History

The First Regiment Eastern Shore Infantry, was organized at Cambridge, Maryland, in September of 1861 for a term of enlistment of three years.

Companies A, B. & C. were raised in Dorchester County, Companies D, e, F. & G. in Caroline County, Company H. Talbot County, Company I. from Baltimore City, and Company K. from Somerset County.

Immediately after organization the 1st Eastern Shore was assigned to special duty on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Throughout the war Maryland served as a vital entry port into the Confederacy for volunteers, medical supplies, spies returning from missions in the North, and food stuffs. The mission of the 1st Eastern Shore was to intercept this traffic and to maintain a Federal prescence in the Eastern Shore, which was highly sympathedic to the South.

In November, 1861the regiment joined the expedition of General Lockwood in his expedition to take control of the two Virginia counties, Accomac and Northampton, that are adjacent to Maryland on the Delmarva Penninsula.

On August of 1862 Company A. was mustered out of service "in accordance with orders from the War Department." In short, Company A. had sucumb to mutiny. Mutiny was not an uncommon act in the Civil War. A number of units who were forced to fight beyond the end of their term of service did mutiny. During Lee's first campaign into Maryland, many of his North Carolina units refused to cross the Potomac. Though in the Confederacy, many men from North Carolina believed in perserving the Union. They were simply fighting to protect their homes. They did not consider taking the war north of the Potomac to be defending their homes.

Company A. found itself in a similiar situation when General Lockwood was ordered to mount an expedition into his native Delaware to seek out secessionist and rebel supporters. Most of the men of Company dismounted their train at the border. They had joined the milita to defend Maryland, not to invade another soverign state.

When General Lee invaded Pennsylvania in June of 1863, Lockwood's Brigade was rushed to Baltimore, and from there marched north, arriving at Gettysburg on the morning of July 3rd. The regiment imediately went into action with the 12th Corps defending the far right of the Union line, Culp's Hill.

The 1st Eastern Shore remained with the Army of the Potomac during it's persuit of Lee back into Maryland and Virginia. The regiment remained in Maryland and performed a short stint of guard duty along the Potomac before returning to the eastern shore. Near war's end the regiment was consolidated with the 11th Maryland Infantry Volunteers.

The regiment suffered 9 enlisted men killed in action, 52 dead from disease.

History provided by Gary Baker of the Association of Carroll's Sacred Trust.

Obtained from: the Maryland Archives, Civil War History: http://www.2ndmdinfantryus.org/usinf1ES.html

John H S Parker