men during its existence. It lost 12 officers and 116 enlisted men killed in action or died of wounds received in battle and an additional 4 officers and 159 enlisted men died of disease. 31 men died in Confederate prisons. Total fatalities for the regiment were 370.
OFFICERS:
Cols., Thomas A. Roberts, George W. West, Charles P. Mattocks;
Lieut.-Cols., Charles B. Merrill, William Hobson;
Majs., George W. West, Charles P. Mattocks.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Attached to Defenses of Washington to October, 1862.
3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army Potomac, to March, 1864.
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, to June, 1864.
1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps, to March, 1865.
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps, to June, 1865.
SERVICE:
Garrison duty in the Defenses of Washington August 23-October 7, 1862, At Upton's Hill, Va., until October 12. At Edwards Ferry October 12-28. Advance to Warrenton, thence to Falmouth, Va., October 28-November 22. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 13-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee July 5-24. Wapping Heights July 23. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Auburn and Bristoe October 14. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Kelly's Ford November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Payne's Farm November 27. Mine Run November 28-30. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7. Laurel Hill May 8. Spotsylvania May 8-!2, Po River May 10. Spotsylvania C. H. May 12-21, "Bloody Angle," Assault on the Salient, May 12. Harris Farm, Fredericksburg Road, May 19. North Anna May 23-26. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 16-19. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2. 1865. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23, 1864. Deep Bottom, north of the James, July 27-28. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30. Demonstration north of the James August 13-20. Strawberry Plains August 14-18. Ream's Station August 25. Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 2. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Raid on Weldon Railroad December 7-11. Dabney's Mills February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. South Side Railroad March 29. Boydton Road and White Oak Ridge March 30-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Jettersville April 5. Sailor's Creek April 6. High Bridge April 6-7. Farmville April 7. Appomattox C. H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. At Burkesville April 11-May 1. March to Washington, D. C., May 1-15. Grand Review May 23. Mustered out at Bailey's Cross Roads June 4, 1865. Recruits transferred to 1st Maine Heavy Aruntilery. Discharged at Portland, Me., June 10, 1865.
ROSTERS:
The composite rosters of this unit contain the names of 2920 men.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998. Ref. See p. 1222 (1 photocopied page) for a concise summary of the regiment's service.
Edwards, Abial H. "Dear Friend Anna": The Civil War Letters of a Common Soldier From Maine. Orono, ME: U ME, 1992. 161 p. E601E38.
Maine. AGO. Annual Report...for the Years 1864 and 1865. Augusta, ME: Stevens & Sayward, 1866. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2010. UA43M2.1864-1865.AppD. See pp. 379-86 (5 photocopied pages) for a roster of the regiment. Although regimental rosters appear in earlier Annual Reports, that found in this edition is the most complete for the unit's wartime service.
Whitman, William W.S. Maine in the War for the Union: A History of the Part Borne by Maine Troops.... Lexington, ME: Nelson Dingley, 1865. Powder Springs, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2010. E511W61. See pp. 225-60 (19 photocopied pages) for a brief history of the regiment.
REFERENCES:
Dyer, Frederick H. - A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1
The 17th Maine enrolled 1,371 men during its existence. It lost 12 officers and 116 enlisted men killed in action or died of wounds received in battle and an additional 4 officers and 159 enlisted men died of disease. 31 men died in Confederate prisons. Total fatalities for the regiment were 370.
Lieut.-Cols., Charles B. Merrill, William Hobson;
Majs., George W. West, Charles P. Mattocks.
3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army Potomac, to March, 1864.
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, to June, 1864.
1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps, to March, 1865.
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps, to June, 1865.
Edwards, Abial H. "Dear Friend Anna": The Civil War Letters of a Common Soldier From Maine. Orono, ME: U ME, 1992. 161 p. E601E38.
Maine. AGO. Annual Report...for the Years 1864 and 1865. Augusta, ME: Stevens & Sayward, 1866. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2010. UA43M2.1864-1865.AppD. See pp. 379-86 (5 photocopied pages) for a roster of the regiment. Although regimental rosters appear in earlier Annual Reports, that found in this edition is the most complete for the unit's wartime service.
Whitman, William W.S. Maine in the War for the Union: A History of the Part Borne by Maine Troops.... Lexington, ME: Nelson Dingley, 1865. Powder Springs, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2010. E511W61. See pp. 225-60 (19 photocopied pages) for a brief history of the regiment.
The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1