Charles Davis Jameson (February 24, 1827 – November 6, 1862) was an

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 ...

general and

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

candidate for

Governor of Maine The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive. The current governor of Maine is Ja ...

. He contracted "camp fever" (typhoid) at the

Battle of Fair Oaks The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, nearby Sandston, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was th ...

, returned to his native state of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, dying in transit or soon after. Jameson was born in

Gorham, Maine Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,336 at the 2020 United States Census. In addition to its urban village center known as Gorham Village or simply "the Village," the town encompasses a number of s ...

, but his family moved to the lumbering and sawmilling center of

Old Town, Maine Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,431 at the 2020 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on the relatively large Marsh Island, though its boundaries extend beyond that. The island i ...

when he was still a child. Jameson became a successful lumberman, and in 1860 was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Maine. With the outbreak of war in 1861 he was elected Colonel commanding the 2nd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the first Maine unit to leave the state for the front. He led his regiment into the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

and was soon made Brigadier General of Volunteers. In the months after Bull Run the Democratic Party of Maine split into anti-war and pro-war factions, and Jameson became the gubernatorial candidate of the "

War Democrat War Democrats in American politics of the 1860s were members of the Democratic Party who supported the Union and rejected the policies of the Copperheads (or Peace Democrats). The War Democrats demanded a more aggressive policy toward the Con ...

s". He lost the election to Republican

Israel Washburn, Jr. Israel Washburn Jr. (June 6, 1813 – May 12, 1883) was a United States political figure who was the Governor of Maine from 1861 to 1863. Originally a member of the Whig Party, he later became a founding member of the Republican Party. In 184 ...

from the neighboring town of Orono, but narrowly beat the anti-war Democrat, John W. Dana. In 1862, however, with the war going badly, Jameson was largely abandoned by Democratic voters when he ran again, though the anti-war Democratic candidate was narrowly defeated by Republican

Abner Coburn Abner Coburn (March 22, 1803 – January 4, 1885) was the 30th Governor of Maine from 1863 to 1864 and a prominent individual in Skowhegan, Maine until his death. Early years Coburn was born on a farm in Old Canaan (later renamed to Skowhegan) ...

. Later that year at the

, Jameson was wounded and subsequently disabled by "camp fever" (likely typhoid fever) and allowed to return to Maine. He died in Old Town on November 6, 1862 and is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Stillwater, Maine. Some sources report that Jameson actually died on the steamship carrying him home between Boston and Bangor.John H. Eicher and John Y. Simon, Civil War High Commands (Stanford U. Press, 2001), p. 317

Notes

External links

* 1827 births 1862 deaths Union Army generals People of Maine in the American Civil War People from Old Town, Maine Politicians from Gorham, Maine Maine Democrats 19th-century American politicians Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Deaths from typhoid fever {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub