Maine's Three Month Men

The 1^st Maine Infantry answered President Abraham Lincoln’s call for volunteers, completing the raising of their regiment on April 28^th 1861.

When President Abraham Lincoln made his first call for troops in April 1861, the State of Maine was required to raise one infantry regiment for three months of military service.   In Maine the one regiment of infantry was raise by reorganizing 10 state militia companies and was completed on April 28^th 1861 at Portland, Maine.  The 779 men were mustered into the three month regiment on May 3^rd 1861 under the command of Colonel Nathaniel Jackson as the 1^st Maine Infantry.

The First Maine was shipped to Washington, DC where they served from June 1^st 1861 until August 1^st 1861.  The men spent their whole service with the 1^st camped at Meridian Hill, defending Washington, DC.  When the 1^st was mustered out of service on August 5^th 1861, many of the men found they had signed enlistment papers for two or three years of service.  Eight companies of these men were transferred to the 10^th Maine Infantry.