This Regiment was organized at Bangor, Me., August 21st, 1862, as the 18th Regiment Infantry, to serve three years, and left Bangor, August 24th, for Washington, where, after occupying a position on the Virginia side, and doing garrison duty for nearly five months, in accordance with orders from the War Department, the organization was changed to Heavy Artillery, and by General Order No. 62, Adjutant General’s Office of Maine, series of 1862, was designated as the 1st Regiment Heavy Artillery of Maine Volunteers.

The several companies were stationed in the forts and batteries forming the defenses of Washington, and there remained until 1864.

The 3d Battery of Mounted Artillery was temporarily attached to this regiment by War Department Special Order No. 144 of March 28th, 1863, and served as Company M, until relieved and reorganized as a Battery of Mounted Artillery, by War Department Special Order No. 88, of Feb. 23rd, 1864.

The organization of the 1st Me. Heavy Artillery, with the maximum number of men required, (1800) was completed in the month of February, 1864.

On the 15th of May, the regiment embarked on transports to join the Army of the Potomac, debarking at Belle Plain Landing; and on the 19th, near Fredericksburg Pike, it took a prominent part in repulsing the heavy attack of the enemy on the supply trains; the loss of the regiment in that action being as follows: Commissioned officers killed, 6; wounded, 6; enlisted men killed, 76; wounded, 388; aggregate loss, 476.

On the 24th, the regiment was assigned to the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, Major General Birney commanding.

On the 16th and 18th of June it participated in the charges on the enemy’s works at Petersburg, Va.; the loss of the regiment during those two days being 7 commissioned officers killed and 25 wounded, 108 enlisted men killed and 464 wounded.

The regiment also participated in the unsuccessful movement on the 22d to establish a line to extend south of Petersburg, losing about twenty men, chiefly prisoners.

On the 18th of August, the regiment, doing picket duty near Deep Bottom, Col. Chaplin commanding the line was mortally wounded by a rebel sharpshooter, and died on the 20th,

The regiment afterwards moved to the vicinity of Fort Sedgwick, where it remained until Sept. 30th, continually under fire; the loss in killed and wounded, however, did not amount to twenty.

On the 2d of October, the regiment participated in the movement in the direction of the South Side Railroad, and returned to Fort Sedgwick on the 6th, having lost seven men; and on the 27th, in the action on the Boydton Plank Road, losing in killed, wounded and missing, 3 commissioned officers and 29 enlisted men.

The regiment returned to the front of Petersburg on the 28th, and was ordered to Cedar Level; and on the 7th of December took part in the destruction of Jarrett’s Station on the Weldon Railroad, returning to Petersburg on the 12th.

On the 5th of February, 1865, it participated in the movement to Hatcher’s Run, where it remained doing the ordinary picket duty till March 25th, when it was engaged with the enemy for more than one hour, losing 1 commissioned officer and 3 enlisted men killed, 17 wounded, and 6 taken prisoners.

It also participated in all of the movements resulting in the evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg, and the surrender of the Rebel Army under Lee - losing in the several engagements, 4 commissioned officers wounded, 4 enlisted men killed and 21 wounded.

On the 16th of April, the regiment was at Bailey’s Cross Roads and participated in the Grand Review at Washington.

On the 6th of June, the original members of the regiment were mustered out of the U. S. service, but the organization, composed of veterans and recruits of this regiment, and accessions from the 17th and 19th Regiments, remained and occupied the line of forts from Fort Washington on the Potomac to Fort McMahon on the Anticosti, until September 11th, 1865, when it was mustered out of the U. S. service at Washington, D. C., by Capt. D. W. Van Horn, Assistant Commissary of Musters, in accordance with orders from the War Department.

Leaving Washington on the 12th, it arrived in Bangor, Me., on the 17th, where, on the 20th, the members of the regiment were paid and finally discharged.