Maine Light Battery B

Maine Light Battery B was also known as the 2nd Maine Artillery. The unit was organized at Augusta in November 1861. The men came from the state at large, but the biggest contingent hailed from Knox county.

The battery consisted of 6 Ordnance Rifles and 127 men. Their commander was Capt. James A. Hall (1835-1893), a merchant from Damariscotta.

The unit’s white granite monument is located on the Chambersburg Pike, near the monuments to Generals Buford and Reynolds. This is where the regiment fought on July 1. Four highly polished granite cannon balls top the memorial.

Maine Light Battery B (2nd Maine Artillery)

1st Corps Artillery Brigade

Engaged: 6 Ordnance Rifles and 127 men; 18 wounded

Monument: Chambersburg Pike. Marker in National Cemetery.

5th Maine Infantry

The 5th Maine was raised at Portland in June 1861, mainly taking it’s men from the counties of Androscoggin, Cumberland, Oxford, and York.

Their commander at Gettysburg was Col. Clark S. Edwards (1824-1903), a farmer from Bethel.

The simple monument to this regiment is located on a boulder near Sedgwick Avenue. The regiment held this position — in reserve — from the afternoon of July 2 until the end of the battle.

5th Maine Infantry

6th Corps, 1st Division, 2nd Brigade

340; no loss reported

Monument: Sedgwick Avenue

19th Maine Infantry

The 19th Maine was recruited from the counties of Kennebec, Knox, Sagadahoc, Somerset, and Waldo. It mustered in to Federal service at Bath on August 25, 1862. The regiment numbered just under 550 at Gettysburg.

Their commander was Col. Francis E. Heath (1838-1897), a clerk from Waterville. Heath was wounded by a shell fragment on July 3. The second commander was Lt. Col. Henry W. Cunningham (1806-1871), a former militia officer.

The 19th Maine’s simple regimental monument is located south of the Angle on Hancock Avenue. This was the main regimental line on July 2 and 3.

19th Maine Infantry

2nd Corps, 2nd Division, 1st Brigade

543; 29 killed, 170 wounded, 4 missing

Monument: Hancock Avenue

1st Maine Cavalry

The monument to the 1st Maine Cavalry is located along the heavily traveled (and extremely dangerous) Hanover Road near the park entrance to the East Cavalry battlefield.

The monument consits of a large bas relief of a cavalryman mounting his steed.

The 1st Maine Cavalry came from the counties of Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Penobscot, Somerset, and York.

It was formed at Augusta in the fall of 1861.

Their commander at Gettysburg was Lt. Col. Charles H. Smith (1827-1902), a teacher and law student in Eastport, Maine at the beginning of the War.

Smith was wounded at the battle of Saint Mary’s Church on June 24, 1864 and was later awarded a Medal of Honor for that fight. He remained in the Army after the War.

(Company L served at First Corps Headquarters while Company I served at Cavalry Corps headquarters.)

1st Maine Cavalry

Cavalry Corps, 2nd Division, 3rd Brigade

Lt. Col. Charles H. Smith (1827-1902)

Engaged: 438; 1 killed, 4 wounded

Monument: Hanover Road

4th Maine Infantry

The 4th Maine monument is located among the rocks of Devil’s Den.  It is a small, simple oblesik shape that contains red granite diamonds — symbolic of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps.  The monument was designed by the regiment’s colonel.

The 4th came from the counties of Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo.  It was commanded by Col. Elijah Walker (1818-1905), a lumber merchant from Rockland.  He was wounded on July 2 and Capt. Edwin Libby (1832-1864) took command.  Libby, a sea captain from Rockland, was killed at the Wilderness.

4th Maine Infantry

3d Corps, 1st Division, 2nd Brigade

Col. Elijah Walker (1818-1905)

Engaged: 332; 11 killed, 59 wounded, 74 missing

Monument: Crawford Avenue at Devil’s Den

6th Maine Infantry

Members of the 6th Corps, the 6th Maine served in reserve at Gettysburg.  Numbering nearly 450 men, the unit was commanded by Col. Hiram Burnham (1813-1864).  Burnham was later promoted to general and was killed at the battle of Chaffin’s Farm in September 1864.

The regiment was raised from the counties of Hancock, Penobscot, Piscatquis, and Washington.  The 6th Maine suffered no losses at Gettysburg.

Their monument is located with the rest of the Brigade on Howe Avenue.  The monument is a rather simple reddish colored stone die that’s main feature is the Sixth Corps famous Greek Cross at the top.

6th Maine Infantry

6th Corps, 1st Division, 3rd Brigade

Commanded by:  Col. Hiram Burnham (1813-1864)

Engaged: 439; no losses

Monument: Howe Avenue

3rd Maine Infantry

The 3rd Maine Infantry fought at the Peach Orchard on July 2, 1863.

