Recruited in the counties of York, Cumberland, Oxford, and Androscoggin. It arrived at Washington August 23, 1862, where it was engaged in drill and garrison duty until October, when it crossed into Virginia and joined Berry's (3d) Brigade, Birney's (1st) Division, Third Corps. The regiment made a creditable record at Fredericksburg, and at Chancellorville it sustained a loss of 10 killed, 65 wounded and 38 missing. At Gettysburg, Lt.-Col. C. B. Merrill commanding, it was engaged in Sickles's fight on the second day, losing 18 killed, 112 wounded, and 3 missing. In March, 1864, Birney's Division was transferred to the Second Corps, the regiment being placed in General Alex. Hays's Brigade of that division -- Second Brigade, Third Division, Second Army Corps. Led by Colonel West, it crossed the Rapidan with 507 men, and fought under Grant at the battle of the Wilderness, where its casualties amounted to 22 killed, 155 wounded, and 15 missing; total, 192. In June it was transferred to the First Brigade, with which it took part in the storming of Petersburg, June 16-18, 1864. Its losses in those bloody and disastrous assaults were 13 killed, 66 wounded, and 5 missing. In June, 129 men were received by a transfer from the Third Maine, the term of that regiment having expired; even with this accession, the ranks showed but little over 200 muskets in line. The Seventeenth sustained the heaviest loss in battle of any infantry regiment from Maine. It was mustered out on June 4, 1865.