Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-01-26
Vermont in the War.
Interesting and Instructive Article by
General Peck.


in the Civil War has been admirably writ
ten by G.. G. Benedict, State military his
torian, and is said to be by far the best
written work Of any State history on the
war.
1t is impossible to publish the deeds OF
valor OF each soldier, as it would take a
list of at least three -fourths of our brave
boys, who, day after day, and month after
month, for four long years, plodded stead
lily on, with no wish but that of helping
save their country from destruction and
ruin, and by their steadfastness and fight
ing qualities gave their officers the won
derful record which they now have.
Vermont was represented at the fall of
Fort Sumter on the 18th OF April, 1861, by
Truman Seymour, captain 1st artillery, Y.
s. A. The first Vermonter to volunteer his
services for the War of the Rebellion was
George Jerrison Stannard of ST. Adams,
Colonel 4th regiment of militia; this oc-
CURED on the 18th of April 1851. The first
reconnaissance in force upon Virginia soil
by the United States troops was made by
the list Vermont regiment on the 23rd OF
May, 1861. The first Vermont soldier to
lose his life was Private d. H. Whitney of
the Bradford company (D), 1st regiment,
who was killed by rebel scout on the 22d
of June, 1861, at Newport News, Va. The
first empty sleeve from Vermont in the
War of the Rebellion was that OF First
Sergeant Urban A. w oodbury, company II,
I'd Vermont volunteers, in action of Bull
Run, Va, July 13, 1861.
The last shot OF the 9Th army corps was
fired by the I'd Vermont regiment April 9,
1865, on the eastern branch OF Sailors
Creek, Va. The last fighting OF Vermont
troops was done by the 9TH regiment at
Whistler, Ala, April 10, 1865, and by the
lst Vermont cavalry at Appomattox Court
House on the morning of Lees surrender,
April 6, 1865. The last Vermont soldier
killed was Private Geo. b. Dunn OF COM
pany M, 1st Vermont cavalry April 8, 1856;
and the last wounded was First Lieuten
ant Willard harrington OF company l., 1st
Vermont cavalry, carly in the evening OF
April 8, 1865.
The ist Vermont brigade and the 10th
regiment, serving with the 9th army corps,
were among the first troops to enter the
city OF Petersburg, Va, on the morning OF
its capture, April 3, 1865. On the same
morning Richmond was captured and the
skirmish line, which was the first organ
lied body of troops TO enter the rebel cap
ital was commanded by Capt. Abel Il.
Leavenworth, 9th Vermont, assisted by
Lieuts. Joel &. Baker and Burnham Cow
derry with a detail of 120 men from the
same regiment.
Col. VIM. f. Fox, United States volun-
teers, in his elaborate work ,entitied" Reg
imental Losses III inS ClNll NtFs gives
list of eight "famous' brigades- made
pre-. eminent by their fighting qualities as
shown by their losses in action. In this
noble list the 1st Vermont brigade stands
first. "rhe greatest loss Of life, 'says Col.
Fox, "in any one brigade during the war
occurred in the Vermont brigade ID
(Gettyis) division OF the 9th corps.
OF the cavalry regiments in The Union
armies he mentions nine which lost from
119 to ia men each, killed or mortally
wounded in action. In this list the first
Vermont cavalry stands fifth. II is nd-
mitted that il stood second to none. how
ever, in captures of guns, prisoners and
battle flags.
From over 1000 regiments in the Union /
armies, Col. Fox selects 300 as the fight |
ing regiments which lost from 1874 to pa |
men each, killed and died of wounds; of /
this number Vermont furnished nine, viz: |
LIST regiment, Vermont cavalry, I'd, Sd, /
ith, 5th, 9Th, 10th, and 18th regiments OF
and 1st regiment, Vermont heavy |
o. 11th regiment.
Company +, 5th regiment,and + list reg |
iment. United States shHrpshooters. suffer 1
ed the greatest loss in killed and wounded /
mont, the former losing 81 killed and NOR
tally wounded out of 19l taken into the
field, or almost 20 per cent, the latter los
ing 80 out of III total enlisted, or Is per
cent.
The greatest loss of officers killed or died 4
Of wounds III Vermont organizations was
in the nth regiment, which lost IA.
The consolidated statement shows that
1892 soldiers were killed in action and died ,
Of wounds, and 3,405 died of disease in
prison and from accident, a total loss of
!, ,237.
OF the services and losses of the Ver-
mont troops. Col. Fox, the author OF the
elaborate work, "Regimental Losses in the
Civil War" writes me: at is a wonderful
record and do not remember its equal in
history. The loss OF the German
army in the Franco-P Prussian war, killed /
md mortally wounded, was 81; allied ar
ny, the Crimean war, 3.2; Austrian army,
war of 1916, 3 g.; war of the rebellion, 1916
IS, Az. Vermont comes next with a loss of
49,"
Vermont, however, in proportion to the /
number of men furnished, gave to the \
Union more lives lost from all causes than
my other northern State.
Through the channel OF the war depart
nent l find that about 300 Nermonters,
" no were recorded as deserters in the ros-
er OF 186f-65, 66 died in rebel prisons or
On the battlefield in the hands OF the enc
ny, or have had the charges against their
names removed.
The list of officers from Vermont who
DccdI0c Btntfdl uDEloce tuc lud-
or general, Wm.F Smith; three brigsdier
md brevet major generals, Lewis A. Grant,
vice wounded, George J. Stannard, four
lines wounded and lost right arm, Wm.
Wells, twice wounded; four brigadier
John w. Pkelps, Edwin p.
Stephen Thomas, once wound
ID, James NJ. Warner, once wounded; six
,olonels and brigadier generals, Asa P.
3lunt, George p. Foster, once wounded,
William w. Henry, three times wounded,
John X. Lewis, twice wounded and lost
light arm, Edward II. Ripley, once wound
ID, Charles B. Stoughton, once wounded
md lost right eye.
OF the II general officers, 10 were wound
ID from one to four times each, two losing
heir right arms and one an eye. making
2 per cent wounded.
Out OF 124 field officers, representing all
he regiments and staff, Is were killed or
nortally wounded, IS were wounded, one
tx times, one four times and six twice,
making over u per cent killed and over 81
,er cent wounded.
One hundred and four Fermonters serv-
d as officers in the United States colored
roops, of whom 81 were promoted from
he ranks. There were ~ commissioned