A Brief History of the 27th Maine
(For a more detailed chronology of the regiment: Chronology 1862 and Chronology 1863)
The Twenty-Seventh Regiment Infantry was comprised by men raised almost entirely in York County, Maine, reporting to camp in Portland starting on the 10th of September, 1862, their official enlistment date. On the 19th, the officers were elected, followed by the mustering in of the troops on the 30th. After their training, and a brief return to their homes (while this occurred, the regiment was 'topped off' with later enlistments) around the 14th and 15th of October, they left by train for Washington, DC on 20 October, arriving there two days later and setting up camp on East Capital Hill. From there, they went on to Camp Chase at Arlington Heights, afterwards to Camp Seward, where they held picket duty from 26 October to 12 December 1862. Following this, they were sent to Camp Vermont at Hunting Creek, VA to relieve a Vermont brigade of their picket duty, an "eight mile long line from the Orange & Alexandria Railroad to the Potomac River near Mt. Vernon". It was here where they spent the winter, reported to be a severe one, and they lost several men due to the weather. The beginning of the new year found them at yet another location, Camp Casey, on the south side of Fairfax Seminary.
On 24 March 1863, they left camp and moved on to Chantilly, Virginia, where they were placed on the outermost line of infantry in the defense of Washington. They stayed here until 25 June, when they returned to Arlington Heights.
At this time, their nine month term of service was expired (they were originally told they would be released on 10 June, 9 months from their reporting to camp) and they were preparing to ship home. It was then reported that General Lee and the Confederate army was due to invade Pennsylvania, the the Army of the Potomac marched off to meet them. This left the Capital unguarded, and the President and Secretary of War asked for volunteers to stay beyond their 9-month term. With the 25th Maine Infantry first refusing, and marching home, some 312 men (or 315 by another account) of the 27th Maine did choose to stay behind when they were asked. On 4 July, with the Union winning the Battle of Gettysburg, they then boarded the trains in Washington and were back in Portland, Maine on the 6th of July, 1863. They were then mustered out on the 17th.
The 27th Maine Infantry, at their mustering in, had 949 men*. Of this, 20 men died on duty (though none by enemy fire), 8 officers resigned, and 54 men were discharged or had deserted.
For their voluntary defense of the nation's capital, the 312 were initially rewarded the Medal of Honor. What happened after this, with an inconclusive list of who actually did volunteer to stay behind, resulted in the entire regiment receiving the medals. This would in turn result in the 1917 purge of all men of the 27th ME from the Medal of Honor rosters.
*According to Col Wentworth and Adj't Reports, the regiment had 949 men mustered in, lost 82 through the year, and had 867 when mustered out. However, 864 was the official number of those who returned to Maine and was the number used when the Medal of Honors were issued. This would make (864+82) the muster-in count stand at 946, which is the exact number of names I have compiled in my database of those who served in this unit.
sources:
A Shower of Stars by John J Pullen c1966
The Union Army, Volume 1
Maine in the War for the Union c1965 William ES Whitman + Charles H True
History of York County, Maine c1880 (pg 120-149)
History of the 27th Maine - James Stone c1895 (book available to read on Internet Archive)
The Twenty-Seventh Regiment Infantry was comprised by men raised almost entirely in York County, Maine, reporting to camp in Portland starting on the 10th of September, 1862, their official enlistment date. On the 19th, the officers were elected, followed by the mustering in of the troops on the 30th. After their training, and a brief return to their homes (while this occurred, the regiment was 'topped off' with later enlistments) around the 14th and 15th of October, they left by train for Washington, DC on 20 October, arriving there two days later and setting up camp on East Capital Hill. From there, they went on to Camp Chase at Arlington Heights, afterwards to Camp Seward, where they held picket duty from 26 October to 12 December 1862. Following this, they were sent to Camp Vermont at Hunting Creek, VA to relieve a Vermont brigade of their picket duty, an "eight mile long line from the Orange & Alexandria Railroad to the Potomac River near Mt. Vernon". It was here where they spent the winter, reported to be a severe one, and they lost several men due to the weather. The beginning of the new year found them at yet another location, Camp Casey, on the south side of Fairfax Seminary.
On 24 March 1863, they left camp and moved on to Chantilly, Virginia, where they were placed on the outermost line of infantry in the defense of Washington. They stayed here until 25 June, when they returned to Arlington Heights.
At this time, their nine month term of service was expired (they were originally told they would be released on 10 June, 9 months from their reporting to camp) and they were preparing to ship home. It was then reported that General Lee and the Confederate army was due to invade Pennsylvania, the the Army of the Potomac marched off to meet them. This left the Capital unguarded, and the President and Secretary of War asked for volunteers to stay beyond their 9-month term. With the 25th Maine Infantry first refusing, and marching home, some 312 men (or 315 by another account) of the 27th Maine did choose to stay behind when they were asked. On 4 July, with the Union winning the Battle of Gettysburg, they then boarded the trains in Washington and were back in Portland, Maine on the 6th of July, 1863. They were then mustered out on the 17th.
The 27th Maine Infantry, at their mustering in, had 949 men*. Of this, 20 men died on duty (though none by enemy fire), 8 officers resigned, and 54 men were discharged or had deserted.
For their voluntary defense of the nation's capital, the 312 were initially rewarded the Medal of Honor. What happened after this, with an inconclusive list of who actually did volunteer to stay behind, resulted in the entire regiment receiving the medals. This would in turn result in the 1917 purge of all men of the 27th ME from the Medal of Honor rosters.
*According to Col Wentworth and Adj't Reports, the regiment had 949 men mustered in, lost 82 through the year, and had 867 when mustered out. However, 864 was the official number of those who returned to Maine and was the number used when the Medal of Honors were issued. This would make (864+82) the muster-in count stand at 946, which is the exact number of names I have compiled in my database of those who served in this unit.
sources:
A Shower of Stars by John J Pullen c1966
The Union Army, Volume 1
Maine in the War for the Union c1965 William ES Whitman + Charles H True
History of York County, Maine c1880 (pg 120-149)
History of the 27th Maine - James Stone c1895 (book available to read on Internet Archive)
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If you are interested in reading more about the 27th Maine and the Medal of Honor, you must read John Pullen's A Shower of Stars. Originally published in 1966, a reprint came out in 1997. It is available at Amazon.com and through its many booksellers, both in new and used conditions (in hardcover and paperback). It is also available on the Kindle - check out the preview link:
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