The 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Service

The 1st Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade was organized at

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the intersection of a major north–south Native ...

, beginning August 15, 1861, and mustered in on December 13, 1861, for three years under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

William P. Maulsby Sr. Companies A, B, D and I were recruited in Frederick County. Company C was recruited from Baltimore City. Companies E, F and H were recruited from Washington County. Company G comprised men from Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Counties. Company K was from recruited Baltimore city and Frederick County. The regiment was attached to Banks' Division,

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

, to March 1862. Unassigned, Banks'

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

, and Department of the Shenandoah to May 1862. Railroad District, Middle Department, to July 1862. Railroad District,

VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...

, Middle Department, to September 1862. Annapolis, Maryland, VIII Corps, to March 1863. 1st Separate Brigade, VIII Corps, to June 1863. Lockwood's Brigade, VIII Corps, to July 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division,

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ...

, Army of the Potomac, July 1863. 2nd Brigade, Maryland Heights, Division West Virginia, to December 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, West Virginia, to April 1864. Reserve Division, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to January 1865. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, West Virginia, to April 1865. The 1st Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade mustered out of the service August through December 1864. The regiment continued to recruit for veteran service, and its designation was changed to the 13th Maryland Infantry.

Detailed service

Railroad guard duty until March 1862. Advance on Winchester, Va., March 7–12. Strasburg March 27. Guarding Baltimore & Ohio Railroad until May. Concentrated at Harpers Ferry May 24, and action at Loudon Heights May 27. Defense of Harpers Ferry May 28–30. Guard Baltimore & Ohio Railroad until September. Action at Monocacy Aqueduct September 4. Poolesville September 5. Concentrated at Sandy Hook and march to Harpers Ferry. Siege of Harper's Ferry September 12–15. Maryland Heights September 13. Harpers Ferry September 14–15. Surrendered September 15 and paroled September 16. Sent to Annapolis, Md., and when exchanged assigned to duty on the Potomac in southern Maryland to June 1863. Martinsburg June 14. At point Lookout June. Joined Lockwood's Brigade and march to Gettysburg, Pa., June 25-July 2.

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

July 2–3. Pursuit of Lee July 5–24. Guard duty on Baltimore Ohio Railroad in Maryland and Virginia until May 1864. Operations against Early's invasion of Maryland June and July. Duffield Station June 29.

Battle of Monocacy The Battle of Monocacy (also known as Monocacy Junction) was fought on July 9, 1864, about from Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defe ...

July 9. Moved from Monocacy to

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. st ...

, and duty in that district until April 1865.

Gettysburg

First Day

Under command of Col. Maulsby, the regiment formed part of 2nd Brigade (

Brig. Gen. Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Henry H. Lockwood), 1st Division (Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams), XII Corps (

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Henry W. Slocum) at the Battle of Gettysburg. The regiment mustered 674 all ranks, making it the largest regiment in the Army of the Potomac. The regiment reached Gettysburg during the afternoon of July 1, but was not engaged.

Second Day

On the morning of July 2, the regiment constructed breastworks south of

Culp's Hill Culp's Hill,. The modern U.S. Geographic Names System refers to "Culps Hill". which is about south of the center of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, played a prominent role in the Battle of Gettysburg. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated by a ...

at McAlister's Woods. The entire division was withdrawn later in the day and sent south to support a section of the Union line under attack by Longstreet's Corps. Returning to Culp's Hill that evening, the regiment discovered that its breastworks had been captured by Confederates of Maj. Gen. Edward "Allegheny" Johnson's division.

Third Day

On July 3, the regiment fought to hold ground against renewed attacks by Johnson's division. Bloody fighting continued until around 11:00 a.m. when Johnson finally broke off his attack. XII Corps commander Brig. Gen. Alpheus Williams wrote: "The wonder is that the rebels persisted so long in an attempt that the first half hour must have told them was useless."

Losses

The regiment mustered 674 all ranks at the beginning of the battle. It lost 104 killed, wounded, captured and missing.Adkin, ''Battle Gettysburg Companion'', p 61.

Commanders

* Colonel William P. Maulsby - mustered out August 25, 1864 * Major J. Townsend Daniel - commanded at the battle of New Market * Captain Charles J. Brown - commanded at the battle of Monocacy

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 131 men during service; 3 officers and 42 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 85 enlisted men died of disease.

References

Sources

* Adkin, Mark. ''The Gettysburg Companion'' (Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole), 2008. * Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Hildebrand, Virginia Mumma. ''The Sharpsburg rifles, First Maryland Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade, Maryland Volunteers'' (Maryland?: s.n.), ca. 1900. * Wilmer, L. Allison, et al. ''History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers, War of 1861-5'' (Baltimore, MD: Press of Guggenheimer, Weil, & Co.), 1898. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links

1st Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade monument at Gettysburg

Monocacy Battlefield
Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1864 Units and formations of the Union Army from Maryland