The regiment came mainly from the counties of Kennebec, Sagadahoc, and Somerset and was mustered in during June 1861. Their commander was Colonel Moses B. Lakeman (1828-1907). When Lakeman took command of the brigade, Capt. William C. Morgan (1830-1864), a printer in Boston, commanded the 3rd Maine. Morgan was mortally wounded at the Wilderness in 1864.

The regiment number just over 250 at Gettysburg; it suffered severe casualties. The red granite monument is rather plain except for a large red diamond shaped block balanced on the top of the shaft. The shaft briefly explains the 3rd Maine’s role at Gettysburg. There are also markers along Hancock Avenue and Berdan Avenue for this regiment.

3rd Maine Infantry

Members of the 3rd Corps, 1st Division, 2nd Brigade

Commanded by: Colonel Moses B. Lakeman (1828-1907)

Engaged: 266; 18 killed, 59 wounded, 45 missing

Monument: The Peach Orchard. Markers on Berdan and Hancock Avenues.

5th Maine Artillery, Battery “E”

Today’s monument is located on “Steven’s Knoll” between East Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill.

Dedicated to the 5th Maine Artillery, Battery “E” this monument was dedicated on October 3, 1889. It stands just in front of the large equestrian monument to General Slocum. The monument’s main feature is the highly polished die made of red Beach granite. Red was chosen because it is the color of the artillery branch. Balanced on top of the die is a black granite cannonball of almost three feet in diameter — symbolic of a cannonball. The monument also features a “bas relief” of three artillerymen loading a Napolean cannon. The 5th Maine battery was made up of six 12 pound Napolean cannons and 136 men at Gettysburg.

The commander of the battery was Capt. Greenlieft T. Stevens (1831-1918). Stevens Knoll is named for him. Stevens was a graduate of Harvard and a lawyer prior to the Civil War. He was wounded in the July 2 fight. Lt. Edward N. Whittier (1840-1902) succeeded to command of the battery. Whittier was a future Medal of Honor winner (for the battle of Fisher’s Hill, Virginia).

There is an additional small marker to this artillery unit along Seminary Avenue.

5th Maine Artillery (Battery E)

Members of the 1st Corps Artillery Brigade

Commanded by: Capt. Greenlieft T. Stevens (1831-1918), Lt. Edward N. Whittier (1840-1902)

Numbered: 136; six 12 lbs Napolean guns; 3 killed, 13 wounded, 7 missing

Monument: Slocum Avenue, “Stevens Knoll.” Secondary marker along Seminary Avenue.

6th Maine Artillery (Dow’s Battery)

The 6th Maine Artillery (also known as McGilvery’s, Dow’s, or “Battery F”) was raised from Aroostook County.  The commander at Gettysburg was Lt. Edwin B. Dow (1835-1917), a native of New Brunswick Canada.  The battery was made up of four 12 pound Napoleon cannons and 103 men.  In action on July 2, the battery lost 13 men.

The monument is located along Hancock Avenue, just south of the Pennsylvania Monument.  It is a relatively simple stone monument.  The main features include a stack of cannon balls at the top and a bas relief of an artillery cannon and flag.  Interestingly, this is one incidence where a star on the monument does not indicate the unit was with the XII Corps; Dow’s battery was part of the Artillery Reserve at Gettysburg.

6th Maine Artillery (Dow’s; Battery F)

Members of the Artillery Reserve, 4th Volunteer Brigade

Commanded by Lt. Edwin B. Dow (1835-1917)

Engaged: 103 men and 4 Napolean cannon; 13 wounded

Monument: Hancock Avenue, just south of the Pennsylvania Monument

Focus: the 20th Maine

Perhaps the most famous monument on the battlefield, due in large part to the movie Gettysburg, is the memorial to the 20th Maine.

Ironically, prior to the movie, this monument was probably not often visited. It is away from the other monuments on Little Round Top, down a short path, facing Big Round Top. There is a parking lot near it off of Wright Avenue, the “back way” up Little Round Top from near where the Taneytown Road intersects US route 15.

Pretty much everyone — even with a casual interest — knows about the 20th Maine. If you don’t, go rent Gettysburg (its not non-fiction, but its not that bad and you’ll get the gist). So I’ll just focus on the monument.

Placed in 1886 and dedicated on October 3d of that year, the monument is made of Hallowell granite. It stands 4′ by 5′4.” The monument marks the spot where Sgt. Andrew Tozier held the regimental colors. The monument lists the names of the 38 members of the regiment who died at Gettysburg.

There is a marker to company B located nearby.

Members of the 5th Corps, 1st Division, 3rd Brigade.

Commanded by Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain (1828-1914)

Lost 29 killed, 91 wounded, and 5 missing of 386 engaged

Monuments on Little Round Top (near Wright Avenue) and on Big Round Top