1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment

The 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was one of the Maine units used during the American Civil War.

1st Regiment, Maine Volunteer Cavalry
ActiveOctober 31, 1861 – August 1, 1865
Country United States
AllegianceUnion
BranchCavalry

Service history

Organized in Augusta, Maine, on October 31, 1861, for three years. The original members were detached from the regiment on 15 September 1864, when their service was up, and mustered out back in Portland on 25 November. Later recruits, along with the Maine men of the 1st District of Columbia Cavalry (men recruited in the Augusta, Maine[1] area between January and March 1864, and consolidated into seven companies) and those who chose to reenlist, were retained in the regiment. The regiment was split into three battalions of four companies each. One battalion was made up of former 1st District men and the other two were a mix of 1st Maine veterans and DC men. These three battalions continued until the regiment's mustering out at Petersburg, Virginia, on August 1, 1865.[2][3]

Initial Organization and Deployment

Maine had responded to Lincoln and Congress's 25 April 1861 call for ten regiments of infantry of which eight had been organized and left the state by the end of August.[4] That month the federal government had put out a call for five more regiments of infantry, six batteries of light artillery, a company of sharpshooters, and a regiment of cavalry to serve three years.

This cavalry regiment was intentionally raised at large from all counties of Maine and organized into twelve companies. The regiment had high standards for its recruits and the quality of its mounts.[5] Recruiters were to enlist “none but sound, able-bodied men in all respects, between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five years of correct morals and temperate habits, active, intelligent, vigorous, and hardy, weighing not less than one hundred and twenty-five or more than one hundred and sixty pounds.[6]” It encamped at Augusta at the State Fairground, renamed Camp Penobscot, where recruits learned military discipline, drill, and the care and feeding of their horses. Mounted drill was constant.[5]

The 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment mustered into federal service at Augusta on November 5, 1861, as a three-year volunteer cavalry regiment.[3] It was commanded by COL John Goddard from Cape Elizabeth. A Regular Army cavalry officer, LTC Thomas Hight, was the second-in-command. Another regular, CAPT Benjamin F Tucker served as the Adjutant with the rest of the field and staff officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) being Maine men. In the companies, with the exception of the Company H commander, CAPT George J. Summat and the 1st Lieutenant in Company L, 1LT Constantine Taylor, all the company officers and NCOs were Maine volunteers.

While the federal government figured out where to send the regiment, they continued training at the camp living in army issue camp tents through a cold winter. The command stressed the importance of caring for their mounts and had a stable built before the first horses arrived. During the cold, in which the regiment lost 200 men to disease and injuries, the men noted that their horses “had quarters that winter more comfortable than did the men, in comparison with the usual accommodations for man and beast.[7]” As training continued, the men and horses gradually meshed into a cohesive unit despite the fact that many horses had no prior experience with being ridden and some of the men had no prior experience riding (Company K was formed from mariners[8]).

COL Goddard resigned his commission on March 1, 1862 and in response, MAJ Samuel H. Allen was commissioned Colonel by the governor and took command. To replace him, CAPT Warren L. Whitney of Company A was promoted to Major. In turn, 1LT Sidney W. Thaxter was made Captain and new Company A commander. Due to being passed over in favor of Allen, LTC Hight resigned and returned to command his company, in the 4th U.S. Cavalry.[9] At that time, the regiment was organized into three battalions: 1st Battalion (under MAJ Whitney with companies A, D, E and F), 2nd Battalion (under MAJ Calvin S. Douty with companies B, I, H and M), and 3rd Battalion (under MAJ David P. Stowell with companies C, G, K and L).[3]

Finally, in March the regiment was ordered to the front in Virginia. 1st Battalion left for Washington on March 14, 1862, under command of COL Allen, arriving on the 19th. 2nd Battalion departed Augusta on March 20, under MAJ. Douty, arriving on the 24th. On that day, 3rd Battalion under MAJ Stowell left and pulled into DC on the 28th.

