Vermont in the Civil War
Encyclopedia
During the American Civil War
, the State of Vermont continued the military tradition started by the Green Mountain Boys
of American Revolutionary War
fame, contributing a significant portion of its eligible men to the war effort.
, making it the first state to do so. Although its climate was not conducive to the slave trade, Vermonters were early participants in the abolitionist movement. In the 1860 presidential election, the Green Mountain State gave Abraham Lincoln
a lopsided victory, 33,808 votes compared to 8,649 for Stephen Douglas, 1,866 for John Bell
, and 217 for John C. Breckenridge. One historian opined that the heavy rain on election day "reduced the Republican majority by at least 7,000" votes.
In the closing days of 1860, in response to a pro-Southern resolution by Representative Albert Rust
of Arkansas
, Vermont Representative Justin S. Morrill offered an amendment, "Resolved, That in the opinion of this committee, the existing discontent among the Southern people and the growing hostility to the Federal Government, are greatly to be regretted, and that any reasonable, proper and constitutional remedy necessary to preserve the peace of the country, and the perpetuity of the Union, should be promptly and cheerfully grant." His amendment was rejected by a large majority, and Congress and the Union continued its downward spiral toward disunion.
Lawyer Lucius E. Chittenden
served on the ill-fated Peace conference of 1861
and later as Registrar of the Treasury in the Lincoln administration. Vermont politicians in Congress
included Senators Solomon Foot
and Jacob Collamer
and Representatives Justin S. Morrill, Homer Elihu Royce
and Portus Baxter
.
During the war, three men served as Governor of Vermont
; Erastus Fairbanks
, Frederick Holbrook
and J. Gregory Smith
. Fairbanks reportedly responded to the Federal Government's response for troops with "Vermont will do its Full Duty." Under his administration, Vermont fielded six infantry
and one cavalry
regiments. Governor Holbrook's administration saw the recruitment of 10 infantry regiments, 2 light artillery batteries, and 3 sharpshooter companies. Under his administration, as well, Vermont built three military hospitals in the state which were "soon credited by the United States medical inspector with perfecting a larger percentage of cures than any United States military hospital record elsewhere could show." Governor Smith oversaw the recruitment of Vermont's last infantry regiment, a third light artillery battery, and, as a result of a Confederate raid on his hometown, St. Albans
, two companies of frontier cavalry.
More than 28,100 Vermonters served in Vermont volunteer units. Vermont fielded 17 infantry regiments, 1 cavalry regiment, 3 light artillery batteries, 1 heavy artillery company, 3 companies of sharpshooters, and 2 companies of frontier cavalry. Instead of replacing units as they were depleted, Vermont regularly provided recruits to bring the units in the field back up to normal strength.
Nearly 5,000 others served in other states' units, in the United States Army
or the United States Navy
. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
included 66 Vermont blacks; a total of 166 black Vermonters served out of a population of 709 in the state.
Vermonters suffered a total of 1,832 men killed or mortally wounded in battle; another 3,362 died of disease, in prison or from other causes, for a total loss of 5,194. More than 2,200 Vermonters were taken prisoner during the war, and 615 of them died in or as a result of their imprisonment.
Historian Howard Coffin claimed that the state's most important contribution to the war was at the Battle of the Wilderness
where the Vermont Brigade held the crucial intersection of two roads, the loss of which would have split the Union forces in half. 1,200 Vermonters died. They also played a crucial role at the Battle of Gettysburg
, where, under General George J. Stannard
, the 2nd Vermont Brigade
broke Pickett's charge
by stepping out of a protected area and firing at the flank of the attackers.
General Winfield Scott
, learning that a regiment of Green Mountain Boys (the 1st Vermont Infantry) was awaiting orders, said "I want your Vermont regiments, all of them. I have not forgotten the Vermont men on the Niagara
frontier... I remember the Vermont men in the War of 1812
."
