1st Regiment, Maine Volunteer Infantry

Brief History
While the 1st Maine was a 3 month regiment that began in 1861, many had enlisted for longer or were willing to reenlist. Though they wanted to retain their old designation, the men were incorporated into the 10th Regiment, Maine Infantry and later the 29th Regiment, Maine Infantry.

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 Guard Company F - Lewiston Light Infantry Company G - Norway Light Infantry Company H - Auburn Artillery Company I - Portland Rifle Guards Company K - Lewiston Zouaves

Source of the Company names is the Maine State Archives

Other Sources
Books


 * Gould, John M. and Leonard G. Jordan. History of the First-Tenth-Twenty-nineth Maine regiment: in service of the United States from May 3, 1861, to June 21, 1866, (Portland, Maine : Stephen Berry, 1871). Google Books.

Websites


 * 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.