The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-08

1.-THE brothers S. w. and P. NJ. Clark
Maine took the lead of the division and
when the troops saw that they cried out,
Eight today, boys; the First Names in
the advance"
Gregg dismounted his men and built
rude breastworks, and then the Maine men
opened the fight and ended it, using both
carbines and revolvers
Though ordered to retire, the men did SO
slowly, turning at every ridge and fence
and clump of trees for one more volley. So
they held on till a battery came to their
aid, and they helped to defend that when it
ran out of ammunition. OF the 26O men
engaged II were killed and 90 wounded.
Hampton was held up until the wagon
train was beyond reach. Sheridan left the
Army OF the Potomac Aug /, 1854, but
Gregg's division remained behind at Peters.
burg, following the fortunes of Hancock in
his expeditions on the Confederate TANKS.
The regiment added four battles to its list
during August, and in September was re-
enforced by eight companies of Maine
troops transferred from the First District
of Columbia cavalry. The strength was
about 500 with this increase On Oct. 81,
at Boydton Road, 16 were killed and Sc
wounded IN savage fight with Wade
Hampton's mounted forces.
The First Maine at that time belonged
to brigade commanded by Col. c. II.
Smith. ats former leader, who was a cap
tain in the regiment in 1861. Cilley, the first
recruit and the first man wounded, had
gravitated to the top and led the regiment
The highest casualty list of all was at
Dinwiddie Court House, March 81, the pre-
Gminary of Five Forks. Sheridan's cavalry
was forced to give ground all day and at
length Smiths brigade was called upon to
defend creek crossing against heavy odds.
The First Maine dismounted and advanced
in deployed line to meet charging cavalry.
They opened fire with Spencer and Henry
rifles, and 16 shooters, and the Confeder-
ate column trembled, wavered and parted
right and left, soon to melt away in form
less wreck of dead horses and men. In this
fight the First Names loss was 81 killed
and &C wounded.
At Appomattox, Smiths brigade was
placed in the last gap opened to Lee, the
Lynchburg road. The fighting on Sunday,
April 9, that ended in Lees surrender,
began on the front of the First Maine, and
its loss there was killed and Is wounded
The total loss of the regiment killed and
mortally wounded was Is officers and 159
men, the highest suffered by any cavalry
regiment in the Union army.
The First Maine was organized and led
throughout by volunteer officers. 1t lost
/ colonel, majors and captains killed in
action. AT St. Mary's Church it's colonel,
lieutenant colonel and major were
wounded
And all this noble record was made by
average men. The twin sergeants whose
pictures from photographs taken during
the war accompany this sketch, would not
stand out on an artists canvas so grandly
as do some of the Uhlans and Dragons
that rode at Grovellotte and Sedan, but
they are types of the First Maine troops,
for whom there can be no grander eulogy
than the simple record of their persistent
daring. Another thing, have stated that
the regiment was led by volunteers. Early
in its career a cast iron rule of antiprofan-
ity and total abstinence was promulgated
at headquarters. This may not signify
anything, but some ways would have it
that for troo1 ers in the field there was no
redeeming vie left except fighting, hence
the thirty-six battles on the First Names
flag. GEORGE l.. KILMER