1st Maine Cavalry, 1861-04-24 - 1862-12-31

Box — Box: 036

Identifier: US-MeSA-15-1500-1979-1841-36

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Schedule/Series:

This material primarily consists of incoming correspondence from officers of the various Maine units, addressed to either the Adjutant General of Maine or the three Governors who held office during the Civil War. While much of it deals with the mechanical routines of running a regiment, the material can give researchers a unique insight into how the volunteer regiments worked – or, in some cases, failed to work. Often beset by regimental politics as well as civilian political interest, most of these units nevertheless matured into formidable fighting forces in the end.

Throughout the war, the Adjutant General and the Governors employed special agents to investigate and report on specific problems or conditions. For instance, after Antietam, General McClellan granted wholesale furloughs to weary participants who took themselves home immediately. The Army had a dreadful time getting them back. Eventually, in Maine, agents were sent through each county to find these men, determine whether they were able to go back, and send them on their way. At other times agents were sent as far afield as Florida to check on conditions among Maine troops.

Also within this category is correspondence from the numerous branches of the U.S. War Department and from the Executive Department, and various commands of the U.S. Army. The material is arranged chronologically within each series or subheading. A very large series of letters comes from the numerous suppliers of every conceivable type of material from tin cups to silk flags. This material provides extremely useful economic information, containing evidence of who was manufacturing what and where. It is filed chronologically by State and then individually by city within the State.

Includes cartes de visite (CdV) photographs of Maine’s regimental officers as requested by Adjutant General John Hodsdon.

Dates

Creation: 1861-04-24 - 1862-12-31

Creator

United States. Army. Maine Cavalry Regiment, 1st (1861-1865) (Organization)

Biographical / Historical

The 1st Maine Cavalry was mustered for three years' service on October 31, 1861 and mustered out on August 1, 1865. Of the 3226 men enrolled in the regiment, 154 were killed or died of wounds, 171 died of disease, and 165 died in Confederate prisons.

They served in the following engagements:

First Bull Run - July 21, 1861 Middleton, VA. - May 24, 1862 Winchester, VA - May 25, 1862 Luray, VA - June 1862 Cedar Mountain VA - August 9, 1862 Brandy Station, VA - August 20, 1862 Rappahannock Station, VA - August 24, 1862 Thoroughfare Gap, VA - August 28, 1862 2nd Bull Run, VA - August 28-29, 1862 Frederick, MD - September 12, 1862 South Mountain, MD - September 13-14, 1862 Antietam, MD - September 17, 1862 Fredericksburg, VA - December 12-13, 1862 Dumfries, VA - December 28, 1862 Rappahannock Station, VA - April 14, 1863 Louisa Court House, VA - May 2, 1863 Stoneman's Raid, VA - May 5-7, 1863 Bealton, VA - May 10, 1863 Brandy Station, VA - June 9, 1863 Aldie, VA - June 17, 1863 Middleburg, VA - June 17, 1863 Upperville, VA - June 21, 1863 Aldie, VA - June 22, 1863 Gettysburg, PA - July 1 - 3, 1863 Halltown, WV - July 15, 1863 Shepardstown, WV - July 16, 1863 Sulphur Springs, VA - October 12, 1863 Mine Run, VA - November 30, 1863 Fortification of Richmond Dahlgren Raid, VA - February 29 - March 2, 1864 Strasburg, VA - May 1, 1864 Todd's Tavern, VA - May 8, 1864 Beaver Dam Station, VA - May 10, 1864 Ground Squirrel Bridge, VA - May 11, 1864 Sheridan's Raid, VA Hawe's Shop, VA - May 28, 1864 Cold Harbor, VA - June 2, 1864 Trevillian Station, VA - June 11, 1864 St. Mary's Church, VA - June 24, 1864 Malvern Hill, VA - July 28-29, 1864 Berryville, VA - August 14, 1864 White Tavern, VA - August 15, 1864 Deep Bottom , VA - August 16, 1864 Charles City Crossroads, VA - August 18, 1864 Reams Station, VA - August 23-25, 1864 Stony Creek, VA - September 16, 1864 Wyatt Farm, VA - September 29, 1864 Vaughan Road, VA - October 1, 1864 Boydton Plank Road, VA - October 27, 1864 Bellefield, VA - December 10, 1864 Hatcher's Run, VA - February 5, 1865 Dinwiddie Court House, VA - March 31, 1865 Fame's Crossroads, VA - April 5, 1865 Lee's Train, VA - April 6, 1865 Sailor's Creek, VA - April 6, 1865 Farmville, VA - April 7, 1865 Appomattox, VA - April 9, 1865