Political Hannibal Hamlin of
Paris, Maine, was Lincoln's vice-president during his first term. A strong orator and opponent of
slavery, he urged both the issuance of the
Emancipation Proclamation and the arming of
African Americans. He became aligned with
Radical Republicans, which may have caused him to be dropped from the ticket in 1864.
Augusta newspaperman and
U.S. Congressman James G. Blaine was a powerful voice on
Capitol Hill and dominated post-war politics during the
Reconstruction period. The
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was substantially Blaine's proposition, and later he was the 1884 Republican nominee for president.
Union Army More than two dozen men from Maine served in the Union army as generals, and dozens more Mainers led
brigades at one time or another as colonels. The highest-ranking officer was Maj. Gen.
Oliver O. Howard of
Leeds, who commanded the
XI Corps in several major battles, including
Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He had lost an arm at the
Battle of Seven Pines during the 1862
Peninsula Campaign. In the fall of 1863, Howard and his corps were transferred to the
Western Theater to join the
Army of the Cumberland in
Tennessee. In the
Battle of Chattanooga, Howard's corps helped capture Missionary Ridge and force the retreat of Gen.
Braxton Bragg. In July 1864, Howard became commander of the
Army of the Tennessee and fought in the
Atlanta campaign. He led the right wing of Maj. Gen.
William T. Sherman's forces in the famous
March to the Sea and the subsequent
Carolinas campaign. private Daniel A. Bean of
Brownfield, Maine,
11th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment by
John Wilson Perhaps the most widely known officer from Maine to today's generation is
Brewer native
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, whose exploits in defending
Little Round Top during the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg were celebrated in the book
Killer Angels and the corresponding 1993 film
Gettysburg. His subordinate officers, including
Ellis Spear and
Holman S. Melcher, and the men of the 20th Maine successfully repulsed a series of charges made by
Alabama troops of the
Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Earlier in the war, the 20th had been led by
Adelbert Ames of
Rockland. The son of a sea captain, Ames rose at Gettysburg to command of a
division. He led the successful assault in the
Second Battle of Fort Fisher (commanding the 2nd Division,
XXIV Corps), accompanying his men into the formidable coastal fortress as most of his staff were shot down by Confederate snipers. Other notable generals from Maine included
George Lafayette Beal of
Norway, who led a brigade in the
Red River Campaign and the
Valley Campaigns of 1864. He was promoted to general for gallant service at the
Battle of Cedar Creek, where his brigade broke the Confederate lines during the turning point of the battle.
Hiram Berry of Rockland was killed at Chancellorsville while leading his 2nd Division of the
III Corps in a
bayonet charge.
James G. Blunt, a fiery
abolitionist born in
Trenton, won a victory at the
Battle of Honey Springs, bringing much of the
Indian Territory into Union control. In 1864, Blunt's division inflicted the final defeat to
Sterling Price at the
Second Battle of Newtonia, ending
Price's Missouri Raid.
Hiram Burnham of
Narraguagus was killed while assaulting Confederate positions near
Richmond, Virginia, during the
Battle of Chaffin's Farm.
Lowell's John C. Caldwell led a division in the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg in the fighting in the Wheatfield.
Aaron S. Daggett of
Greene was the last surviving Union Civil War general when he died in 1938 at the age of 100.
Neal Dow of Portland led a brigade during the Federal capture and occupation of
New Orleans and later commanded the District of Florida. Brothers
Francis and
James Fessenden, members of a prominent Maine political family, were both generals in the Union Army.
Cuvier Grover of
Bethel commanded a division in the
XIX Corps during the
capture of Baton Rouge and the
siege of Port Hudson.
Hampden's Cyrus Hamlin led a
brigade of black troops at Port Hudson and in other engagements.
Albion P. Howe of
Standish commanded 2nd Division of the
VI Corps at
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.
Rufus Ingalls of
Denmark, Maine, was the
Quartermaster General of the Army of the Potomac and later of all armies operating during the sieges of Richmond and Petersburg. He built up the huge supply depot at
City Point, Virginia.
Erasmus D. Keyes of
Kennebec County commanded the
IV Corps of Army of the Potomac during the first half of the war. Augusta's
Seth Williams was assistant
adjutant general of the Army of the Potomac and later was
inspector general on the staff of
Ulysses S. Grant. At
Appomattox Court House in April 1865, he carried Grant's message offering to accept
Robert E. Lee's surrender to the Confederate lines and later delivered Grant's terms to the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Danville Leadbetter, born in Leeds, cast his lot with the Confederacy and became a general in its army. Others, including
William Googins of
Old Orchard Beach, and
John F. Chase of
Chelsea, Maine served as
private soldiers.
Union Navy James Alden Jr. of
Portland commanded the steam sloop
USS Brooklyn in the action with
Fort Gaines and
Fort Morgan and with the Confederate gunboats in the
Battle of Mobile Bay.
Henry K. Thatcher of
Thomaston commanded the
West Gulf Blockading Squadron in a combined arms action against
Mobile, which surrendered April 12, 1865. ==See also==