12th Maine Infantry Regiment

12th Maine Infantry Regiment
Active	November 16, 1862, to April 18, 1866
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Infantry
Engagements	Siege of Port Hudson Battle of Opequan Battle of Cedar Creek Valley Campaigns of 1864

The 12th Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

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Formation

The 12th Maine Regiment, formed in November 1861, was one of the 10 regiments Major General Benjamin F. Butler of Massachusetts received permission to form.

George F. Shepley a Democrat and a noted Portland lawyer and U.S. Attorney for Maine, headed the new regiment.

On October 1, 1861, Shepley wrote to Maine Governor Israel Washburn Jr. to report that he expected the new 12th Maine Regiment to be filled soon "with the very best men in the State."

Shepley also reported, "I have abandoned every other thought and pursuit, and have embarked in this movement all my hopes energies and efforts and, if need be my fortune and my life."^[1]

Accounts of engagements

The 12th Maine in Louisiana

According to The New York Times, "The town of Madisonville, La., on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain, has been captured without resistance and is now garrisoned by our forces. The expedition consisted of a portion of the Maine Twelfth, the Connecticut Ninth, two battalions from the convalescent camp of the Thirteenth Corps, the Massachusetts Fifteenth battery, battery of the United States artillery and a company of the Louisiana Second cavalry, the whole under the command of Col. Kimrall, of the Maine Twelfth.

The 8th of January was observed by a salute at meridian by order of Gen. Banks.

The great Union mass meeting was held here the same night at the St. Charles Theatre, which was crowded from pit to dome, including a large number of planters from up and down the river. Speeches were made by Messrs. Flandres, L. Madison Day, and Thos. J. Durant."^[2]^[3]

Significant events

1861

November 16 — Organized at Portland and mustered in
November 24 — Unit left Maine for Camp Stevens, Massachusetts
December 22 — Unit in the midst of training at Camp Chase, Massachusetts
December 30 — To Boston^[4]

1862

January 2 — Embarked on Steamer Constitution for Ship Island, Mississippi
February 12 — Arrived Ship Island. Attached to Butler's Expeditionary Corps.
March — Attached to 3rd Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf
May 4 — Moved to New Orleans and duty at U.S. Mint
June 16–20 — Expedition to Pass Manchac
June 17 — Pass Manchac
September 13–18 — Expedition to Ponchatoula (Companies C, D, & F)
September 15 — Pouchatoula
October 21 — Moved to Camp Parapet
November 19 — Moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Attached to Grover's Division, Baton Rouge, Dept. Gulf

1863

January — Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. Gulf
February — Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Corps, Dept. Gulf
March 7–27 — Operations against Port Hudson
April 9–May 14 — Moved to Donaldsonville. Operations in Western Louisiana
April 11–20 — Teche Campaign
April 13 — Porter's and McWilliams' Plantation at Indian Head
April 14 — Irish Bend
April 18 — Destruction of salt works at New Iberia
April 20–May 20 — Advance to the Red River
May 21–24 — Advance on Port Hudson
May 24–July 8 — Siege of Port Hudson
May 27 — Assault on Port Hudson
June 14 — Second Assault on Port Hudson
June 20 — Thibodeaux (Detachment)
July 9 — Surrender of Port Hudson
July 13 — Donaldsonville
August 12 — Moved to New Orleans, then to Ship Island, Mississippi
October — At Camp Parapet

1864

January 3–7 — Expedition to Madisonville (Companies B, F, K)
January 7 — Capture of Madisonville
March 11 — Ordered to New Orleans
April–June 16 — Veterans on furlough, Non-Veterans at Camp Parapet
May 27 — Veterans returned from Portland to New Orleans
June 16 — Regiment moved to Morganza, Louisiana
July 3 — Moved to Algiers
July 13–20 — To Fort Monroe, Virginia
July 21 — To Bermuda Hundred, Virginia
July 21–25 — Duty in trenches
July 27–29 — Demonstration on north side of James River
July 27–28 — First Battle of Deep Bottom
July 31 — Moved to Washington, D.C.
August 2 — To Taneytown, Maryland
August 7–November 28 — Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Attached to Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division
September 3–4 — Berryville, Virginia
September 19 — Battle of Opequan, Winchester, Virginia
September 22 — Fishers Hill
October 19 — Battle of Cedar Creek
October 20 — Duty at Cedar Creek
November 9 — At Opequan
November 19 — Non-Veterans left front. Veterans consolidated to a Battalion of four Companies.
December 7 — Non-Veterans mustered out

1865

January — Ordered to Savannah, Georgia and attached to District of Savannah, Georgia, Dept. of the South
February–March — Six new Companies organized for one year service and assigned as E, F, G, H, I, K.
March — Attached to 1st Brigade. 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Army Ohio

1866

February–March — Companies E, F, G, H, I, & K mustered out
The regiment was discharged from service on April 18, 1866.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment lost 3 officers and 49 enlisted men killed in action or died of wounds. 2 officers and 237 died of disease for a total of 291 fatalities from all causes.^[5]

Officers

Field and staff officers^[6]

Col. George Foster Shepley of Portland
Lt. Col. William K. Kimball of Paris
Lt. Col. and Adjutant Edward Ilsley of Lewiston
Maj. David R. Hastings of Lovell
Quartermaster Horatio Jose of Portland
Surgeon James H. Thompson of Orono
Chaplain Joseph Colby of Gorham
Sergeant Major John W. Dana of Portland

Company officers^[6]

Capt. Gideon A. Hastings of Bethel (Co. A)^[7]
1st Lt. Elbridge Bolton of Portland (Co. A)
2nd Lt. Charles D. Webb of Portland (Co. A)
Capt. George A. Chadwell (Co. B)
Capt. Charles Cutts Gookin Thornton of Scarborough (Co. C)
1st Lt. Horatio Hight (Co. C)
Capt. Elisha Winter of Dixfield (Co. D)
Capt. Enoch Knight of Bridgton (Co. E)
Capt. Seth C. Farrington of Fryeburgh (Co. F)
Capt. Moses M. Robinson of Portland (Co. G)
Capt. John F. Appleton of Bangor (Co. H)
Capt. Menzies R. Fessenden of Portland (Co. I)
Capt. George Washburn of Calais (Co. K)

Mascots

"The oddest pets we have yet seen were two bears, which the 12th Maine regiment of the 19th Corps, led through the city recently. These bears were brought all the way from Louisiana, and have been in several fights. They have become perfectly tame and tractable, and march along at the head of the band, with an air that indicates they feel themselves veteran soldiers of the bruin order, and that they have a character to sustain."^[8]