17th Maine Infantry Regt.
The 17th Maine was mustered into service in Cape Elizabeth on Aug 18th 1862, part of the Red Diamond Brigade. The order of The Red Patch was a declaration awarded to units by Brig. General David Birney that exhibited outstanding service in the field. The 17th was part of Maj. Gen. Dan Sickle's 3rd Corp which carried the Red Diamond as their Corp Badge. The order of the Red Patch allowed soldiers to wear a red patch somewhere on their uniforms.
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The 17th participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancelorville, Spotsylvania, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Cold Harbor Petersburg and The Appomatox Campaign. Their continued use at the point of heaviest fighting at these battles allowed them to lay claim as one of the best combat units from the state of Maine. They incurred more causualties than any other infantry unit from Maine.
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On July 2, 1863 The Regiment carried 350 Officers and men into the left of the union line at Gettysburg. When Maj. Gen. Dan Sickles decided to move his 3rd Corp without orders or notifying Gen. Meade he created a salient (bulge in the line) that was exposed to attack on 3 sides. His decision was one he would spend the remaining 50 years of his life defending.
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After a lunch of hardtack and coffee, as part of this action by the 3rd Corp, Birney's division began a march across an open field lined with landmarks with names like "The Peach Orchard, Rose's Woods, The Wheatfield, Houcks Ridge and Devils Den" on their right while Big and Little Round Tops rose up to their left. They were headed to occupy a ridge along Emmitsburg Road. They were part of a 10,000 man, 2 mile front formed by the 3rd Corp.
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Meanwhile a Confederate Corp commanded by Lt. Gen. James Longstreet was completing a round about march to outflank the left end of the union line. This march created a 14,000 man front opposite Sickles. The 17th Maine as part Birney's division formed the far left of the Sickles Corp. These confederate troops were the finest, hardest fought troops in the confederacy and they were led by the best commander in the confederacy. When these troops stepped out onto the field led by Hood's and McLaw's divisions and began their march across Rose's Farm some observers wrote after the battle that they had never seen better disciplined, confident troops in any Army. They never waived or faltered.
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The 17th Maine was sent further to the left to Gen. Wards Brigade which was under horrendous fire as the salient was attacked on 3 sides. Lt. Col. Charles Merrill a lawyer from Portland stopped his men and ordered them to take defensive positions along the wall. Soon the 3rd Arkansas came across the field in full attack. The Arkansas troops were soon joined by Georgia troops giving the rebels overwhelming odds. Some of the rebels were stealing along the elevated banks of Plum Run stream in an attempt to gain added flanking advantage. The stone wall afforded just enough cover to help even the odds in this first charge. At times the rebels were able to reach the wall where fighting became hand to hand but the confederates were finally driven back.
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The respite was momentary as soon 2200 South Carolinians under Gen. Kenshaw began a march across Rose's farm field.
Kenshaw's men drove the 5th Michigan and the 110th Penn. off Stoney Hill and drove on toward the 17th position. On the right Ward's troops had been driven from Haucks Ridge and Devils Den. With troops having been routed on their left and right the 17th Maine stood alone on the line. The brigade commander de Trobiand rode up and ordered the 17th to retire but the regiment either didn't hear him or just refused to leave their protected position behind the stone wall. At the time they did not see an advantage to try to retreat across an open field. Later an aid to Gen. Birney rode up and reissued the order and this time the regiment obeyed as conditions had become undefendable.
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The unit retreated to the ridgeline on the Wheatfield and formed a new line. Gen. Birney joined the 17th Maine's position and from that vantage point could see that his Artillery was in trouble and needed infantry support so he sent the 17th Maine back out into the Wheatfield. Col. de Trobiand the brigade commander rode out into the field with the regiment and told them they must hold this ground. When one of the men said "We are almost out of ammunition." de Trobiand said "Then you hold it with the bayonet", they fixed bayonets.
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The 17th Maine and the 5th Michigan held this position for 30 minutes by scrounging shells from fallen comrades.
As reinforcements came in, the 17th Maine was retired. Although this battle raged on until early evening at the end Sickle's salient was lost. Sickles was badly wounded (he lost a leg) , almost all the ground on the left end of the Union line had been lost except Little Round Top where another Maine regiment awaited a date with the 15th Alabama.
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In Birney's report of the battle he stated that the 17th Maine after having been driven from their position by overwhelming force had responded to my personel appeal and again charged onto the Wheatfield to retake their position and hold it until reinforcements could arrive.
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Footnote: In 1862 President Lincoln appealed to Maine to raise another 5 regiments. 5,000 volunteers responded and the Maine 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Infantry Regiments were formed. They all were attached to the Army of the Potomac with the 18th being reassigned as the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery in defense of Washington. The other units all saw extensive fighting with the Army of the Potomac including Gettysburg. The 1 Maine Heavy Artillery would keep its name but would be again reassigned to an infantry unit and rejoin the field at Petersburg.
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