Posted By Les Conklin on Oct 28, 2021

A Fleeting Downpour of Honor

By Les Conklin

In the spring of 1863, the soldiers in the 27th Maine Volunteers Infantry Regiment, with their nine-month long enlistments expiring, must have been looking forward to returning to their friends and families in York County, Maine. They had endured a severe winter doing picket duty along a stretch of railroad near Mount Vernon. Several men had died from weather-related causes. Late in March, the regiment was placed on the outermost line of infantry defending Washington. The 27^th Maine would be the first  to face attacking forces.  However, the regiment is not known for any feats in battle. It is remembered for the controversial issuing of the Medal of Honor and the fleeting downpour of honor the regiment enjoyed.

U.S. Medal of Honor, 1863

The men were told they would be released June 10th, exactly nine months after they reported for duty in Portland. As they prepared to ship home, it was reported that General Lee and the Confederate army was expected to invade Pennsylvania. The Army of the Potomac marched off to meet Lee.

There were no soldiers left to guard the capital. President Lincoln and his Secretary of War asked for volunteers to serve beyond their nine-month term. A different Maine regiments, the 25^th, refused the opportunity and began the march home.

The 27th Maine Infantry, at their mustering in, had 949 men. Of this, 20 men died on duty (none by enemy fire), eight officers resigned, and 54 men were discharged or had deserted. Some 312 men (or 315 by another account) of the 27^th stayed to defend the capital.

On July 4, 1863 with the Union having won the Battle of Gettysburg, the members of the Main 27th that had stayed, boarded trains in Washington and were back in Portland, Maine on July 6 and mustered out on the 17th.

Downpour

For their voluntary defense of the capital, the 312 men were initially rewarded the Medal of Honor. Unfortunately, controversy erupted as to who legitimately volunteered to stay behind. This resulted in the entire regiment receiving the medals. This generosity resulted in the 1917 purge of all men of the 27th Maine from the Medal of Honor rosters.

Live and Learn

In July 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the law that created the Medal of Honor Award.  The law provided for the award to Army personnel who “distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action.” Lincoln ordered that the first of these medals should be awarded to six Union Army volunteers who had carried out a daring raid in enemy territory.

According to the official Medal of Honor List covering the period from 1863, when the medal was first issued to 1963, during such time some 29 million people served in the armed forces, there were only about 3,170 awards. It’s no wonder the more than 900 Medals of Honor awarded to the 27^th Maine attracted attention.

The Medal of Honor Today

The Medal of Honor is the United States government’s highest and most prestigious military decoration that may be awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, Space Force guardians, and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States, but as it is presented “in the name of the United States Congress”, it is often referred to as the “Congressional Medal of Honor.”  Wikipedia

The men of the 27^th Maine held reunions after the war. The image featured with the title of this article was taken at one of those reunions. One of these men in the Maine 27th is an ancestral cousin of mine. Perhaps his medal will show up some day.

Recommended Reading. “A Shower of Stars” by John J Pullen c1966

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