- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Location
- Central Massachusetts
The 10th Maine Volunteers was mustered for two years service on October 1, 1861. They had served in detachments guarding the B&O Railroad line before being united in May 1862. for service in Jackson’s Valley Campaign. They had fought at Cedar Mountain, saw duty guarding the trains during Second Manassas, and were engaged at Antietam.
Some of the 10th Maine boys, however, had signed three-year enlistment papers (sound familiar?). So, the following May, the 2-year men were ordered back home to for discharge, and the 3-year-men were reorganized into the 10th Maine Battalion, and assigned to duty at Headquarters, XII Corps.
The following story is told by one of those discharged 2-year veterans. Private Leroy H. Tobie of Lewiston. It is the story of the “Kingfield Rebellion,” and it involved him and several of his comrades in a unique campaign through the deepest Yankeeland, dodging "bushwackers" all the way.
It was Maine’s only serious draft protest. Before the war, the town of Kingfield had had about a 2:1 Democratic majority, by voting record. Most of them, however, had become loyal “War Democrats,” supporting the crushing of the Rebellion. But, there was a vocal “copperhead” faction that took every opportunity to ridicule the Lincoln administration and its conduct of the war -- and, of course, the new Draft Law.
Trouble started in mid-July, 1863, when officials at Lewiston began drawing names for the Draft. Kingfield’s quota that first draw was to be 12 men. When news arrived of the results of the draw, it was found that the names included 10 democrats, and only two republicans, and the copperheads were immediately outraged. They charged that local enrollment officer Nathan Saunders had marked the lists sent to Lewiston so that the officials there would know to pick mostly Democrats.
That night, a mob of about 50 men went to Saunders’ home with a sack of feathers and cans of black paint (no, not tar, this is Maine, after all!). Finding him not at home, and not expected back for a week, they splashed the paint across the front of his white house, and went away. Two days later, when Federal Marshal Lambert arrived in town carrying the official Draft Notices, he left his team at the stable and went to the hotel for dinner. There he was confronted by a mob of nearly fifty persons and ordered to leave town, with threats of personal violence in case he refused. No fool, Lambert promptly surrendered the draft notices that he carried and left Kingfield post haste. The notices were destroyed.
All this time (just a few days, actually), news of these events was circulating throughout the state. And as the rumors spread, they grew in both numbers involved and violence threatened and done. On July 17, Maine Governor, Abner Coburn, felt he had to take action.
It is at this point that the 10th Maine’s recently discharged Leroy H. Tobie takes up the account.
To be continued:
Some of the 10th Maine boys, however, had signed three-year enlistment papers (sound familiar?). So, the following May, the 2-year men were ordered back home to for discharge, and the 3-year-men were reorganized into the 10th Maine Battalion, and assigned to duty at Headquarters, XII Corps.
The following story is told by one of those discharged 2-year veterans. Private Leroy H. Tobie of Lewiston. It is the story of the “Kingfield Rebellion,” and it involved him and several of his comrades in a unique campaign through the deepest Yankeeland, dodging "bushwackers" all the way.
It was Maine’s only serious draft protest. Before the war, the town of Kingfield had had about a 2:1 Democratic majority, by voting record. Most of them, however, had become loyal “War Democrats,” supporting the crushing of the Rebellion. But, there was a vocal “copperhead” faction that took every opportunity to ridicule the Lincoln administration and its conduct of the war -- and, of course, the new Draft Law.
Trouble started in mid-July, 1863, when officials at Lewiston began drawing names for the Draft. Kingfield’s quota that first draw was to be 12 men. When news arrived of the results of the draw, it was found that the names included 10 democrats, and only two republicans, and the copperheads were immediately outraged. They charged that local enrollment officer Nathan Saunders had marked the lists sent to Lewiston so that the officials there would know to pick mostly Democrats.
That night, a mob of about 50 men went to Saunders’ home with a sack of feathers and cans of black paint (no, not tar, this is Maine, after all!). Finding him not at home, and not expected back for a week, they splashed the paint across the front of his white house, and went away. Two days later, when Federal Marshal Lambert arrived in town carrying the official Draft Notices, he left his team at the stable and went to the hotel for dinner. There he was confronted by a mob of nearly fifty persons and ordered to leave town, with threats of personal violence in case he refused. No fool, Lambert promptly surrendered the draft notices that he carried and left Kingfield post haste. The notices were destroyed.
All this time (just a few days, actually), news of these events was circulating throughout the state. And as the rumors spread, they grew in both numbers involved and violence threatened and done. On July 17, Maine Governor, Abner Coburn, felt he had to take action.
It is at this point that the 10th Maine’s recently discharged Leroy H. Tobie takes up the account.
To be continued:
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