The 6th Maryland Infantry Regiment
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Unit History
From the History and Roster of Maryland Veterans:
THIS regiment was organized at Baltimore, Md., from August 12 to September 8, 1862, to serve three years. It ,was mustered out, in accordance with orders from the War Department, by reason of close of the Civil War, June 20,1865. This regiment, raised in pursuance of President Lincoln's call of July 2, 1862, was essentially a repre- sentative Maryland regiment. Eight companies were recruited in counties representing different sections of the State, as follows : Company A, Carroll County; Company B, Cecil County; Company C, Carroll County; Company D, Frederick County; Company E, Cecil County; Company Q, Cecil County; Company H, Washington County; Company K, Queen Anne's County; and two companies, F and I, were recruited in the City of Baltimore.
The regiment rendezvoused at Baltimore City and, after a brief period for drill and discipline, left September 20, 1862, to join the Army of the Potomac, then in Western Maryland, where it was assigned to the Maryland Brigade, 8th Army Corps. Subsequently the following assignments were made :
March 28, 1863, to the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, 8th Army Corps.
June 16, 1863, to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 8th Army Corps.
July 9, 1863, to the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 3d Army Corps.
March 24, 1864, to the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 6th Army Corps, where it re- mained until the close of the war.
With the Maryland Brigade, the regiment remained on the upper Potomac until De- cember, 1862, when it marched to and encamped on Bolivar Heights, Harper's Ferry, Virginia.
On the 28th day of March, 1863, the 6th Regiment was detached from the Maryland Brigade and ordered to Berryville, Va., where it was assigned to McReynolds' (3d) Brig- ade, 2d Division, 8th Army Corps.
On June 13, 1863, Rhodes' Division of the Confederate army, under Lee, attacked this brigade at Berryville, Va., when, after a brief skirmish, McReynolds retired towards Winchester, Va. Whilst en route, they were again attacked on the same day at the ford on Opequan Creek, when the 6th Regiment and a section of Alexander's Battery of Maryland Artillery handsomely repulsed the enemy, with severe loss. Immediately on. arriving at Winchester, the regiment took part in the battle then raging there, where the entire Confederate army was being concentrated, with the hope of a speedy capture of Winchester, along with General Milroy's Division of the 8th Army Corps.
The 6th Regiment occupied the Star Fort, and defended it with great gallantry dur- ing the days of the 14th and 15th of June, 1863, and until ordered to retire with the Divi- sion. In its efforts to cut its way through the enemy's line, at daylight on the 15th, the 6th Regiment took part in the engagement that ensued on the Martinsburg road and, by a skillful maneuver, passed around the enemy's flank and escaped almost intact, con- tinuing the retreat to Harper's Ferry. The 6th was now assigned to the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 3d Army Corps, with which it participated in the battles incident to the movements of the Army of the Potomac, under General Meade, in the autumn and winter of 1863-64, in Northern Virginia.
The 6th Regiment having been transferred to the 6th Corps on March 23, 1864, took its place in line of battle with that justly celebrated fighting corps of the Army of the Potomac, in the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864.
The 6th Regiment participated in all the battles that followed the battle of the Wil- derness, and at Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, behaved with great gal- lantry, suffering severely.
In July, 1864, when the Confederate army, under General Early, invaded Maryland and attempted to capture the capital of the nation, the 6th Army Corps, including this regiment, was sent from Grant's army at Petersburg to drive the enemy back. The timely arrival of the 6th Army Corps did not only save the capital from capture, but speedily expelled the enemy from Maryland.
A new army was created in the Shenandoah Valley and General Sheridan placed in command, with instructions to destroy, utterly, all the Confederate forces in that section, where four long years of alternate victory and defeat had attended the Union armies.
This regiment, with the 6th Army Corps, took a conspicuous part in the splendid Union victories, under General Sheridan, that crowned the efforts of this army at Win- chester, Virginia, September 19, Fisher's Hill, Va., September 22, and Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864.
After the utter destruction of all the Confederate armies in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the 6th Regiment, with the 6th Army Corps, returned to General Grant's army in front of Petersburg, in the latter part of 1864. The regiment participated with the 6th Corps in the assault and capture of Petersburg, Va., April 2, at the battle of Sailor's Creek, April 6, and at the final surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox Court House, Va., April 9, 1865.
Immediately after the surrender of Lee, the 6th Corps, with Custer' s Cavalry, made a forced march of 100 miles to Danville, Va., with the view of intercepting the Confed- erate General Johnson, who was marching to the relief of Lee. Johnson, however, being apprised of this movement, surrendered to General Sherman at Greensboro, N. C.
From Danville the 6th Corps and Sheridan's Cavalry corps marched direct to Wash- ington, and, arriving too late for the general review, were reviewed separately by Presi- dent Lincoln, after which the regiment was finally disbanded at Baltimore, Md.
The 6th Regiment of Infantry, Maryland Volunteers, is classified as one of the three hundred fighting regiments of the Civil War. Its casualties were as follows: Killed, 8 commissioned officers and 120 enlisted men ; total, one hundred and twenty-eight; died of disease, etc., one commissioned officer, and one hundred and seven enlisted men. Aggregate loss by death, two hundred and thirty-six men ; and two hundred and thirty- three enlisted men wounded in battle.
This regiment, in its arduous campaigns, traveled by railroad 575 miles, by boat 577 miles, and on foot 1751 miles, a total distance of 2908 miles.
In addition to the numerous skirmishes and engagements in which the 6th Regiment participated, the regiment has been accredited by the War Department, U. S. Army, for its good conduct in the following official list of battles, viz.: Winchester, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Opequan, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Wap- ping Heights, and Sailor's Creek.
Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 120 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 107 Enlisted men by disease. Total 236.
Assignments
SERVICE.--Defense of Williamsport, Md., September 20-21, 1862. Duty between Williamsport and Hagerstown, Md., until December 11. Moved to Maryland Heights December 11-12 and duty there until March 28, 1863. Moved to Berryville March 28. Action at Kelly's Ford June 10. Berryville June 13. Opequan Creek June 13. Retreat to Winchester June 13. Battle of Winchester June 14-15. Retreat to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., June 15-16; thence to Washington, D. C, July 1-4. Join Army of the Potomac July 5. Pursuit of Lee Go Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24, Wapping Heights, Va., July 23. Duty on line of the Rappahannock until August 15. Detached for duty in New York during draft disturbances until September 5. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Culpeper Court House October 11. Bristoe Station October 14. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Kelly's Ford November 7. Brandy Station November 8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Payne's Farm November 27. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7. Spotsylvania May 8-12. Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 18-July 6. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. Ream's Station June 29. Moved to Baltimore, Md., July 6-8. Battle of the Monocacy July 9. Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap July 14-24. Snicker's Ferry July 17-18. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 6-November 28. Charleston August 29. Battle of Winchester September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty at Kernstown until December. Moved to Washington, D.C., thence to Petersburg, Va., December 3-6. Siege of Petersburg December 6, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Fort Fisher, Petersburg, March 25, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Danville, Va., April 23-27, and duty there until May 18. March to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D.C., May 18-June 3. Corps Review June 8. Mustered out June 20, 1865.
