Civil War Era Soldier's Bible Dated 1864 / Sold
Civil War Era Soldier's Bible Dated 1864 - Inventory Number: IDE 089 / Sold
Eben W. Elder from Lewiston ME; 43 years old. Enlisted on 3/1/1865 as a Private he mustered into Company "G" Co. ME 12th Infantry. He was Mustered Out on 4/18/1866. Front fly leaf bears a period inscription: Eben W. Elder / Lewiston, Maine / 12th Maine Vols”.
Eben W. Elder:
Residence Lewiston ME; 43 years old.
Enlisted on 3/1/1865 as a Private.
On 3/1/1865 he mustered into "G" Co. ME 12th Infantry
He was Mustered Out on 4/18/1866
MAINE TWELFTH INFANTRY (Three Years)
Twelfth Infantry.--Cols., George F. Shepley, William K. Kimball; Lieut.- Cols., William K. Kimball, Edwin Illsley; Majs., David R. Hastings, Gideon A. Hastings. This regiment was organized at Portland, Nov. 16, 1861, to serve for three years, and was mustered out of service at the same place, Dec. 7, 1864, the recruits and reenlisted men, however, being organized into a battalion of four companies and remaining in the field. This battalion was afterwards ordered to Savannah, Ga., and was raised to a full regiment by the assignment of the 10th, 11th, 15th, 18th, and 16th, companies of unassigned infantry, organized at Augusta, Me., in the early part of 1865, to serve, one, two and three years, and which were assigned as Companies E, F, G, H, I and K, respectively. The regiment was intended from the outset to form a part of Gen. Butler's New England division, designed for the capture of New Orleans. It left the state for Lowell Mass., on Nov. 24, 1861, and after a delay of several weeks at Lowell and Fortress Monroe, finally disembarked at Ship island, Miss. On May 4, 1862, the regiment went to New Orleans, which city had fallen into Union hands, and where Col. Shepley, now commanding the 3d brigade of Gen. Butler's army was appointed military commandant of the city. The regiment saw much exciting and arduous service in the South before it finally returned to the battlefields of Virginia, on July 20, 1864. Col. Kimball, who succeeded Col. Shepley in command of the regiment, aided by a gunboat, performed brilliant service at Manchac pass, where he captured two Confederate batteries of six 32-pounders, with a stand of colors, a large amount of stores, and $8,000 of Confederate currency. The achievement was eulogized by the war department, which ordered the captured colors to be kept in the possession of the 12th and they were subsequently added to the trophies of the state. The 12th, during this period, also took an important part in the reduction of Port Hudson, accompanied the expedition of Gen. Grover up Grand lake, and engaged the enemy at Donaldsonville, La. On March 12, 1864, two-thirds of the regiment reenlisted as veterans, and went back to Maine on a short furlough. They rejoined the regiment at New Orleans on June 16. On the arrival of the regiment at Fortress Monroe on July 20, 1864, it reported to Gen. Butler at Bermuda Hundred.
From this time until the muster out it was engaged in an almost incessant conflict. It participated in the battle of Winchester, where it lost 113 officers and men; at Cedar creek it lost 82 officers and men, and was in many smaller engagements. On Nov. 19, 1864, the term of service of about 80 of the officers and men having expired, they returned to Maine and were mustered out. The recruits and reenlisted men, augmented by unassigned infantry, as above detailed, remained in the field to form a new regiment. The two and three years' men remained on duty, together with the battalion of veterans, at Savannah, Ga., until April 18, 1866, when the whole battalion was mustered out of service at that place.
Inventory Number: IDE 089 / Sold