The regiment left the State Sept. 10, 1861, and in the following month sailed from Annapolis with Gen eral T. W. Sherman's expedition to Port Royal, S.C. Landing at Hilton Head, Nov. 8, 1861, it remained on duty in that Military Department over two years. During its stay there it took part in the reduction of Fort Pulaski, the occupation of Jacksonville, Fla., and was present at the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Most of the time, however, was passed in garrison duty at Hilton Head, and Beaufort, S.C. In the meantime, the regiment received about 300 recruits and 200 conscripts, which kept its ranks up to the maximum, although the loss by disease had been very large. In March, 1864, the proposal for reenlistment was accepted by 16 officers and 330 men, who returned to Maine on the thirty days' furlough granted in such cases. On April 26, 1864, the regiment joined Butler's Army, then on the James River, Va., and entered upon the campaign against Richmond, having been assigned to White's (3d) Brigade, Ames's (3d) Division, Tenth Corps. It was actively engaged at Drewry's Bluff, where it lost 3 killed, 64 wounded, and 29 missing. Colonel Boynton, who was in command, was severely wounded, and Major McArthur succeeded to the command. Four days later it was engaged at Ware Bottom Church, with a loss of 83, out of the 190 present in action. At Cold Harbor, the regiment was in Stedman's Brigade, 2d Division, Eighteenth Corps, and sustained there a loss of 12 killed, 87 wounded, and 2 missing. In December, it was assigned to Fairchild's (4th) Brigade, Foster's (1st) Division, Twenty-fourth Corps, in which command it fought in the final battles of the war.