A significant number of generals hailed from Vermont. Several led Vermont units, including Lewis A. Grant
, John W. Phelps
, William Farrar Smith
, George J. Stannard
, Edwin H. Stoughton
, Stephen Thomas
, James M. Warner
, and William Wells
. Others served in other states' units or in the Regular Army
, including Benjamin Alvord
, John C. Caldwell
, Sylvester Churchill
, Joel Dewey
, Charles Doolittle
, William B. Hazen, Ethan Allen Hitchcock
, Charles Edward Hovey
, Joseph A. Mower
, Thomas E. G. Ransom
, Israel B. Richardson
, Benjamin S. Roberts
, Truman Seymour
, George Crockett Strong
, Stewart Van Vliet
, and George Wright
. Six Vermonters became brevet
brigadier general
, including Asa P. Blunt
, George P. Foster
, William W. Henry
, John R. Lewis, Edward H. Ripley and Charles B. Stoughton
.
One native Vermonter, Chester A. Arthur
, who later became President of the United States
, served as Adjutant General
of the State of New York during the war.
Vermonters played a significant role in the maritime aspects of the war as well, but they frequently get overlooked. Some of the more prominent sailors include George Dewey
, Charles Edgar Clark
, George F. Emmons
, George Colvocoresses
, Theodore P. Greene
, Edward D. Robie
, and Edwin T. Woodward
.
on June 10, 1861, where a battalion of the 1st Vermont Infantry
was engaged.
The 2nd
, 3rd
, 4th
, 5th
, 6th
and later the 11th Vermont Infantry
regiments served in the famous 1st Vermont Brigade, which saw action in nearly every major engagement in the Eastern Theater
from the First Battle of Bull Run
to Appomattox Court House
.
The 7th Vermont Infantry
, 8th Vermont Infantry
, and two Vermont Light Artillery Batteries
served in the Department of the Gulf under Benjamin F. Butler
. The 8th Vermont later saw service in the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns of 1864
.
The 9th Vermont Infantry
suffered ignominious capture at the Battle of Harpers Ferry
during the 1862 Maryland Campaign
, but later fought well with the VII
, XVIII
and XXIV Corps
in eastern Virginia
and North Carolina
, and was one of the first units to enter Richmond, Virginia
in April 1865.
The 10th Vermont Infantry
gained its niche in history at the Battle of Monocacy
, an important but often overlooked battle that delayed a Confederate
drive on Washington D.C..
At Gettysburg on the first day of battle, July 1, 1863, General John Sedgwick
is quoted as saying, "Put the Vermonters ahead and keep the column well closed up." The 12th
, 13th
, 14th
, 15th
and 16th Vermont Infantry
regiments were banded together as the 2nd Vermont Brigade
, which gained lasting credit for its actions in helping stop Pickett's Charge
on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg
.
Vermont fielded three companies of sharpshooters, which served with Hiram Berdan
in the two U.S. Sharpshooter regiments.
The 1st Vermont Cavalry
regiment participated in more than 70 engagements.
After the St. Albans raid
on October 19, 1864, Vermont fielded two companies of Frontier Cavalry
, who spent six months on the Canadian
border to prevent further incursions from Confederate raiders.
Sixty-four Vermonters received the Medal of Honor
, including Willie Johnston, the youngest person ever to receive this award.
, is the site of the northernmost land action in the Civil War, the St. Albans Raid
. On October 19, 1864, Confederate raiders, under the command of Lieutenant Bennett H. Young
, robbed three banks, escaped to Canada, were captured, and put on trial. The Canadian courts decided they were acting under military orders and they could not be extradited back to the United States without Canada violating her neutrality.
Most Vermont towns have a monument in memory of the soldiers who participated in the Civil War. Decades after the war, the upland hillsides of the state were littered with the cellar holes of long-gone farmhouses from farms that had been abandoned because all the family's sons had been killed in the Civil War.
There are several facilities in the state that have significant collections of manuscripts and archives of the war, including the Vermont State House
, the Vermont Historical Society, University of Vermont Bailey Howe Library, the Bennington Museum, the Sheldon Museum (Middlebury), the Vermont Veterans Militia Museum and Library, and the State of Vermont Public Records Division.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the State of Vermont continued the military tradition started by the Green Mountain Boys
Green Mountain Boys
The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization first established in the 1760s in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants...
of American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
fame, contributing a significant portion of its eligible men to the war effort.
