27th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment

27th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a Union Army infantry regiment raised in Maine during the American Civil War. It is primarily remembered for its brief service in the Defenses of Washington and the subsequent, highly controversial mass award of the Medal of Honor to nearly its entire roster. The regiment's history is a notable chapter in the administrative and political complexities of the Union war effort.

Formation and organization

The regiment was authorized by the War Department in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call for 300,000 volunteers in the summer of 1862. It was organized at Camp John Pope in Portland, Maine, and mustered into federal service for a nine-month term on September 30, 1862. The unit's commanding officer was Colonel Mark F. Wentworth, a prominent Portland businessman and politician. The regiment comprised ten companies drawn primarily from York County and Cumberland County, with many recruits originating from cities like Biddeford and Saco.

Service history

Following its organization, the 27th Maine was ordered to the Defenses of Washington, arriving in Alexandria, Virginia in October 1862. The regiment was assigned to the XXII Corps and performed garrison duty in the fortifications surrounding the national capital, including duty at Fort Albany and Fort Scott. Its service was entirely uneventful, with no participation in any major campaigns or battles such as the Battle of Fredericksburg or the Battle of Chancellorsville. As the regiment's nine-month term of enlistment neared its end in late June 1863, the Army of the Potomac was engaged in the pivotal Gettysburg Campaign.

Medal of Honor controversy

Fearing a Confederate attack on Washington, D.C. while the Army of the Potomac was engaged at the Battle of Gettysburg, the War Department sought to retain experienced troops for the capital's defense. Approximately 300 men of the 27th Maine agreed to remain beyond their enlistment, while the majority returned home. In gratitude, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton authorized the award of the Medal of Honor to the entire regiment. Due to bureaucratic error, medals were struck and issued not just to the volunteers who stayed, but to all 864 men on the roster. This mass, indiscriminate award severely diluted the medal's prestige and led directly to the 1916 creation of the Army Medal of Honor Board, which purged 911 names from the rolls, including all but one from the 27th Maine.

Disbandment and legacy

The regiment was mustered out of service on July 17, 1863, in Portland, Maine. Its primary legacy is inextricably tied to the Medal of Honor controversy, which became a case study in military award administration and the need for stringent criteria. The incident prompted significant reforms under the United States Department of War and later the United States Department of the Army. The story of the 27th Maine is frequently cited in historical analyses of Civil War morale, conscription, and the evolution of U.S. military decorations.

Notable members

* Colonel Mark F. Wentworth: Merchant, politician, and the regiment's commander. He later served as a U.S. Representative from Maine. * Lieutenant Colonel John D. Hill: Second-in-command of the regiment. * Captain Nathaniel M. Haskell: Company commander who was among the few whose Medal of Honor was not rescinded in 1916, though the award remains controversial.

Category:Maine Civil War regiments Category:Medal of Honor controversies