The National tribune., 1900-05-03
FOURTH VERMONT.
Valiant Service and Heavy Losses
of This Fighting Regiment.
By uEUT.-COL. S. Nj. PINGREE,
Canaan, vt.

The 4th Vt. was raised chiefly in the las
part of August and first part OF September
1851, simultaneously with the 5th. Th
9th to the extent of nearly nine OF Its L
companies was raised on the east side OF tn
mountains, while the 5th in full as great
proportion was being recruited on the ives
hide.
Co. A cf the 4th was fully raised in ant
very near Bennington County: Wlndhan
County flrnisheda larger number than an,
other of the 4th, being Co. G: most OF
a considerable part of K, and fraction of Is
County; d was largely from Orleans County
with fraction from the northwestern par
Of Windham County; FwaS from Nipdhan
County, mostly along the. Connecticu
River. in Brattleboro, Rockingham ant
between; G. and II were chiefly from Wash
sngton and Caledonia Counties; | wa:
mostly from Windham County, with the
remainder from northeastern part OF tht
State; Co. K, as stated above, was largely
composed of Windsor County men, with {
email fraction from Windham and Wash
ington Counties and the northwesterly
part of Orange County.
Its organized aggregate, as a regiment
was 1,04S. The smallest losses, killed and
died of wounds (battle losesl, were in Cos
B, Z, f, | and X, and of these 10, IN b
were the least. Four Companies, A, G,
D and G, each lost over twice that number
Twelve officers and $50 enlisted men died
In battle; one officer and 219 enlisted men
died of disease and as prisoners, 60 OF whom
died in rebel prisons.
In the battle of the Wilderness. in May,
1864, seven officers We're killed and II
wounded, one of whom died of his wounds
and out of less than $50 enlisted men IN
that battle. 40 were killed outright, 223 We're
wounded, 43 mortally. and four were miss
tng; so that in this battle the actual death
loss was 81, the largest suffered by any
Vermont regiment in one battle, and loss
seldom egualed by any infantry regiment
in a siugle engagement during the war.
Its total losses by death We're in excess OF
those Of any other infantry regiment from
The State.
The first Colonel, Edwin II. Stoughten,
was but % years of age. He was the
youngest officer 10 take regiment from
Vermont, and is believed 10 have been the
youngest from New England. His brother,
Charles B.. Second Colonel,) was made
Colonel at 2i years of age.
The regiment was mustered in at Brattle-
boro, Sept. 20, 1861, started for Wash
ington, d. c., next day, and In FIVE days
joined the other Vermont troops then in
Virginia, at Camp Advance; and was
soon followed by the 9Th and 9Th, which.
with the I'd and Sd, who had gone before,
made up the "Old Vermont Brigade" which
remained unbroken, save by casualties,
and was at the surrender of Lee, April 8,
1865.
Like other Vermont organizations, the
4th was fortunate TO form part of a brigade
organized and commanded by that gallant
and unexcelled soldier, Gen. ". T. H.
Brooks, and afterwards by Gen. Lewis
Grant CAunt Ldy,'O and to form part OF
a division led by the brave Gen. W. F.
Smith (t'Baldy,'l and of a Corps-the Old
SiXth-which under the command of
Franklin and later of Incompatible
inly 4I,a do and Int tof fIa
volunteer service.
Over all this waved the Greek cross, never
hun1bled and never dishonored. To have
been esteemed worthy for nearly four years
OF war, to have shared the companionship
In arms Of our fellow regiments from Yer
mont, and to have borne in their opinion a
deserving part OF the great work OF this
old brigade, ought to be, and is, accepted
as sure passport that the 4th was all it
need to have been or claimed to be. Her
history Is everywhere a, part of the history
of a brigade famed throughout eur Nation.
and whose losses in battle killed and
nlortally wounded exceed those OF any other
brigade in the Union army, East OF West.
These were the engagements in which
We participated: Lees Mills, Va, April
16; Williamsburg, Va, May 5; Golding's
Farm, Va. June 26; Savage Station, Va,
June 30; White Oak Swamp, Va, June
30; Champions Gap, Md, Sept. Il; An
Dec 13-all 1852; Marye's Hights, Va.
May 3; Salem Nights, Va, May 4; Fred
ricksburg, Va, June 5; Gettysburg, Pa.
july 3; Funkstown, Nd. July 10; Kappa
hammock Station, Va, Nov. all 1863;
Wilderness, Va, May TO 10; Spottsyl-
yania. Va, May 10 to Is; Cold Harbor,
Va, June TO u; Petersburg, Va, June
1S; Weldon Railroad, Va, June %; Charles
town, W. Va, Aug. 21; Opequan, Va,
Sept. -; Winchester Va, Sept. 10; Fish
er's Hill, Va, Sept 21 and %: Cedar Creek.
Va, Oct. 19-alI 1864; Petersburg, Va,
March 25 TO %; Petersburg, Va, April 2;
and Sailors Crenk Va q r,ril & 1GG5