The History of the Nineteenth Regiment of Maine Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1865

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1909. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVIII. JOYFUL RETURN HOME. When the news of the surrender of Lee's army reached the Union lines, some of our troops on the left began firing a salute in honor of the victory. General Grant, however, had it stopped at once. Rations were issued by General Meade to the hungry Confederate troops. The men were kept within close limits after the surrender. The boys of the Regiment were not permitted to look into the faces of the brave men who had been overcome and compelled to surrender. Of the three hundred fighting regiments, so-called, from having lost in battle upwards of 130 men, in killed and mortally wounded, Maine furnished thirteen regiments. Of course the Nineteenth Maine is found in this list. Excluding the First Maine Heavy Artillery, a very large regiment, having a total enrollment of upwards of 2,200, the Nineteenth stands second in extent of losses in that list of thirteen regiments. Its killed and mortally wounded actually numbered 200. An unaccountable fact in connection with the history of the Regiment is that only three commissioned officers were killed or mortally wounded. The men who carried rifles in this Regiment would contend that after the beginning of 1864 no regiment from Maine had better commissioned officers than the old Nineteenth. Some of the officers who left the service in '62 and '63 did not remain long enough with the Regiment to show whether they would make good officers or riot. Others were driven from the service by disease. Still others left the service and, by leaving, did the service more good than they would have done by remaining. The loss of the Sixteenth Maine in commissioned officers, either killed or mortally wounded, was nine. The Sixth Maine lost twelve and the Twentieth Maine, nine. The Thirty-first Maine Regim...