1st Regiment, Maine Infantry

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, Maine Infantry mustered in: May 3, 1861 at Portland, and mustered out: August 5, 1861 at Portland, Regiment's duty was defenses of Portland until August 1.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Regiment Infantry, (accessed 29 May 2012).
 * The Wikipedia article, 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, (accessed 6 July 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - Portland Light Infantry

Company B - Portland Mechanic Blues

Company C - Portland Light Guards

Company D - Portland Rifle Corps

Company E - Portland Rifle Guards

Company F - Lewiston Light Infantry

Company G - Norway Light Infantry

Company H - Auburn Artillery

Company I - Portland Rifle Guards

Company K - Lewiston Zouaves

Names for the above companies from the Department of the Secretary of State Maine Archives.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 877 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Regimental History and Roster

 * The First Maine Heavy Artillery. By Horace H. Shaw; Charles J. House. Portland, Me. .: s.n., 1903. Online at: Internet Archive

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Maine in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Maine in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Maine, and how to find them. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Gould, John M. (John Mead). History of the First-Tenth-Twenty-ninth Maine Regiment : in service of the United States from May 3, 1861, to June 21, 1866. (Portland, Maine : Stephen Berry, 1871),.


 * Stanley, Ruel H,. Eastern Maine and the Rebellion : being an account of the principal local events in eastern Maine during the war and brief histories of eastern Maine regiments. (Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, c2002),