The Fifth Regiment Maine Volunteer Infantry was one of the first Maine regiments to be mustered in on 24 June 1861. The regiment consisted of 1046 men (another 500 joined later) from southern and central Maine. Three of the ten companies in the regiment were composed of men from Portland, thus earning the regiment the nickname the Forest City Regiment. On July 27, 1864, only 193 men were mustered out. The rest had been killed in action, died from disease, wounded, deserted, or transferred to other regiments including the 6th Maine Infantry, the 7th Maine Infantry, and finally the 1st Maine Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment.