20th ME, Co. G Rundlett

James Carleton Rundlett

James Carleton Rundlett was born April 25, 1838 in Pittston, Maine. Pittston is in the southeast corner of Kennebec County, about 10 miles from Augusta. Rundlett came from a long line of New Englanders, and his family has a long lineage of military service spanning from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 as well as WW1 and Vietnam.

He was the youngest of 5 children and his father was the Postmaster and Blacksmith in East Pittston. Before the war, James was a teacher and was not yet married. Rundlett stood 5 feet 11 inches tall.

He volunteered for the Union Army at the age of 24 and was mustered into service with the 20th Maine on August 29, 1862. He entered the unit as a corporal, but spent most of the war as the 1st Sergeant of Company G. He was wounded in the head at Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864 at spent over two months in the hospital. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in December of 1864 and commanded the company from December 31, 1864 to February 25, 1865 because Thomas Chamberlain was promoted to Lt. Colonel. He fought in all major engagements with the 20th Maine including the battle of Little Round Top during Gettysburg. He was discharged from the 20th Maine on May 21, 1865 re-enlisted as Captain of company I of the 128th U.S. Colored Troops and was sent to Beaufort South Carolina. In May 1866 he was detached from the 128th and assigned Assistant Provost Judge and Marshal of Beaufort. He remained in this position until discharged from the military on October 10, 1866

Under Construction...research still pending....

Source: Final Muster Rolls from the 1866 Maine Adjutant General's report and "Rundlett's War: the Civil War Letters of James C. Rundlett". The letters can be purchased at the 20th Maine shop in Freeport Maine.