Union monuments at Gettysburg • Maine at Gettysburg
The monument to the 7th Maine Infantry Regiment is southeast of Gettysburg on Neill Avenue, a difficult to reach area surrounded by private property.
About the monument to the 7th Maine
The nine foot tall granite monument represents the National Shield leaning against a boulder. The Greek cross symbol of the Sixth Corps is superimposed on the shield, bearing an inscription of the regimental information. The State of Maine dedicated the monument in 1889.
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Attached to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac |  |
The 7th Maine at the Battle of Gettysburg
Lieutenant Colonel Selden Connor commanded the 7th Maine Infantry at the Battle of Gettysburg. Connor was an 1859 graduate of Tufts College who was studying law when the war broke out. Like his famous counterpart in the 20th Maine, he went on to become a general and the governor of the state. He also designed the Gettysburg monument.
The regiment brought 261 men to Gettysburg in six companies: B,C,D,F,I and K. The remaining companies were in Maine recruiting.
Neill’s Brigade of the 6th Corps was one of the last to reach the battlefield on July 2nd and was held in reserve on the Baltimore Pike at Rock Creek. On July 3rd the brigade deployed to the north of the road to push back Confederate skirmshers that were threatening the army’s main supply and communcations route. It advanced to the location of the monuments, taking light casualties. The 7th Maine suffered six wounded.
Text from the monument:
7th Maine Infantry
3rd Brig. 2nd Div. 6th Corps
July 3d, 1863
Union Lt. Colonel (later Brigadier General) Selden Connor
Location of the monument
The monument to the 7th Maine is southeast of Gettysburg on Neil Avenue. The location is surrounded by private property, with public access only by a difficult path from Clapsaddle Road. (39°48’28.4″N 77°12’38.3″W)