History
The second article in Vermont's constitution, originally written in 1777, abolished slaverySlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, making it the first state to do so. Although its climate was not conducive to the slave trade, Vermonters were early participants in the abolitionist movement. In the 1860 presidential election, the Green Mountain State gave Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
a lopsided victory, 33,808 votes compared to 8,649 for Stephen Douglas, 1,866 for John Bell
John Bell (Tennessee politician)
John Bell was a U.S. politician, attorney, and plantation owner. A wealthy slaveholder from Tennessee, Bell served in the United States Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. He began his career as a Democrat, he eventually fell out with Andrew Jackson and became a Whig...
, and 217 for John C. Breckenridge. One historian opined that the heavy rain on election day "reduced the Republican majority by at least 7,000" votes.
In the closing days of 1860, in response to a pro-Southern resolution by Representative Albert Rust
Albert Rust
Albert Rust was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas, and a delegate to the Provisional Confederate Congress...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Vermont Representative Justin S. Morrill offered an amendment, "Resolved, That in the opinion of this committee, the existing discontent among the Southern people and the growing hostility to the Federal Government, are greatly to be regretted, and that any reasonable, proper and constitutional remedy necessary to preserve the peace of the country, and the perpetuity of the Union, should be promptly and cheerfully grant." His amendment was rejected by a large majority, and Congress and the Union continued its downward spiral toward disunion.
Lawyer Lucius E. Chittenden
Lucius E. Chittenden
Lucius Eugene Chittenden was a Vermont author, banker, lawyer, politician and peace advocate who served as Register of the Treasury during the Lincoln administration.-Early life:...
served on the ill-fated Peace conference of 1861
Peace conference of 1861
The Peace Conference of 1861 was a meeting of more than 100 of the leading politicians of the antebellum United States held in Washington, D.C., in February 1861 that was meant to prevent what ultimately became the Civil War. The success of President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party in the...
and later as Registrar of the Treasury in the Lincoln administration. Vermont politicians in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
included Senators Solomon Foot
Solomon Foot
Solomon Foot was a Vermont lawyer, state representative and later senator who spent more than 25 years in elected office. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1826 and was admitted to the bar in 1831. He served as a state representative briefly in 1833, and also from 1836 to 1838...
and Jacob Collamer
Jacob Collamer
Jacob Collamer was an American politician from Vermont.-Biography:Jacob Collamer was born in Troy, New York. He graduated from the University of Vermont at Burlington, served in the War of 1812, studied law in St. Albans, Vermont, was admitted to the bar in 1813, and served as an officer in a...
and Representatives Justin S. Morrill, Homer Elihu Royce
Homer Elihu Royce
Homer Elihu Royce was an American lawyer, politician and jurist.-Early life:Royce was born in Berkshire, Vermont, the son of Elihu Marvin and Sophronia Royce. He was educated in the district schools and at academies in St. Albans and Enosburgh. He studied law with Thomas Childs, was admitted to...
and Portus Baxter
Portus Baxter
Portus Baxter was a banker, farmer, and politician from Vermont, United States.-Early life:Baxter was born in Brownington, Vermont, the son of William and Lydia Baxter. After attending local schools, he completed his education at Norwich Military Academy and the University of Vermont in Burlington...
.
During the war, three men served as Governor of Vermont
Governor of Vermont
The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...
; Erastus Fairbanks
Erastus Fairbanks
Erastus Fairbanks was an American manufacturer and Whig politician.He studied law but abandoned it for mercantile pursuits, finally settling in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where in 1824 he formed a partnership with his brother Thaddeus for the manufacture of scales, stoves and plows...
