The 27th Maine Volunteers
  • Home
  • History
    • History
    • Chronology - 1862
    • Chronology - 1863
    • 312
    • medal of honor list
    • The Medals of Honor: A Tally
    • Blog Index
  • Soldiers Index
    • Index of Soldiers
    • Soldiers Index A
    • Soldiers Index B
    • Soldiers Index C
    • Soldiers Index D-E
    • Soldiers Index F-G
    • Soldiers Index H
    • Soldiers Index J-K
    • Soldiers Index L
    • Soldiers Index M
    • Soldiers Index N-O
    • Soldiers Index P-Q
    • Soldiers Index R
    • Soldiers Index S
    • Soldiers Index T-V
    • Soldiers Index W-Y
  • Reunions
    • Reunions
    • Reunions 1882, 1883 and 1884
    • Reunion 1885
    • Reunions 1886, 1887, 1888 and 1889
    • Reunion 1890
    • Reunions 1891 and 1892
    • Reunions 1893, 1894 and 1895
    • Reunion 1896
    • Reunion 1897
    • Reunion 1898
    • Reunion 1899
    • Reunion 1900
    • Reunions 1901, 1902, 1903 and 1904
    • Reunions 1905 and 1906
    • Reunions 1907, 1908 and 1909
    • Reunion 1910
    • Reunion 1911
    • Reunion 1912
    • Reunion 1913
    • Reunion 1914
    • Reunion 1915
    • Reunion 1916
    • Reunion 1917
    • Reunion 1918
    • Reunion 1919
    • Reunion 1920
    • Reunion 1921
    • Reunion 1922
  • Burial Places
    • Burial Places
    • Burial Places Nationwide
    • Burial Places Acton-Hollis
    • Burial Places Kennebunk-Parsonsfield
    • Burial Places Saco-York
  • York County
    • York County
    • Acton
    • Alfred
    • Berwick
    • Biddeford
    • Buxton
    • Cornish
    • Dayton
    • Eliot
    • Hollis
    • Kennebunk
    • Kennebunkport
    • Kittery
    • Lebanon
    • Limerick
    • Limington
    • Lyman
    • Newfield
    • North Berwick
    • Parsonsfield
    • Saco
    • Sanford
    • Shapleigh
    • South Berwick
    • Waterboro
    • Wells
    • York
  • Links
  • About Me/Contact Page
  • Blog

A No-Show for Sunday Service

10/20/2018

0 Comments

 
Camp Abraham Lincoln, Cape Elizabeth
The 25th Maine had already marched out on Thursday, the 16th of October, 1862, followed two days later by the 23rd Maine, who were escorted into Portland by the men of the 27th Reg't and the Portland Band. The Seventh Maine Infantry, who had returned from the war front for furlough and recruiting, took over the quarters that formerly housed the 25th Maine.

This would be the last weekend in Maine for the 27th Infantry, as they had received their marching orders - they'd be leaving on Monday morning. Rumor had it that they would be heading to New Orleans. The First Baptist Society, with a church on Federal Street, invited the men from the Twenty-Seventh to attend their Sunday service at 10:30 in the morning, the Rev Dr. [William Hosmer] Shailer to "preach a sermon appropriate for the occasion" [Portland Daily Press, 10/18/62].

Sunday morning came, and a crowd gathered at the church to watch the men march in for the service. They never showed, so the congregation was admitted inside their church.
Picture
Portland Daily Press, 20 Oct 1862
It was later learned that an incident occurred at Camp Lincoln on Saturday night, where troops had lit the sutler's tent on fire. As reported in the Portland Daily Press on Monday, the 20th, there had been word of the upcoming torching, so the goods stored there had been removed.
Picture
Portland Daily Press 10/20/1862
Seth Bryant, captain of Company I, wrote in his diary about Oct 18th:
The soldiers were noisy and troublesome. About 8 o'clock they set the sutlers shanty on fire, and soon after started to serve the 25th sutler the same, but I managed to stop and turn them back again.
With extra guards put on duty, the restless troops got quiet and went to bed. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

It is not known if the soldiers were restricted from leaving camp on Sunday due to the fire, or perhaps it was due to all of the last minute packing that needed to be done before the 3 a.m. reveille on Monday morning would send them off on their nine month tour of duty in Virginia.

Notes:
Capt Bryant, in his diary, said the troops had attempted to set the sutler tent of the 25th on fire as well. As this regiment had already left two days prior to this, had their sutler not joined them in their trek southward? Maybe he was still in the process of packing up his goods, and would meet up with them later. The Portland Daily Press, on 10/17/62, did mention in their news article about the 25th 's departure, that some 70 men were left behind, as some were still out on furlough, and others were sick. The sutler likely had remained behind, and would take the train with the remaining troops.

In 1862, the First Baptist Church on Federal Street was located where the rear side of the Portland Fire Station on Congress St now stands. It would have been a 2.4 mile march had the 27th Maine Volunteers gone to the Sunday service.
Picture
Google maps
0 Comments

    Author

    Steve Dow

    Archives

    November 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    July 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    December 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    May 2016
    March 2015
    September 2014
    May 2014
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    27th Maine
    2nd Maine Cavalry
    32nd Maine
    Arlington Heights
    Biddeford
    Buxton Maine
    Came Family
    Camp Casey
    Camp Chantilly
    Camp Lincoln
    Camp Seward
    Cape Elizabeth
    Chadbourne
    Civil War
    Decoration Day
    Eliot Maine
    Fort Albany
    GAR
    Higley
    Hollis Maine
    Holt
    Ireland
    Kennebunk
    Kittery Maine
    Maine
    "Maine Militia"
    Medal Of Honor
    Memorial Day
    Monument
    Nova Scotia
    Pennell
    Peru Maine
    Portland
    Portland Maine
    Saco
    SUVCW
    Trefethen
    US Navy
    Waterboro Maine
    Wells Maine

Copyright © 2005-2023 All rights reserved. www.the27thMaine.com

​
HAPPY NEW YEAR!​

Looking for a particular name somewhere within the pages of my website? Try the search box below:
Proudly powered by Weebly