Midcoast Region
58
Bucksport’s Edward Winslow Hincks A battle-scarred Civil War general
by James Nalley
I
n 1861, a Bucksport-born man received a regular army commission as a second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. However, after the U.S. Civil War broke in April of the same year, he was offered a volunteer commission as the colonel of the 19th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Seeing it as an attractive command position, he promptly accepted it and led the men in several major battles, beginning with the Battle of Ball’s Bluff in October 1861 and ending with the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, where he was seriously wounded. After (mostly) recovering, he eventually commanded the 3rd Division of the XVIII Corps, which was composed entirely of United States Colored Troops, many of whom were former slaves who had volunteered to fight in the Union Army. Edward Winslow Hincks was born in Bucksport on May 30, 1830. After attending local public schools, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 19, and worked in the printing and publishing business. Through his connections in the city, Hincks went on to get elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1855. He
WEAVER’S
ROADSIDE VARIETY ~ Bakery & Catering ~
Gas • Full Deli • Huge Beer Cave Non-Ethanol Fuel • Kerosene Agency Liquor Store We cater for any occasion and specialize in BARBEQUE
342-5697
1386 Waterville Rd. • Waldo, Maine
General Edward Winslow Hincks, ca. 1864
also served on the Boston City Council in the same year. As the country braced for the oncoming civil war in 1861, Hincks, due to his leadership experience, received a regular army commission as a second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. However, as stated earlier, when the U.S. Civil War officially began on April 12 of that year, Hincks was offered a volunteer commission as the Colonel of
SMITH FAMILY BUILDERS STEPHEN SMITH 506 VETERANS HWY • BROOKS, ME 04921
207-416-9516 STEPHENSMITH0623@GMAIL.COM
the 19th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. At that time, the 19th Massachusetts was organized at Camp Schouler in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, and it was mustered in for a three-year enlistment on August 28, 1861. Under Hincks’s command, the regiment left two days later for Washington D.C., where it would camp in the area until October 21, when it finally saw action at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. This battle was one of the early skirmishes of the war in which the Union Army (under Major General George B. McClellan) suffered a humiliating defeat, despite having an equal number of troops on each side (approximately 1,700). Although the Union loss was relatively small, compared to other battles, it had a significant impact on future military affairs. For example, according to the National Museum of the U.S. Army, “In addition to losing 223 soldiers, the Union lost a sitting senator, which led to the establishment of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.” Its establishment “would bedevil Union officers for the remainder of the war (particularly those who were Democrats) and contribute to nasty po-
PATTERSON’S
GENERAL STORE Pizza • Subs • Baskets • Cigs • Soda GAS • DIESEL PROPANE
OPEN 7 DAYS
4 Pond Road • Burnham
207-948-3388
Cold Beer • Deli Case