, Frederick Holbrook
Frederick Holbrook
Frederick Holbrook was an agriculturist, politician, and the 27th Governor of Vermont.-Early life:Holbrook was born in East Windsor, Connecticut, son of John and Sara Holbrook. He attended Berkshire Gymnasium, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, for two years, then visited Europe in 1833...
and J. Gregory Smith
J. Gregory Smith
John Gregory Smith , railroad tycoon, politician, war-time governor of VermontSmith was born in St. Albans, Vermont, son of John and Maria Smith. The elder Smith was a pioneer railroad builder in Vermont, and a leading lawyer and public man of his generation...
. Fairbanks reportedly responded to the Federal Government's response for troops with "Vermont will do its Full Duty." Under his administration, Vermont fielded six infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and one cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiments. Governor Holbrook's administration saw the recruitment of 10 infantry regiments, 2 light artillery batteries, and 3 sharpshooter companies. Under his administration, as well, Vermont built three military hospitals in the state which were "soon credited by the United States medical inspector with perfecting a larger percentage of cures than any United States military hospital record elsewhere could show." Governor Smith oversaw the recruitment of Vermont's last infantry regiment, a third light artillery battery, and, as a result of a Confederate raid on his hometown, St. Albans
St. Albans (city), Vermont
St. Albans is a city in and the shire town of Franklin County, Vermont, in the United States. At the 2000 census, the city population was 7,650. St Albans City is completely surrounded by St. Albans town, which is incorporated separately from the city of St. Albans...
, two companies of frontier cavalry.
Military enrollment
The state sent more than 34,000 to serve, out of a total population of about 350,000 citizens.More than 28,100 Vermonters served in Vermont volunteer units. Vermont fielded 17 infantry regiments, 1 cavalry regiment, 3 light artillery batteries, 1 heavy artillery company, 3 companies of sharpshooters, and 2 companies of frontier cavalry. Instead of replacing units as they were depleted, Vermont regularly provided recruits to bring the units in the field back up to normal strength.
Nearly 5,000 others served in other states' units, in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
or the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
The 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States during the Civil War...
included 66 Vermont blacks; a total of 166 black Vermonters served out of a population of 709 in the state.
Vermonters suffered a total of 1,832 men killed or mortally wounded in battle; another 3,362 died of disease, in prison or from other causes, for a total loss of 5,194. More than 2,200 Vermonters were taken prisoner during the war, and 615 of them died in or as a result of their imprisonment.
Historian Howard Coffin claimed that the state's most important contribution to the war was at the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
where the Vermont Brigade held the crucial intersection of two roads, the loss of which would have split the Union forces in half. 1,200 Vermonters died. They also played a crucial role at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, where, under General George J. Stannard
George J. Stannard
George Jerrison Stannard was a Vermont farmer, teacher, and Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives.-Early life:...
, the 2nd Vermont Brigade
2nd Vermont Brigade
The 2nd Vermont Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.- Composition and commanders :...
broke Pickett's charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
by stepping out of a protected area and firing at the flank of the attackers.
General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
, learning that a regiment of Green Mountain Boys (the 1st Vermont Infantry) was awaiting orders, said "I want your Vermont regiments, all of them. I have not forgotten the Vermont men on the Niagara
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
frontier... I remember the Vermont men in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
."
A significant number of generals hailed from Vermont. Several led Vermont units, including Lewis A. Grant
Lewis A. Grant
Lewis Addison Grant was a teacher, lawyer, soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and later Assistant U.S. Secretary of War...
, John W. Phelps
John W. Phelps
John Wolcott Phelps , was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, an author, an ardent abolitionist and presidential candidate.-Soldier and abolitionist:...
, William Farrar Smith
William Farrar Smith
William Farrar Smith , was a civil engineer, a member of the New York City police commission, and Union general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, George J. Stannard
George J. Stannard
George Jerrison Stannard was a Vermont farmer, teacher, and Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives.-Early life:...
, Edwin H. Stoughton
Edwin H. Stoughton
Edwin Henry Stoughton , was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a lawyer.-Early life:Stoughton was born in Chester, Vermont, the son of Henry Evander and Laura Stoughton....
, Stephen Thomas
Stephen Thomas
Stephen Thomas , manufacturer, politician, jurist, and Union Army officer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for gallantry.-Early life:...
