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  • Letter Grouping of Private Albert C. Brown 20th / Maine Infantry / SOLD

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    Letter Grouping of Private Albert C. Brown 20th Maine Infantry - Inventory Number: GRO 026 / SOLD

    Consists of four lengthy wartime letters with good military content and three of their original envelopes with stamps.  Private brown had service with the 16th Maine until June 15th of 1864 when he transferred into the 20th Maine Infantry.  Binder also contains transcriptions of letters.

    Albert C. Brown:

    Residence Houlton ME; 20 years old.

    Enlisted as a Private (date unknown).

    On 8/15/1863 he transferred into "K" Co. ME 20th Infantry

    He was discharged on 7/24/1865

    He also had service in:

    ME 16th Infantry

     

    MAINE TWENTIETH INFANTRY (Three Years)

         Twentieth Infantry.--Cols., Adelbert Ames, Joshua L. Chamberlain, Charles D. Gilmore, Ellis Spear; Lieut.-Cols., Joshua L. Chamberlain, Charles D. Gilmore, Walter G. Morrill, Thomas D. Chamberlain; Majs. Charles D. Gilmore, Ellis Spear, Atherton W. Clark, George R. Abbott.  This was the last of the three-year regiments raised in the state in the summer of 1862.  It was rendezvoused at Portland and mustered into the U. S. service Aug. 29, 1862.  The original members whose term of service expired prior to Oct. 1, 1865, were mustered out at Washington, D. C., June 5, 1865, and the enlisted men of the 16th Me. infantry and the 1st Me. sharpshooters were transferred to the 20th, June 5 and June 21, 1865, respectively.  The regiment as thus reorganized was finally mustered out near Washington, July 16, 1865.  On Sept. 3, 1862, the 20th left the state, and on the 7th went into camp at the arsenal grounds, Washington, D. C.  Attached to Butterfield's brigade, Porter's division, it formed a portion of the reserve at Antietam, and was under fire for 36 hours at the battle of Fredericksburg, where the men acted with great gallantry in this, their first serious battle.  A list of the important battles in which the 20th subsequently engaged includes Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Rappahannock Station, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Totopotomy, North Anna river, Bethesda Church, Hatcher's run, Petersburg, Weldon railroad, Peebles' farm, Boydton road, Gravelly run and Five Forks. 

    After the battle of Chancellorsville, Col. Ames was promoted to brigadier-general, and Lieut.-Col. Chamberlain assumed command.  Under his command it formed the extreme left of the line at Gettysburg on the second day of that sanguinary contest and was hotly engaged for many hours.  Its total loss was 3 officers and 134 enlisted men killed and wounded.  At the opening of the spring campaign of 1864, recruits and returning convalescents augmented the numbers of the regiment about 100 men, so that it numbered 347 muskets.  It was still attached to the 3d brigade, 1st division, 5th corps.  On June 6, 1864, Col. Chamberlain was assigned to the command of the 1st brigade of the division and Maj. Spear assumed command of the regiment.  In the gallant charge on the enemy's works at Peebles' farm on Sept. 30, 1864, it suffered a loss of 57 men killed and wounded, out of 167 men taken into action, but captured 6 commissioned officers, 70 men and a piece of artillery.  Its whole number of casualties during the year 1864 was 298; and it received 200 recruits.  In Jan., 1865, it mustered 275 muskets for duty.  On the completion of negotiations for the surrender of Lee's army, the 20th was one of the regiments designated to receive the Confederate arms.

     

    Albert C. Brown:

    Enlisted on 8/15/1863 as a Private.

    On 8/15/1863 he was drafted into "C" Co. ME 16th Infantry

    He was transferred out on 6/15/1864

     (Estimated day of transfer)

    On 6/15/1864 he transferred into ME 20th Infantry

     

    MAINE SIXTEENTH INFANTRY(Three Years)

     

         Sixteenth Infantry.--Cols., Asa W. Wildes, Charles W. Tilden; Lieut.- Cols., Charles W. Tilden, Augustus B. Farnham; Majs., Augustus B. Farnham, Archibald D. Leavitt, Abner R. Small.  The recruits for this regiment were rendezvoused at Augusta during the months of May, June and July, and the regiment was mustered into the U. S. service on Aug. 14, 1862, to serve for three years.  The regiment left for Washington on the 19th with 38 commissioned officers and 944 enlisted men, and remained encamped there until Sept. 7, when it proceeded to Rappahannock Station as a part of Taylor's brigade, Hooker's corps.  Here it was transferred to Duryea's brigade of Reynolds' corps.  It had left camp at Fort Tillinghast, near Washington, in light marching order and during the next two months the men suffered terribly from the lack of sufficient clothing and camp equipage.  By the middle of October the regiment had dwindled to less than 700 men, and of these 250 were at one time on the sick list.  Even medicines for the sick were lacking and the hardships endured by these men, so recently taken from the peaceful walks of life, can never be told.  Finally, at the end of October, they drew shoes and shelter tents, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving day), their knapsacks and overcoats arrived from Washington.  The self-respect of the men was now restored and a better feeling took the place of the old despondency.  The loss the regiment suffered in its first serious battle tells the story of its valor.  About 450 men were engaged at Fredericksburg on Dec. 13, 1862, and 226 of this number was either killed, wounded or missing.  Said Gen. Burnside, who commanded that day: "Whatever honor we can claim in that contest was won by Maine men."  The regiment again lost heavily at Gettysburg, when, at the close of the terrible three days' fighting, all that remained of 248 officers and men, who entered the battle, were 2 officers and 15 enlisted men.  Besides the battles above mentioned, the list of engagements in which this regiment bore an honorable part would include, Chancellorsville, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, where it lost nearly 100 men, Laurel Hill, losing nearly 50 men, North Anna river, Totopotomy, Bethesda Church, Petersburg, Weldon railroad, Hatcher's run, losing 3 killed, 60 wounded and 11 missing, Gravelly run, losing 29 men, and the South Side railroad.  It joined in the pursuit of Lee's forces to Appomattox Court House, after which it returned to Washington, D. C., where it was mustered out on June 5, 1865, and the next day the men were en route for the state rendezvous at Augusta where they were finally paid and discharged.  The regiment had received about 800 recruits and in addition the 2nd company of unassigned infantry, organized at Augusta, Me., Sept. 23, 1864, to serve for one year, joined the regiment and was assigned as Co. A.  The officers and men whose term of service did not expire before Oct. 1, 1865, were transferred to the 20th Me.


    Inventory Number: GRO 026 / SOLD