The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-07-30
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Sixth Maine Regiment.

The Sixth Maine Regiment.
The relics Of this glorious regiment, whoss
services in the field have covered the State
with glory, returned to this city, at the end o
their term of enlistment, on Friday last, ant
are now at Camp Berry waiting to be muster
ed out. 1t was TO soldier of this regiment
that the high opinion the rebel General Lee
entertains of Maine troops, was communicat-
ed. After the second battle of Fredericks.
burg, private Crockett, of Co. A, who had
fallen into the hands OF the enemy as prison.
er, observed wounded rebel lying on the
ground exposed to the fire and begging for
water He took him upon his back, carried
him to place of safety and brought him wa
ter In his canteen. Gen. Wilcox, with whose
brigade the 9th had been lighting, observed
the action, carried the soldier to Gen. Lee
who asked him where he belonged, and being
told, said: "7he Maine troops ave the bes,
troops in your army" Gen. Lee gave the
young hero pass on the railroad to Rich.
mond, and in few days he was exchanged
and we are glad to learn returned home with
his company safe and sound.
The 9th was recruited in Washington, Han
cock, Penobscot and Piscstaquis Counties, and
left Portland for the seat of war on the 18th
Of July, 1861, under command of Col Abner
Knowles, of Bangor, numbering about one
thousand men. They arrived in Washington
on the 10th and encamped at Chain Bridge
the 2lst, the day Of the disastrous rout of Bul
Run. They built Battery Vermont, and a
smaller earthwork commanding the Chain
Bridge, and on the Sd OF September crossed
the Potomac, worked upon Ft Ethan Allen
and did an immense amount of labor In clear
ing the woods within range of the batteries
mounted there. The strength and skill Of
these trained backwoodsmen as the gigantic
oaks of the Potomac fell like grain before
their rapid, ringing strokes, were the adnira-
flon of the officers, and the envy of other regi-
ments.
Later in the fall the regiment was pushed
forward towards Lewinsville, occupying Fort
Griffin through the fall and winter. Colonel
Knowles resigned In January, and was sue
ceeded by Colonel, now General Hiram Burn
ham, of Cherryfeld. Under this brave and
energetic officer the regiment was thoroughly
drilled and prepared for service. In March,
1862, the regiment was put into Hancock's
brigade Of Baldy Smiths division, numbering
about 900 men, having lost $50 by deaths and
discharges for disability, and having been re-
cruited by about so men, and marched tc
the front. The dreaded works of Manassas
that had kept our splendid army in checl
for nearly niue months, proving to be only
mounted with maple guns, and to be manned
with no troops, the grand counter march to-
wards the Peninsula commenced.
On the 9th of April, the regiment first came
under fire in skirmish at Lees Mills on War
wick Creek. The army had been meantime
organized into corps, and Smiths division had
been attached to the 4th corps under Gen. Z
ID. Keyes. The 9th had been sent forward tc
reconnoitre and ascertain the position Of the
enemy's defences, which they did effectuall,
and with the loss Of three men wounded. Al
most daily skirmishing with the rebels sue
ceeded, the Maine 9th being constantly EN-
ployed in building earthworks and standing OF
picket, until the 4th of May, when they cross
ed Warwick Creek, and marched TO Williams
burg.
On the 5tn of May, the battle of Williams
burg was fought. Gen. Hancock crossed
Queens Creek, sluggish arm of the Yorl
River, at small dam. Upon the opposit,
bank was asmall redoubt and upon the height
beyond and little to the left another, botl
unoccupied BY the enemy. The woods skirt
ed the bank OF the creek and extended TO
wards the enemy's lines on either hand, leav
ing space Of cleared land from the two re
doubts to Ft. Magruda, alarge earthwork abou
mile from the creek at right angles, capabl
Of holding six or seven thousand men. L
this and In redoubts upon either flank, the enc
my were strongly posted. Gen. Hancoc
posted two regiments in the woods on th
right, and one in the woods on the left, Will
the 9th Maine and 5th Wisconsin, advance
across the open space directly towards tn
rebel works. Half mile from the fort tn
enemy was met advancing, (Early's brigade,
and larger force skirmished with our regl
ments stationed in the woods. The 9th Main
and 9th Wisconsin fell back in good ordel
with a loss to the latter of 60 or 10 men. A
the second redoubt they faced about, four {
the Maine companies occupying that wor
and the rest forming on either flank. Aftt
the firing began, the 7th Maine came u
and completed the line TO the edge of Ii
woods on the right. After interchanging
few volleys the enemy broke and retreate
and the whole line, including the 7th Main
being pushed forward about 500 prisoner
taken, and 40 or so were found killed, th
wounded being included among the prisoner
No charge whatever was made, nor was OF
hne advanced until the enemy were route
and in full flight
Inc regiment having been meantime tran
ferred to the 9th corps, Gen. Franklin. move
moved on towards Richmond and crossed II
Cmckahomlny on the 9th of June, and O
the 9th was fought the battle of Golden
Farm. The 9th corps held the center Of II
line, and Fitz John Porter the extreme ricl
on the north of Chiekahominy. Gen. Port
being heavily attacked, fell back with seye
loss, and on the evening of the day of his d
feat,..t 9Th corps was attacked just after dar
The 9th Maine held about the centre of Il
line. The battle was with musketry, lasti
about an hour, and the enemy's attack was
pulsed with a loss to the regiment Of abo
rs men.
On the 30th of June, while falling back
wards James river, the regiment lost Il
men wounded from heavy fire of shell, a
srrived with the rest Of the army at Har