On June 17th, 1863, 4 companies of the 1st Maine joined the battle up the Snickersville Turnpike near Aldie VA pushing back Confederate cavalry that were threatening a gun position and had just decimated companies A and B of the 1st Mass cavalry.

With the regiment somehwat spread out, Colonel Doughty gathered them and sent them to Major Boothby who formed them on the turnpike. Kilpatrick rode up and implored Boothby to charge. Without hesitation, the 1st Maine set off up the turnpike in a cloud of dust. Doughty, still gathering in men in the field to the right of the road rode to join the charging column by angling across the field towards a break in the wall beside the road. The 4 companies negotiated the 'S' turn in the road receiving fire from the dismounted Confederates behind a wall. Three men were killed outright including Captain Summat, several were wounded some mortally. Doughty rode onto the road trailing the charging column when he too was hit by fire from the wall. Two bullets pierced his side and he fell dead in the road near Captain Summat. 1st Maine continued their charge getting around and in the rear of the dismounted Confederates chasing them off and capturing several.

Today the site is marked by a monument to the 1st Mass cavalry who suffered grievous losses at that same bend in the turnpike, but no marker recalls the actions of the 1st Maine Cavalry. We think there should be.

What is intended is an obelisk of Maine granite up to 6 feet tall, on which would be engraved the name of the regiment, the date of the action at Aldie, and on the rear face, the names of those lost headed by Colonel Calvin Sanger Doughty. The stone will come from Maine and have been shaped by Maine hands. On the right is one idea of what the marker may look like.

To initiate this effort to place a marker near the Mass cavalry marker at the site where Doughty fell the recreated 1st Maine Cavalry is selling VMM stickers.

The stickers, (left), are vinyl for outdoor use. They measure 6" wide by 4" tall and are white with large black "VMM" and "Volunteer Maine Militia" below. They are intended to appear like the Euro National ID automotive tags and the Civil War VMM cartridge box-plate (right).

Stickers are $3 each, 2 for $5 and $3 each after 2 (3=$8, 4=$11, etc) 1st class mail is included.

All proceeds will be used to initiate a fund to erect a stone marker on the Snickersville Turnpike in Aldie VA to commemorate the actions of the 1st Maine and the price they paid.

To oder via PayPal send your payment to SgtTodd(a)mainecav.org or email that address for information on mailing your order.