The 7th Regiment Maryland Volunteer Infantry was a regiment that participated in 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 th ...

. The regiment was recruited from the northern line of Maryland counties, under the call of July 1, 1862, for "three years or the war". Toward the end of August, 1862, nine companies had been enrolled and mustered in Baltimore, and went into "Camp Harford", a spot now included within the limits of Druid Hill Park. The aggregate strength of the regiment at formation was 784 officers and men. Call of duty hurried it to the field before it had received its tenth company, the men recruited for which were mustered into other regiments. The tenth Company, K, was composed of the re-enlisted men of the Tenth Maryland (a six months' organization), and joined the regiment in April, 1864. The Seventh Regiment was raised and originally commanded by Colonel Edwin H. Webster, of Harford County, a representative from Maryland in Congress. Lieutenant Colonel Charles E. Phelps, subsequently promoted Colonel, and later Brigadier-General by brevet, was a member of the Baltimore bar, and had been Major of the "Maryland Guard", somewhat celebrated just before the war as a thoroughly drilled volunteer battalion. Additional leadership was provided by Major William H. Dallam, a prominent and highly esteemed lawyer of Harford County. Dallam had served as the Clerk of the Circuit Court and for many years as State's Attorney. After serving guard duty in the defenses of Washington, the regiment was sent to the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

for operations. Their first combat came on March 13, 1863, when they repulsed a charge by the 5th Virginia Infantry regiment. They were sent to V Corps,

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 Confedera ...

. At the

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 ...

, they were forced to withdraw from the Peach Orchard early on the second day. They were among the units who repelled

Pickett's charge Pickett's Charge (July 3, 1863), also known as the Pickett–Pettigrew–Trimble Charge, was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Major General George G. Meade's Union positions on the last day of the B ...

. The unit was stationed for garrison duty in southern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and was involved in skirmishes against some of

Jubal Early Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was a Virginia lawyer and politician who became a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his U.S. Army commissio ...

's infantry units. Because of heavy losses at the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

, they were sent as replacements to IV corps, Army of the Potomac. They suffered heavy casualties during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

, having to repel six charges by counterattacking units of the 15th Georgia Volunteer Infantry. They marched in the Grand review and were mustered out of service on June 3, 1865. This unit suffered the loss of 389 men, who were 23 officers and 366 enlisted men, and 65 of those men died of disease. 13 men were captured at Gettysburg, 5 of which perished at

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Prison ...

. Unit was noted by President Lincoln for being "very effective in combat and showing utmost loyalty to the cause of the great republic".

References

External links

History of the 7th Maryland Regiment
*http://www.7thmaryland.com/7th_Md_Reg_t_History.php Units and formations of the Union Army from Maryland 1861 establishments in Maryland Military units and formations established in 1861 {{AmericanCivilWar-unit-stub