This Regiment was organized at Portland, Me., Nov. 16th, 1861, to serve three years, and left for Lowell, Mass., on the 24th, where after being encamped several weeks, it embarked on board the steamship Constitution, Jan. 2d, 1862, constituting a portion of Gen. Butler's New England Division, designed for the capture of New Orleans.
On the 19th of Jan. they disembarked at Fortress Monroe, and on the 4th of Feb. proceeded on their voyage, arriving at Ship Island on the 12th.
They remained at Ship Island until the 4th of May, then proceeded to New Orleans. On the 22d of June, they participated in the expedition to Manchac Pass, where they engaged the enemy, and suffered a loss of 14 killed and several wounded and taken prisoners.
Subsequently they returned to New Orleans, where they remained until the 21st of Oct. On that day the regiment moved to Camp Parapet, and on the 19th, proceeded towards Baton Rouge, where they arrived on the 20th of Dec. During this march they were engaged in frequent skirmishes with the enemy, but met with few casualties.
In the Spring of 1863, during the early stages of the campaign, towards the reduction of Port Hudson, they performed an important part, assisting in covering the successful naval movement under Farragut, which resulted in his passing the enemy's stronghold with his fleet and communicating with the fleet above. Returning to Baton Rouge, they formed a portion of the expedition under Gen. Grover, up Grand Lake, after which they participated in the Port Hudson campaign, losing 68 killed and wounded.
On the 7th of July, immediately following the surrender of Port Hudson, they embarked for Donaldsonville, engaged the enemy at that place, and there remained about a month, when they returned to New Orleans.
From thence they proceeded to Ship Island to protect that post from a threatened attack from Mobile, and there remained during the months of Aug. and Sept.; then returned to New Orleans, remaining until Jan. 3d, 1864, when they formed a part of an exzpedition to Madisonville, which they occupied until the 11th of March.
On the 12th, two-thirds of the regiment re-enlisted as veterans, who, April 16th, were furloughed and came to Maine, the non-re-enlisting men remaining at New Orleans.
The furloughed men arrived at Portland on the 27th of April, and re-assembled there on the 27th of May, when they left for New York, where they arrived on the 3d of June and sailed for New Orleans on the 8th.
Immediately upon their arrival at New Orleans on the 16th, they were ordered to Carrolton and from thence on the 23d to Morganzia, where they arrived on the following day.
On the 3d of July they proceeded to Algiers, and on the 13th sailed for Fortress Monroe, where they arrived on the 20th.
From thence they proceeded to City Point, where they were ordered to report to Gen. Butler at Bermuda Hundred.
Disembarking on the 21st, they proceeded on the same night to Gen. Butler's position between Appomattox and the James Rivers, and there remained until the 28th, when they participated in the movement of the 2d Corps and Gen. Sheridan's command across the James River.
On the 31st of July they were ordered to Washington, thence towards the Shenandoah Valley, and joined Gen. Sheridan's forces at Berryville on the 17th of August.
On the following morning they moved towards Harper's Ferry as far as Charlestown, and took position, remaining until the 21st, when they retreated to Hall Town.
On the 3d of Sept. they proceeded up the valley and participated in the battle of Winchester on the 19th, losing in the engagement, 2 commissioned officers killed and 6 wounded, 12 enlisted men killed, 78 wounded and 15 missing; then they joined in the pursuit of the enemy to Harrisburg, where they arrived on the 25th, and returned to Cedar Creek on the 10th of October. They bore an honorable part in the action at that place on the 19th, in which their casualties were as follows: 1 commissioned officer and 6 enlisted men killed, 2 commissioned officers and 20 enlisted men wounded, 2 commissioned officers and 51 enlisted men missing.
On the 20th of Oct. they moved to Strasburg, and shortly afterwards returned to their old position at Cedar Creek, where they remained until the 9th of Nov.; on that day, with their corps, they moved back to the northern bank of the Opequan.
The regiment was mustered out of service at Portland, Me., Dec. 7th, 1864, the recruits and re-enlisted men, however, remaining in the field and being organized into a battalion of four companies. This battalion was afterwards ordered to Savannah, Ga., where it was subsequently raised to a full regiment by the assignment iof the 10th, 12th, 11th, 15th, 18th and 16th Companies of Unassigned Infantry, organized at Augusta, Me., in February and March, 1865, to serve one, two and three years, and which were assigned as Companies E, F, G, H, I and K, respectively.
These Companies were mustered out at the expiration of their term of service in February and March, 1866, the two and three years men, together with the battalion of veterans, remaining on duty at Savannah, Ga., until the 18th of April, 1866, when the whole battalion was mustered out of the U. S. service at that place, by Lieut. J. Hartwell Butler, Commissary of Musters, Department of Georgia, under the provisions of War Department General Order No. 94, series of 1865, and in pursuance of Special Order No. 71, dated Head Quarters Military Division of the Tennessee, April 10th, 1866. Then then took transports for New York, where the men werepaid and finally discharged.