, James M. Warner
James M. Warner
James Meech Warner was a New England manufacturer and a brevet brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, and William Wells
William Wells (general)
-Medal of Honor:Wells commanded the Second Battalion, 1st Vermont Cavalry, in the repulse of Stuart's Cavalry at the Battle of Hanover during the Gettysburg Campaign...
. Others served in other states' units or in the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
, including Benjamin Alvord
Benjamin Alvord (mathematician)
Benjamin Alvord was an American soldier, mathematician, and botanist.-Early life and career:Alvord was born in Rutland, Vermont, where he developed an interest in nature. He attended the United States Military Academy and displayed a talent in mathematics. He graduated in 1833. He was assigned to...
, John C. Caldwell
John C. Caldwell
John Curtis Caldwell was a teacher, a Union general in the American Civil War, and an American diplomat.-Early life:Caldwell was born in Lowell, Vermont...
, Sylvester Churchill
Sylvester Churchill
Sylvester Churchill was an American journalist and Regular Army officer.-Early life:Churchill was born in Woodstock, Vermont, the son of Joseph and Sarah Churchill...
, Joel Dewey
Joel Dewey
Joel Allen Dewey was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a lawyer.-Biography:...
, Charles Doolittle
Charles Doolittle
Charles Camp Doolittle was a store clerk, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a bank cashier.-Biography:Doolittle was born in Burlington, Vermont, the son of Matthew Doolittle...
, William B. Hazen, Ethan Allen Hitchcock
Ethan A. Hitchcock (general)
Ethan Allen Hitchcock was a career United States Army officer and author who had War Department assignments in Washington, D.C., during the American Civil War, in which he served as a major general.-Early life:...
, Charles Edward Hovey
Charles Edward Hovey
Charles Edward Hovey was an educator, college president, pension lobbyist and a brevet major general in the United States Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, Joseph A. Mower
Joseph A. Mower
Joseph Anthony Mower was a Union general during the American Civil War. He was a competent officer and well respected by his troops and fellow officers to whom he was known as "Fighting Joe". William T. Sherman said of Mower, "he's the boldest young officer we have".-Biography:Mower was born in...
, Thomas E. G. Ransom
Thomas E. G. Ransom
Thomas Edwin Greenfield Ransom was a surveyor, civil engineer, real estate speculator, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, Israel B. Richardson
Israel B. Richardson
Israel Bush Richardson was a United States Army officer during the Mexican-American War and American Civil War, where he was a major general in the Union Army...
, Benjamin S. Roberts
Benjamin S. Roberts
Benjamin Stone Roberts was an American lawyer, civil engineer, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, Truman Seymour
Truman Seymour
Truman Seymour was an a career soldier and an accomplished painter. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of major general. He commanded the Union troops at the Battle of Olustee, the largest Civil War battle fought in Florida.-Early life and career:Seymour...
, George Crockett Strong
George Crockett Strong
George Crockett Strong was a Union brigadier general in the American Civil War.-Biography:Strong was born in Stockbridge, Vermont, and attended Williston Seminary but left after 1851. He attended Union College, but left for the U.S. Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1857...
, Stewart Van Vliet
Stewart Van Vliet
Stewart Leonard Van Vliet , was a United States Army officer who fought on the side of the Union during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, and George Wright
George Wright (general)
George Wright was an American soldier who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
. Six Vermonters became brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, including Asa P. Blunt
Asa P. Blunt
Asa Peabody Blunt was a draughtsman and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, George P. Foster
George P. Foster
George Perkins Foster was a school teacher, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and then a United States Marshal.-Early life and career:...
, William W. Henry
William W. Henry
William Wirt Henry was a manufacturer and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action.-Early life:...
, John R. Lewis, Edward H. Ripley and Charles B. Stoughton
Charles B. Stoughton
Charles Bradley Stoughton was an officer and regimental commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
.
One native Vermonter, Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
, who later became President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, served as Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of the State of New York during the war.
Vermonters played a significant role in the maritime aspects of the war as well, but they frequently get overlooked. Some of the more prominent sailors include George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
, Charles Edgar Clark
Charles Edgar Clark
Rear Admiral Charles Edgar Clark was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War.-Biography:...
