Nehemiah T. Furbish

Age 25, from Portland, he was First Lieutenant, Company I, First Maine Infantry for 3 months' service from 3 May - 5 August 1861. He then enrolled in Company I, 10th Maine Infantry and mustered as Captain on 4 October 1861.

[Captain Furbish] was a wide-awake, harum-scarum fellow, full of life and joviality. He had been sick while at Culpeper C.H., and could not march to Cedar Mountain, but on the afternoon of the battle he borrowed a horse and rode out. Impelled by a sense of duty, he took his place with his company when he saw that a battle was imminent, but he entirely miscalculated his powers, for he fainted and had to be carried off at the first physical effort he made. A soldier never has charity for such a mishap, and the Captain must have suffered the keenest mental tortures during the months which followed, though the bravest of men may be excused for a like misfortune when as sick as Furbish was.

Here at Antietam the opportunity presented itself of redeeming his character before his men. His was the color company, and hence his division was in front, and the leading one in all of our movements in mass. He did finely in everything, and when we arrived on the field of battle he hurried his men over the fence and promptly ordered "Left dress!" Then, without leaving the colors to take his proper position behind the company, he drew his pistol and took deliberate aim at some rebel which attracted his attention, but the enemy's bullet was a second too quick; it killed him instantly before he had discharged his pistol.

He was originally buried on the field with others of his Regiment. He was probably later reinterred at Evergreen Cemetery, Portland.

Early War service from the Maine Adjutant General1. The quote above and other details from Gould's History.2 His picture is from a photograph owned by Nicholas P. Picerno and posted as part of his article about the 10th Maine at Antietam for the Civil War Trust.

c. 1836

09/17/1862; Sharpsburg, MD; burial in Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, ME