A nice “military register” for Company C of the 15^th Maine Veteran Volunteers. Service memorials like this were marketed during the war to be sent home by soldiers. This one has architectural graphics imitating a memorial or temple, a not uncommon design, with scenic panels inserted and various patriotic motifs such as Columbia with drawn sword at top center defending the Constitution with the dome of the Capitol appearing through clouds in the background, scenes of war and peace at left and right, and “her dream” at bottom showing a woman saying farewell to her husband going off to war, dreaming of his heroics, and his return.

This was done for members of Company C of the 15^th Maine as re-mustered as a veteran regiment in January 1864, but also lists the original composition of the company. The center column lists two company officers (Capt. Hasty and Lt. Plummer,) sergeants, corporals, company musicians and the company wagoner, over the regimental field and staff and NCO staff, in the re-enlisted veteran regiment. The left and right columns list the officers, NCOs, musicians, wagoner and privates of the company as originally mustered in, and with notes on discharges, deaths, reductions in rank, and promotions.

Their battle honors are listed in a panel at lower left and go up to May 1864. The upper date for notations next to enlisted men is Sept. 1, 1864. This points to a period when the regiment was posted at Monacacy, Md., and fits a publisher’s by line and Baltimore lithographer’s and printer’s credits at bottom. The regiment was posted to Monocacy, Md., from August 4, 1864, from where the reenlisted veterans went home on furlough in late August and returned in late September. So the register likely about that time, though the regiment remained there and at Martinsburg until going to Washington and points south in April.

This comes from the large archive of material preserved by family of Brevet Brig. Genl., Isaac Dyer (1820-1913,) Colonel of the 15^th Maine. The group was published in North South Trader 11.1 (Nov-Dec 1983,) purchased in its entirety by a collector about the same time, and only recently dispersed. (The NST article wrongly reported it had been broken up in 1983.) Dyer, a native of Skowhegan, joined the 15^th Maine as Lt. Colonel in late 1861, became Colonel in September 1862 and commanded it to the end of the war.

The regiment took part in Butler’s expedition against New Orleans in early 1862, transferred to West Florida later in the year, and then returned to Louisiana in mid-1863 for Banks’s campaign along the Texas Coast and his Red River Campaign of 1864. In mid-1864, as part of the 19^th Corps, they moved north, part of the regiment going to Bermuda Hundred and part to Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, where they were reunited in August at Monocacy Junction, Maryland. From here the reenlisted veterans went home of furlough, returning September 27. In October they went to Martinsburg, and in April to Washington and on to Georgia and South Carolina. The regiment remained in service after the war ended, doing occupation duty in South Carolina until 1866. The regiment saw action at Fort Esperanza, Sabine Crossroads, Pleasant Hill, Cane River Crossing and Mansura Plains. Dyer was well liked and very active in the G.A.R. and the regiment’s veteran association.

This is unmounted and ready for framing, measuring about 19 by 24 inches. There is a 1 ½ inch tear at the bottom center, extending to the left of the text at bottom center, but not affecting it with no missing paper.    [sr]

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