, George F. Emmons
George F. Emmons
George Foster Emmons was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who served in the early to mid 19th century.-Biography:Born in Clarendon, Vermont, Emmons began his distinguished career as a midshipman on 1 April 1828...
, George Colvocoresses
George Colvocoresses
George Musalas "Colvos" Colvocoresses was a United States Navy officer who commanded the USS Saratoga during the American Civil War. From 1838 up until 1842, he served in the United States Exploring Expedition, better known as the Wilkes Expedition, which explored large regions of the Pacific Ocean...
, Theodore P. Greene
Theodore P. Greene
Theodore Phinney Greene , was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who fought on the side of the Union during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, Edward D. Robie
Edward D. Robie
Edward Dunham Robie , was a naval engineer, inventor, and Union naval officer during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Robie was born in Burlington, Vermont, the son of Jacob and Louisa Robie...
, and Edwin T. Woodward
Edwin T. Woodward
Edwin T. Woodward , was a naval officer during and after the American Civil War.-Civil War:Woodward was born in Castleton, Vermont, the son of Edwin C. and Charlotte Woodward. He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy and began his studies there on November 21, 1859...
.
Service
The first military action seen by Vermonters was at the Battle of Big BethelBattle of Big Bethel
The Battle of Big Bethel, also known as the Battle of Bethel Church or Great Bethel was one of the earliest land battles of the American Civil War after the surrender of Fort Sumter...
on June 10, 1861, where a battalion of the 1st Vermont Infantry
1st Vermont Infantry
The 1st Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, in and around Fortress Monroe, Virginia.-History:...
was engaged.
The 2nd
2nd Vermont Infantry
The 2nd Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three year' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, from June 1861 to July 1865...
, 3rd
3rd Vermont Infantry
The 3rd Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three-years infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, from July 1861 to July 1865...
, 4th
4th Vermont Infantry
The 4th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three year' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater, predominantly in the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, from September 1861 to July 1865...
, 5th
5th Vermont Infantry
The 5th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater, predominantly in the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, from September 1861 to June 1865. It was a member of the Vermont Brigade.The...
, 6th
6th Vermont Infantry
The 6th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater, predominantly in the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, from October 1861 to June 1865. It was a member of the Vermont Brigade.The...
and later the 11th Vermont Infantry
11th Vermont Infantry
The 11th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry or simply known as 11th VVI was a three-years infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in eastern theater, from September 1862 to August 1865...
regiments served in the famous 1st Vermont Brigade, which saw action in nearly every major engagement in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War included the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the coastal fortifications and seaports of North Carolina...
from the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
to Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
.
The 7th Vermont Infantry
7th Vermont Infantry
The 7th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Western Theater, predominantly in Louisiana and Florida, from February 1862 to March 1866...
, 8th Vermont Infantry
8th Vermont Infantry
The 8th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three-year infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in both major theaters, first in Louisiana and then in Virginia, from February 1862 to June 1865. It was a member of the XIX Corps.The regiment was mustered...
, and two Vermont Light Artillery Batteries
Vermont Light Artillery Batteries
During the American Civil War in the mid-19th Century, the state of Vermont contributed five artillery units to the Union war effort.The 1st Vermont Battery Light Artillery, or "Hebard's Battery," served in the Department of the Gulf of Mexico. The 2nd Battery, "Chase's Battery," also served in the...
served in the Department of the Gulf under Benjamin F. Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
. The 8th Vermont later saw service in the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns of 1864
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
.
The 9th Vermont Infantry
9th Vermont Infantry
The 9th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater, from July 1862 to December 1865...
suffered ignominious capture at the Battle of Harpers Ferry
Battle of Harpers Ferry
The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
during the 1862 Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
, but later fought well with the VII
VII Corps (ACW)
Two corps of the Union Army were called VII Corps during the American Civil War.-VII Corps :This corps was established 22 July 1862 from various Union troops stationed in southeastern Virginia. The corps' main combat action occurred in the spring of 1863, when it faced Confederate troops of James...
