8th Maine Infantry Regiment

Regimental History

Organized at Augusta and mustered in September 7, 1861. Left state for New York September 10, thence moved to Washington, D.C.
Attached to Viele's 1st Brigade, Sherman's South Carolina Expeditionary Corps, October, 1861, to April, 1862.
1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. South to November, 1862.

District of Beaufort, S.C., 10th Corps, Dept South, to April, 1863.
District of Hilton Head, S.C., 10th Corps, Dept. South to November, 1863.
District of Beaufort, S.C., 10th Corps, to April, 1864.
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Army Corps, Army of the James, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to May, 1864.
1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Army Corps, to June, 1864.

2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 18th Army Corps, to December, 1864.

4th Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Army Corps, to May, 1865.
2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Corps, May, 1865.
2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Corps, to August, 1865.
Dept. of Virginia to January, 1866

Service

Moved to Annapolis, Md., October 6, 1861.
Expedition to Port Royal, S.C., October 21 - November 7. Capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard, Port Royal Harbor. November 7. Hilton Head November 8-9. Duty at Hilton Head until February, 1862.
Five companies ordered to Dafuskie Island, S.C., February 14. Siege operations against Fort Pulaski until April 11. Bombardment and capture of Fort Pulaski April 10-11.
Duty at Hilton Head Beaufort, S.C. until March, 1863.
Expedition to Jacksonville, Fla., March 18-23. Operations near Jacksonville March 23-31.
Reconnaisance toward Baldwin March 25. Skirmish near Jacksonville March 25.
Moved to Beaufort, S.C., March 31 April 1. Expedition against Charleston April 3-12.
Moved to Hilton Head, S.C., April 16, and duty there until November 14.
Moved to Beaufort, S.C., November 14, and duty there until April, 1864.
Veterans on furlough March and April.
Moved to Fortress Monroe, Va., April 14. Butler's operations on south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-28. Occupation of City Point and Bermuda Hundred May 5. Port Walthall May 6-7. Swift Creek May 9-10. Arrow Field Church, Chester Station, May 10. Operations against Fort Darling May 12-16. Drury's Bluff May 14-16. Bermuda Hundred front May 17-28.
Moved to White House Landing May 28 - June 1.
Rapidan Campaign June 1-15.
Cold Harbor June 1-12.
Before Petersburg June 15-19. Siege of Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864 to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864.
(Reserve). Non-Veterans left front September 4, 1864, and mustered out September 15, 1864.
Chaffin's Farm September 28-30.
Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28.
Duty in trenches north of James River before Richmond until March 27, 1865.
Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28.
Appomattox Campaign March 28 - April 9.
White Oak Road March 30-31.
Assault and capture of Forts Gregg and Baldwin April 2.
Fall of Petersburg April 2.
Pursuit of Lee April 3-9.
Rice's Station April 6.
Appomattox C.H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army.
Duty at Richmond, Va., until August; at Manchester until November, and Fortress Monroe until January, 1866.
Mustered out January 18, 1866.

Regiment lost during service 6 Officers and 128 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 243 Enlisted men by disease. Total 381.

Note: A Maine Civil War Regiment, in theory, was made up of 10 companies of 100 enlisted men each, plus non-commissioned officers and officers, and the Regiment had a group of Field and Staff Officers and band. When they left Maine, the 8th had 770 enlisted men plus officers. The August 1864 Annual Report of Co. K, 8th Maine, showed it had 32 enlisted and officers present, with 22 fit for duty.
Note Source: Jeffrey E. Brown, Maine State Archives

Map of Beaufort-Hilton Head Area of Operations
Map of Richmond, Petersburg, Appomattox Area of Operations

The 8th moved to Petersburg, Virginia June 15-19 1864. They participated in the siege of Petersburg to April 2, 1865. This included the time of the infamous "mine explosion" on July 30. The following pictures, taken from NARA's Bradey collection are not represented to be of the 8th but they are scenes the 8th veterans would have recognized.

Soldiers relax after a drill session. Petersburg, 1864.
Waiting in the trenches before an attack. Petersburg, 1864.

The Appomattox Campaign started March 28, 1865. The 8th was there and participated until the final surrender on April 9. Regimental records indicate the 8th was at Appomattox Court House on April 9.

The Evans house, Appomattox Court House, where Lee surrendered April 9, 1865.

Last Updated May 30, 2001