Maine Memory Network

Meshach P. Larry: Civil War Letters

Meshach P. Larry, a Windham blacksmith, joined Maine's 17th Regiment Company H on August 18, 1862. Larry and his sister, Phebe, wrote to each other frequently during the Civil War, and his letters paint a vivid picture of the life of a soldier.

Maine and the Civil War - Regiments: Images, Documents

"Regiments: Images, Documents A few of Maine's more than 50 Civil War regiments and batteries are represented here."

Maine and the Civil War - Communities and the War

"Communities and the War In nine communities, historical organizations, libraries and schools worked together between 2013 and 2015 to study what…"

Maine and the Civil War - Legendary Participation

"Legendary Participation War veterans, Kittery, 1932Maine Historical Society Maine's participation in the Civil War is legendary: heroes and…"

Maine and the Civil War - Individuals: Stories, Letters, Diaries

"… Individuals: Stories, Letters, Diaries"

Maine and the Civil War - The Homefront: Before, During, and After the War

"… The Homefront: Before, During, and After the War"

Maine and the Civil War - Headstone, unknown Confederate soldier, Gray, 1979

"Headstone, unknown Confederate soldier, Gray, 1979 Contributed by Maine Historical Society Description In 1862 a grieving Gray family…"

Maine and the Civil War - Togus Veterans' Hospital view, 1885

"Togus Veterans' Hospital view, 1885 Contributed by Boston Public Library Description This bird's-eye view shows the Togus home for…"

Maine and the Civil War - Offer for war battle images, Houlton, ca. 1862

"Offer for war battle images, Houlton, ca. 1862 Contributed by Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum Description A poster advertises…"

Maine and the Civil War - Poster seeking cavalry horses, Aroostook County, 1861

"Poster seeking cavalry horses, Aroostook County, 1861 Contributed by Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum Description A Civil War…"

Maine and the Civil War - Bluehill Academy Journal, 1863

"Bluehill Academy Journal, 1863 Contributed by Blue Hill Public Library Description Written during the Civil War by students at Bluehill…"

Maine and the Civil War - Letter from Daniel Lord to his wife, July 21, 1861

"… Letter from Daniel Lord to his wife, July 21, 1861 Contributed by Maine Historical Society Description Daniel Lord wrote to his second…"

The Devil and the Wilderness

Anglo-Americans in northern New England sometimes interpreted their own anxieties about the Wilderness, their faith, and their conflicts with Native Americans as signs that the Devil and his handmaidens, witches, were active in their midst.

The British capture and occupation of Eastport 1814-1818

The War of 1812 ended in December 1814, but Eastport continued to be under British control for another four years. Eastport was the last American territory occupied by the British from the War of 1812 to be returned to the United States. Except for the brief capture of two Aleutian Islands in Alaska by the Japanese in World War II, it was the last time since 2018 that United States soil was occupied by a foreign government.

Prisoners of War

Mainers have been held prisoners in conflicts fought on Maine and American soil and in those fought overseas. In addition, enemy prisoners from several wars have been brought to Maine soil for the duration of the war.

War Through the Eyes of a Young Sailor

Eager to deal with the "Sesech" [Secessionists], young deepwater sailor John Monroe Dillingham of Freeport enlisted in the U.S. Navy as soon as he returned from a long voyage in 1862. His letters and those of his family offer first-hand insight into how one individual viewed the war.

John P. Sheahan, 1st Maine Cavalry, 31st Maine Infantry

John P. Sheahan of Dennysville served in the 1st Maine Cavalry from August 1862 until March 1864 when he was commissioned as a lieutenant in Co. E of the 31st Maine Infantry. His letters reveal much about the life of a soldier, including political views and thoughts about the war.

A Soldier's Declaration of Independence

William Bayley of Falmouth (Portland) was a soldier in the Continental Army, seeing service at Ticonderoga, Valley Forge, Monmouth Court House, and Saratoga, among other locations. His letters home to his mother reveal much about the economic hardships experienced by both soldiers and those at home.

Commander George Henry Preble

George Henry Preble of Portland, nephew of Edward Preble who was known as the father of the U.S. Navy, temporarily lost his command during the Civil War when he was charged with failing to stop a Confederate ship from getting through the Union blockade at Mobile.

Patriotic Imagery: 1861-1880

Imagery on letterhead soldiers used, on soldiers' memorials produced after the war, and on many other items captured the themes of the American Civil War: union, liberty, and freedom.

For the Union: Civil War Deaths

More than 9,000 Maine soldiers and sailors died during the Civil War while serving with Union forces. This exhibit tells the stories of a few of those men.

Presque Isle and the Civil War

Presque Isle had fewer than 1,000 residents in 1860, but it still felt the impact of the Civil War. About half of the town's men went off to war. Of those, a third died. The effects of the war were widespread in the small community.

Father Rasles, the Indians and the English

Father Sebastien Rasle, a French Jesuit, ran a mission for Indians at Norridgewock and, many English settlers believed, encouraged Indian resistance to English settlement. He was killed in a raid on the mission in 1724 that resulted in the remaining Indians fleeing for Canada.

In Canada During the Civil War

One surviving letter from the family of Francis Pratt to the young man who was in Canada in 1865 suggests that going to Canada to escape military service during the Civil War was not unheard of. The letter also suggests money was removed to Canada to protect it.