, XVIII
XVIII Corps (ACW)
XVIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.- Origins and makeup :The XVIII Corps was created on December 24, 1862, and initially composed of five divisions stationed in North Carolina, making it one of the largest in the Union Army , placed under the command of General...
and XXIV Corps
XXIV Corps (ACW)
XXIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.In December 1864, the white and black units of the Army of the James were divided into two corps. The black troops were sent to the XXV Corps; the white troops became the XXIV Corps, under the command of Edward O. Ord...
in eastern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and was one of the first units to enter Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in April 1865.
The 10th Vermont Infantry
10th Vermont Infantry
The 10th Vermont Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 10th Vermont Infantry was organized at Brattleboro, Vermont and mustered in for three years service on September 1, 1862 under the command of Colonel Albert Burton Jewett.The regiment...
gained its niche in history at the Battle of Monocacy
Battle of Monocacy
The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, just outside Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, in the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace...
, an important but often overlooked battle that delayed a Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
drive on Washington D.C..
At Gettysburg on the first day of battle, July 1, 1863, General John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War, killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.-Early life:Sedgwick was born in the Litchfield Hills town of...
is quoted as saying, "Put the Vermonters ahead and keep the column well closed up." The 12th
12th Vermont Infantry
The 12th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the Defenses of Washington, from October 1862 to July 1863...
, 13th
13th Vermont Infantry
The 13th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the Defenses of Washington, from October 1862 to August 1863...
, 14th
14th Vermont Infantry
The 14th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the Defenses of Washington, from October 1862 to August 1863...
, 15th
15th Vermont Infantry
The 15th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
and 16th Vermont Infantry
16th Vermont Infantry
The 16th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the Defenses of Washington, from October 1862 to August 1863...
regiments were banded together as the 2nd Vermont Brigade
2nd Vermont Brigade
The 2nd Vermont Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.- Composition and commanders :...
, which gained lasting credit for its actions in helping stop Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
Vermont fielded three companies of sharpshooters, which served with Hiram Berdan
Hiram Berdan
Hiram Berdan was an American engineer, inventor and military officer, world-renowned marksman, and guiding force behind and commanding colonel of the famed United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiments during the American Civil War...
in the two U.S. Sharpshooter regiments.
The 1st Vermont Cavalry
1st Vermont Cavalry
The 1st Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Cavalry was a three years' cavalry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater from November 1861 to August 1865, in the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac....
regiment participated in more than 70 engagements.
After the St. Albans raid
St. Albans raid
The St. Albans Raid was the northernmost land action of the American Civil War, taking place in St. Albans, Vermont on October 19, 1864.-Background:In this unusual incident, Bennett H. Young led Confederate States Army forces...
on October 19, 1864, Vermont fielded two companies of Frontier Cavalry
Frontier Cavalry
The Frontier Cavalry was a volunteer cavalry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized under special authority of the War Department, to serve on the northern frontier of New England for one year. It was created in response to the St...
, who spent six months on the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
border to prevent further incursions from Confederate raiders.
Sixty-four Vermonters received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, including Willie Johnston, the youngest person ever to receive this award.
Notable Civil War leaders from Vermont
- George DeweyGeorge DeweyGeorge Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
- Erastus FairbanksErastus FairbanksErastus Fairbanks was an American manufacturer and Whig politician.He studied law but abandoned it for mercantile pursuits, finally settling in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where in 1824 he formed a partnership with his brother Thaddeus for the manufacture of scales, stoves and plows...
- Lewis A. GrantLewis A. GrantLewis Addison Grant was a teacher, lawyer, soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and later Assistant U.S. Secretary of War...
- Frederick HolbrookFrederick HolbrookFrederick Holbrook was an agriculturist, politician, and the 27th Governor of Vermont.-Early life:Holbrook was born in East Windsor, Connecticut, son of John and Sara Holbrook. He attended Berkshire Gymnasium, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, for two years, then visited Europe in 1833...