2nd Battalion marched on 20 March to Harper's Ferry, by way of Frederick, MD and joined the " Railroad Brigade" commanded by COL Dixon Stansbury Miles, which guarded the important logistical route of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from rebel attack. The battalion's companies were separated and assigned to duty at different points along the road. On May 11, 1862, 2nd Battalion was brought together from the various company posts and sent to MGEN Banks' forces at Strasburg, VA. They joined BGEN John P. Hatch's cavalry brigade. On May 20, Douty was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

The 2nd Battalion got its first combat action fighting rear-guard delaying skirmishes during the First Battle of Winchester all along the line of retreat from Strasburg to Martinsburg, WV. During this action, the battalion lost two killed, 104 wounded and/or captured, and 176 horses and equipment[9][5] as the result of the “Middletown Disaster”. This action at the end of First Winchester, occurred when 2nd Battalion was following 1st Vermont Volunteer Cavalry's charge down a sunken lane down and lost them in the dust of the charge taking a wrong turn and ran into a rebel battery supported by an infantry at point-blank range.

While 2nd Battalion was operating apart, 1st and 3rd Battalion were in Fredericksburg, VA first assigned to Gen. Abercrombie's brigade, and soon afterwards to Gen. Ord's division within BGEN McDowell's Department of the Rappahannock. Their time was spent on picket duty and scouting patrols, but they participated in no major actions.[5][3]

Reunification

The regiment was reunited at Warrenton, Va., on July 10, and attached to Bayard's brigade, with which it took part in the Battle of Cedar Mountain. It participated in the retreat of Gen. Pope's forces to Fairfax Court House, where it arrived on Sept. 3 and reported to Gen. Reno, having engaged the enemy at Brandy Station on Aug. 20, and been present at the Second Battle of Bull Run on the 30th, under Brig.-Gen. Elliott of Pope's staff.

Arriving in Washington on Sept. 4, it was attached to Burnside's corps and engaged the enemy at Frederick, Md., on the 12th. Co. G, acting as Gen. Reno's body-guard, took part in the Battle of South Mountain, Cos. M and H, under Gen. Porter, in that of Antietam. The regiment (except Cos. G, M and H) remained at Frederick, from Sept. 12 to Nov. 2, up to which period it had lost in action and worn out in service nearly 700 horses.

Hard Service

The severity of the service to which the men of this regiment were subjected may be inferred from a bare recital of the battles in which they were subsequently engaged and from data showing some of their heaviest losses. The list of battles includes, in addition to those above mentioned : Fredericksburg, Rappahannock Station, Brandy Station, Aldie, Middleburg, Upperville, Gettysburg, Shepherdstown, Sulphur Springs, Mine Run, about Richmond, Old Church, Todd's tavern, Ground Squirrel Church, Hawes' shop, Cold Harbor, Trevilian Station, St. Mary's Church, Deep Bottom, Reams' Station, Wyatt's farm, Boydton road, and Bellefield.

Col. Douty was killed at Aldie, Va., while leading a gallant charge, on June 17, 1863, as was Capt. Summatt while rallying his men under a murderous fire of grape and canister.

Three hundred selected men from the regiment participated in the daring raid of Gen. Kilpatrick to the vicinity of Richmond, Feb. 27 to March 12, 1864, the loss of the ist in this famous raid being 93 men killed, wounded or missing and over 200 horses.

It also moved with the cavalry corps on Gen. Sheridan's first raid. May 9, 1864, until within 3 miles of Richmond. In the engagement at Trevilian Station, June 24, 1864, its loss was 10 officers and 58 enlisted men. During August of this year its loss in killed, wounded and missing was 49 men and 75 horses, and the total casualties during 1864 amounted to 295 officers and enlisted men.

In Aug., 1864, seven companies of the 1st D. C. cavalry were transferred and assigned to the several companies of this regiment by a special order of the war department. The original members of the regiment whose term of service expired Nov. 4, 1864, were mustered out at Augusta, Me., on the 25th, while the regiment, now composed of veterans, recruits and members of the ist D. C. cavalry whose term had not expired, participated in the closing battles of the war; was mustered out of the U. S. service at Petersburg, Va., Aug., i, 1865, and arrived in Augusta, Me., on the 9th.

