Elisha Albert Hincks

He was a sea Captain and was in command of the bark Lizzie D Hart out of Boston when then war began and she was seized by Confederates at Indianola, TX. He then was master of the schooner Indianola and took paroled US Regular soldiers and families from Texas to New York. By then age 33, he enlisted in Lynnfield, MA on 3 August 1861 and mustered as Commissary Sergeant of the new 19th Massachusetts Infantry. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant of Company B on 22 October (officially 1 December) 1861 and promoted to First Lieutenant on 20 June 1862.

He was wounded in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862, suffering from "lacerations and contusions" on the left side of his chest from a piece of shell.

He was transferred to Company E by October 1862 and was with them at Fredericksburg, VA in December, where he was wounded again, in the arm. He was back with Company B and in command as senior officer present, then detailed as regimental Quartermaster in February 1863. In March he was detailed as aide-de-camp to his brother Brigadier General Edward W Hincks and also convicted by a court-martial of disobeying an order and conduct "prejudicial to good order" for actions at Balls Bluff, with light sentence, mostly remitted. He was appointed Captain on 21 December 1863, transferred to Company E on Christmas Eve, then to Company C in March 1864. He was wounded for the third time, by a gunshot to his right shoulder which broke his collar bone and shoulder blade at Cold Harbor, VA on 3 June 1864 and discharged for wounds on 7 October 1864. He applied for a commission in the Veteran Reserve Corps in February 1865, but was rejected by an examining board.

In April 1869 he was honored by brevets to Major (for Antietam), Lieutenant Colonel (Fredericksburg), and Colonel, USV (Cold Harbor) to date from 13 March 1865.

His service from the History 1 and his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3, both as Elisha A Hinks. Personal details from his obituary in the Belfast, ME Republican Journal of 28 November 1907. His gravesite is on Findagrave. His photograph from one in the US Army Heritage and Education Center, MOLLUS Collection, posted online by John Banks.

05/27/1828; North Bucksport, ME

11/16/1907; East Orrington, ME; burial in Oak Hill Cemetery, Orrington, ME