- Redfield ProctorRedfield ProctorRedfield Proctor was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th Governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 1891 to 1908....
- J. Gregory SmithJ. Gregory SmithJohn Gregory Smith , railroad tycoon, politician, war-time governor of VermontSmith was born in St. Albans, Vermont, son of John and Maria Smith. The elder Smith was a pioneer railroad builder in Vermont, and a leading lawyer and public man of his generation...
- William Farrar SmithWilliam Farrar SmithWilliam Farrar Smith , was a civil engineer, a member of the New York City police commission, and Union general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
- George J. StannardGeorge J. StannardGeorge Jerrison Stannard was a Vermont farmer, teacher, and Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives.-Early life:...
- William WellsWilliam Wells (general)-Medal of Honor:Wells commanded the Second Battalion, 1st Vermont Cavalry, in the repulse of Stuart's Cavalry at the Battle of Hanover during the Gettysburg Campaign...
Civil War sites in Vermont
St. Albans, VermontSt. Albans (city), Vermont
St. Albans is a city in and the shire town of Franklin County, Vermont, in the United States. At the 2000 census, the city population was 7,650. St Albans City is completely surrounded by St. Albans town, which is incorporated separately from the city of St. Albans...
, is the site of the northernmost land action in the Civil War, the St. Albans Raid
St. Albans raid
The St. Albans Raid was the northernmost land action of the American Civil War, taking place in St. Albans, Vermont on October 19, 1864.-Background:In this unusual incident, Bennett H. Young led Confederate States Army forces...
. On October 19, 1864, Confederate raiders, under the command of Lieutenant Bennett H. Young
Bennett H. Young
Bennett H. Young was a Confederate officer who led forces in the St Albans raid , a military action during the American Civil War. As a lieutenant of the Confederate States Army, he entered Vermont from Canada and occupied the town of St...
, robbed three banks, escaped to Canada, were captured, and put on trial. The Canadian courts decided they were acting under military orders and they could not be extradited back to the United States without Canada violating her neutrality.
Most Vermont towns have a monument in memory of the soldiers who participated in the Civil War. Decades after the war, the upland hillsides of the state were littered with the cellar holes of long-gone farmhouses from farms that had been abandoned because all the family's sons had been killed in the Civil War.
There are several facilities in the state that have significant collections of manuscripts and archives of the war, including the Vermont State House
Vermont State House
The Vermont State House, located in Montpelier, is the state capitol of Vermont and the seat of the Vermont General Assembly. The current Greek Revival structure is the third building on the same site to be used as the State House...
, the Vermont Historical Society, University of Vermont Bailey Howe Library, the Bennington Museum, the Sheldon Museum (Middlebury), the Vermont Veterans Militia Museum and Library, and the State of Vermont Public Records Division.
Further reading
- Coffin, Howard, Full Duty: Vermonters in the Civil War. Woodstock, VT.: Countryman Press, 1995; Nine Months to Gettysburg. The Vermonters Who Broke Pickett's Charge. Woodstock, VT.: Countryman Press, 1997; The Battered Stars: One State's Civil War Ordeal during Grant's Overland Campaign. Woodstock, VT.: Countryman Press, 2002.
- Dornbusch, C. E., Regimental Publications & Personal Narratives of the Civil War., Vol I Northern States, Part 2 New England: The New York Public Library, 1962.
- Dyer, Frederick Henry, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. New York: T. Yoseloff, 1908. 3 vol.
- Poirier, Robert G., By the Blood of our Alumni: Norwich University Citizen-Soldiers in the Army of the Potomac. Mason City, IA: Savas Publishing Co., 1999.
- Rosenblatt, Emil & Ruth. 1992. Hard Marching Every Day: The Civil War Letters of Private Wilbur Fisk 1861-1865. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0529-0
- U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 70 volumes in 4 series. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.
- Wickman, Don, "We Are Coming Father Abra'am," The History of the 9th Vermont Volunteer Infantry 1862-1865. Lynchburg, VA: Schroeder Publications, 2005.
- Zeller, Paul G., The Second Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment, 1861-1865. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2002.