Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-20

interesting and important. A vote OF
thanks is due you. and I. for one. do
thank you for bringing to light the letter
of Gen. Sheridan to Mrs. Stoughton. But
in clearing up the mystery of Gen. Sher-
ldan $ battle flag the Stoughtons become
involved in mystery.
Il belonged to the Old Vermont Bri-
gade.' consisting of the I'd. I'd. 4th. 9TH
and 9th Vermont volunteer regiments. be-
ing throughout the war the I'd Brigade
I'd Division. 9th Army Corps. The 4th
Regiment had as it's first commander
Col. E. H. Stoughton and as its lieutenant
colonel Charles h. StoughtOn. who. as
recall. was brother to +. II. In the autumn
of 1852, the I'd Vermont Brigade was or
ganized, consisting Of the 18th. 18th. 1ith
10th and 10th Vermont Volunteers. en-
listed for nine months service. Col T.. II.
StOughton of the 4th Vermont was pro-
NOTED to brigadier general and placed in
command of the "a Brigade. and Charles
b. StoughtOn was made colonel of the 4th
Regiment. and SO continued until the 18th
day of July. 1863 when he was shot at
Funkstown through both his eyes. becom-
ing totally blind. Gen. +. II. Stoughton.
while in command of the Vermont "a
Brigade. near Fairfax Court house, hav-
ing gone beyond his lines to call on some
ladies. was captured by Col. Mosby The
capture was reported to President Lin
coin. and mention was made also Of the
capture of mule. He remarked: am
II
make better general in few minutes.
but L cant make mule That is. as |
remember. the story of the StouGhtons in
our brigade.
The Records.
That there could have been two gener-
ais named Stoughton in the war; so close
ly related. and with names SO nearly alike
and both connected with Vermont. and in
SoS he Nox
York after the war. seems so strange to
me that l have been looking up the rec
ord. In the Statistical Record of the
Armies of the United States (Charles
Scribner's Sons. 1881. in the list of brig
adler generals. is this record: 1898. Ed
win II. Stoughton of Vermont. colonel
4th Vermont Volunteers from November
D. 1862: commission expired March T.,
1862 Also. in the list of brevet briga-
der generals is Col. Charles P. Slough
ton. 18th Regular Vermont Infantry Vol
unteers. from March IL. 1861 In Yer
mont in the Great Rebellion. page PIG.
after naming the regiments and com
manders of the I'd Vermont Brigade. is
this statement: These regiments were
brigaded together during their terms of
service. The brigade was successfully
commanded by Brig. Gen. Edwin II.
tured by the enemy: Col. Asa p. Blount
of the 18th Regiment. until April. 1863.
when Brig. Gen. George J. Stannard was
assigned to command. and so continued
to the end of its term of service Also,
on page 49, The 4th Regiment was COM
manded by Col Edwin II. Stoughton of
Rockingham. a graduate of West Point.
who was promoted brigader general of
volunteers November =. 1862: Charles b.
StOughton of Rockingham. who resigned
by reason of wounds February >. 1854.
All this is just i'm harmony with my re-
MI mi ~ nf q StnuVhfOnS
mont Brigade as stated above.
There was only one other Gen. Slough
ton in the civil war. see Statistical Rec
ord page 262: ':tS. Col. William L..
Stoughton. nth Michigan Volunteer In
fantry. from March 13. 1866 Gen. Sher-
idan was colonel of the I'd Michigan Cav
airy Volunteers. No officer named
Stoughton could have been his superior.
1t is possible that William l.. Stoughton
NAV have been in the I'd Michigan Cav
colonel of the 11th Michigan Infantry.
Charles +. Stoughton could not have
been the man. for he was colonel of the
4th Vermont from November. 1S62. until
he was shot. July II, 1853. and after that,
being blind could not have served in the
field for by reason of wounds he re-
signed February >. 1864. Gen. Edwin II.
and Cen Edwin w. are without doubt
one and the same man. and he was cap
tured by the enemy: but could have had
no celatlOn 10 Il MCHleshu IcShiiChe'
Story on E. n. Stoughton.
There was in war days good story
told on Gen. Edwin H. Stoughton. He
was a very strict drillmaster and the 4th
Vermont had the reputation Of being the
best-drilled regiment in the division. He
was also very strict in requiring military
observances While in command of the
I'd Vermont Brigade he rode out of
camp one day and. in passing the sentry.
fioticed that the guard did not salute or
in any way recognize him. When the
general returned the guard made no sign.
Gen. Stoughton stopped and asked him II
he did not know that he should present
arms when an officer approached. The
guard said he did not. The general said:
Perhaps you do not know who l am?
The guard said he did not. And the gen.
eral said: I am Gen: Stoughton.' The
guard looked critically at him and said ::
How are you. Stoughton? Immediately
throughout the army and for years after
the war it was a common slang to say
.How-are- YOU StoughtOn?
1t is clear that there were three gen.
erals by the name of Stcoughton, two
from Vermont and one from Michigan. 1t
is also clear that neither of them had
anything to do with Sheridan's battle
flag. That flag was given by Gen. Sher-
idan to the wife of Z. w. Stoughton the
lawyer who was not in the war; and not
to either of the soldiers Of that name. 1t
was bequeathed by her to her son, John
Fiske the historian. and by her direction
was restored to the family of Gen. Sher-