Organizational affiliation

The 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was organized at Augusta, ME and served with the following organizations:[10]

  • March, 1862, Miles' Brigade defending Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (2nd Battalion)
  • April, 1862, Hatch's Cavalry Brigade. Brig., Banks' V Corps, and Department of the Shenandoah (2nd Battalion).
  • March, 1862, Abercrombie's Cavalry Brigade, McDowell's, Department of the Rappahannock (1st and 3rd Battalions)
  • May, 1862, Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, Department of the Rappahannock (1st and 3rd Battalions).
  • June, 1862, Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, III Corps, Army of Virginia (Reunited Regiment.).
  • September, 1862, Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac.
  • January, 1863, 1st Brig., 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac.
  • June, 1863, 3rd Brig., 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac.
  • August, 1863, 2nd Brig., 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac.
  • October, 1864, 3rd Brig., 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac.
  • May, 1865, Department of Virginia

Mustered out Aug. 1, 1865.

List of Battles

The official list of battles in which the regiment bore a part:[11][12]

Armament
Army 1860 with fluted Cylinder and 7.5-inch barrel serial No. 1158
Burnside single-shot carbine

Troopers in the 1st Maine were initially armed only with a saber and two Colt .44 "Army" pistols.[13] They continued with this as standard armament, although a few officers and men privately purchased Sharps carbines. In February, the 1st and the rest of the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Division of the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps were completely armed with carbines. The 1st drew single-shot Burnside breech-loading carbines[14] that used a metallic cartridge which they found to be an asset when fording waterway.[15] A handful of individuals kept their Sharps.[16] On 10 September 1864, the Burnside and Sharps carbines were turned in and the regiment was issued new Spencer carbines. The men from the 1st DC Cavalry had brought enough Henrys with them when they joined to arm four companies in one battalion. From that point to the end of hostilities one battalion was armed with sixteen-shot Henry rifles and two battalions were armed with seven-shot Spencers.[17]

Spencer 1865 Carbine .50 caliber

Notable personnel

Monuments and memorials
1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry's monument, Gettysburg National Battlefield, 1898.

During the 1880s, planning was undertaken to erect a monument on the Gettysburg National Battlefield which would honor the 1863 service of the 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry at Gettysburg. That monument was subsequently dedicated in a formal ceremony held at the battlefield on October 3, 1889.[18]

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See also

Notes
  1. Dyer (1908), pp. 1018.
  2. Hodsdon (1867), pp. 8.
  3. Dyer (1908), pp. 1216.
  4. Federal Publishing Company (1908), pp. 47.
  5. Federal Publishing Company (1908), pp. 60.
  6. Tobie (1887), p. 3.
  7. Tobie (1887), pp. 14.
  8. Tobie (1887), pp. 16.
  9. Tobie (1887), pp. 25.
  10. Dyer (1908), pp. 1215.
  11. Hodsdon (1867), pp. 1051.
  12. Dyer (1908), pp. 1215-1216.
  13. Tobie (1887), p. 40.
  14. Tobie (1887), p. 124.
  15. Tobie (1887), p. 143.
  16. Thomas (1981), App. E.
  17. Tobie (1887), p. 361.
  18. Maine Gettysburg Commission (1898), pp. 431-516.

References
  • Beyer, Walter Frederick (1905). Deeds of Valor (PDF) (1st ed.). Detroit, MI: Perrien-Keydel Co. pp. 318–319. OCLC 680527243.
  • Dyer, Frederick H (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (PDF). Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co. ASIN B01BUFJ76Q. OCLC 8697590.
  • Federal Publishing Company (1908). Military Affairs and Regimental Histories of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, And Delaware (PDF). The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65 – Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. I. Madison, WI: Federal Publishing Company. p. 555. OCLC 694018100.
  • Hodsdon, John L, Adjutant General (1867). Annual report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine, 1861-1866. Augusta, ME: Stevens & Sayward. p. 1346. OCLC 866320784.
  • Maine Gettysburg Commission (1898). Maine at Gettysburg: Report of Maine Commissioners Prepared by the Executive Committee (PDF). Portland, ME: The Lakeside Press. p. 694. OCLC 6079300.
  • Thomas, Dean S. (1981). Ready--aim--fire! : small arms ammunition in the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg, PA: Thomas Publications. p. 67. ISBN 9780939631001. OCLC 35692385.
  • Tobie, Edward Parsons, Jr (1887). History of the First Maine Cavalry 1861-1865 (PDF). Boston, MA: The First Maine Cavalry Association. p. 735. OCLC 02013163. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
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