Maine’s contributions to the Battle of Gettysburg are remarkable, in part, because so many of the 15 units that were there were fighting the Confederates by themselves. On Day One, the 2nd Maine Battery and the 16th Maine Infantry singularly delayed the rebel advance upon Gettysburg. On Day Two, the 3rd Maine Infantry at Pitzer’s Woods and the Peach Orchard, the 4th Maine Infantry at Devil’s Den, and the 20th Maine on Little Round Top made names for themselves that have stood the test of time. So, too, did the 17th Maine Infantry, who spent long hours fighting for their lives at a place called — the Wheatfield.
