Red Diamond Regiment: The 17th Maine Infantry, 1862-1865The 17th Maine Infantry served with the Army of the Potomac from Fredericksburg to Appomattox, suffering more casualties than any other Maine regiment, even though other regiments garnered more contemporary fame. After first serving in the defences of Washington, the regiment fought at Fredericksburg and wintered in Virginia. The army again turned south towards Chancellorsville, where Stonewall Jackson's attack on the XI Corps cut the regiment off. After heavy combat, forty members of the 17th received the Kearny Medal, described as a "cross of valor", recognizing the regiment's bravery there. Marching rapidly northward, the 17th withstood Hood's onslaught at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and the struggle for Petersburg followed. This comprehensive history goes beyond that combat to show the soldiers' everyday life, their relationships to their home front state, and how their bravery and suffering related to the larger Civil War. Indeed, this history is a good introduction to the Civil War soldier. |
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Contents
Washington Forts to Fredericksburg | 13 |
Chancellorsville | 31 |
Gettysburg | 58 |
Copyright | |
10 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
17th Maine 1862 Discharged disabled Ae 1862 Discharged artillery Aubum auburn hair Mustered Augusta Bangor Birney's Division black eyes black hair Mustered blue eyes brigade brown hair Mustered Camp Pitcher Cape Elizabeth Chancellorsville Charles Colonel command Company Confederate conscript Trans Corpl Corporal Aet dark complexion dark hair Mustered Deserted Died eves fair complexion Falmouth farmer fire Fredericksburg Fryeburg George Gettysburg Grant grey eyes Haley Hancock hazel eyes Hosp Houghton III Corps Ireland Res IX Corps James John Aet Killed in action Kittery laborer Lee's Lewiston Lieut Lieutenant Aet light complexion light hair Mustered Limington Locust Grove Major Mattocks Meade Merrill miles moved N.H. Res orders Petersburg picket Plank Road Portland Portland Daily Press Potomac Promoted Rebel regiment River Saco Sergeant Aet Sergt shoemaker soldiers South Berwick Spotsylvania substitute Trans substitute Wd Trobriand troops Union Veteran Reserve Corps Washington Westbrook Wilderness William wounded