Charge of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery

At 4:30 PM on June 18, 1864, roughly 900 soldiers of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery charged toward Colquitt's Salient. Having guarded the forts outside of Washington since August 1862, this was just their second significant combat action. The veteran regiments meant to support them, worn down by the previous weeks of combat, failed to advance. The 1st Maine attacked alone. The Confederate musketry and artillery devastated the regiment. During the next ten minutes, the 1st Maine lost 115 men killed, 489 wounded, and 28 missing, 632 in total. This was more than any other regiment lost in any other single battle of the war. The Confederates behind the earthworks lost 25 men.

Petersburg, Virginia · United States