2nd Vermont Infantry The 2nd Regiment , Vermont Volunteer Infantry ( or 2nd VVI ) 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 . It was a member of the famous Vermont Brigade . History . In July 1861 , the United States Congress authorized President Abraham Lincoln to call out 500 , 000 men , to serve for three years unless sooner discharged . The 2nd Vermont Infantry was the first of the three years regiments from the state placed in the field as a result of this call , and it served longer in the service than all but one other Vermont unit , the 7th Vermont Infantry . It was organized from militia companies from Brattleboro , Burlington , Castleton , Fletcher , Ludlow , Montpelier , Tunbridge , Vergennes and Waterbury . The colonelcy of the regiment was initially offered to Israel B . Richardson , a native of Vermont , but he had just accepted command of the 1st Michigan Infantry . Richardson recommended a fellow - classmate from the United States Military Academy , Henry Whiting , and he was commissioned by Governor Erastus Fairbanks on June 6 , 1861 . George J . Stannard , of St . Albans , was appointed lieutenant colonel , and Charles H . Joyce , a young lawyer from Northfield , was appointed major . The regiment rendezvoused at Burlington and was mustered into United States service on June 20 . Four days later , the regiment left for Washington , D . C . , arriving on June 26 . It was initially brigaded with three Maine regiments under command of Colonel Oliver O . Howard . On July 21 , the brigade participated in the First Battle of Bull Run . The regiment suffered 68 casualties : 2 killed , 35 wounded and 31 missing . August 12 , 1861 , the regiment transferred to Chain Bridge , where it went into camp with the 3rd Vermont Infantry , 6th Maine Infantry and 33rd New York Infantry . In September , the 4th , 5th and 6th Vermont regiments joined with the 2nd and 3rd to form the famous " Old Vermont Brigade , " under the command of newly promoted Brigadier General William Farrar Smith , previously commander of the 3rd Vermont Infantry . Smith was soon assigned command of the division of which the Vermont Brigade was a part , and William T . H . Brooks , a native of Ohio , but the son of a Vermonter , assumed command . The history of the regiment from this point on is essentially that of the Vermont Brigade , except for numerous personnel changes . Colonel Whiting resigned on February 9 , 1863 and was replaced by James H . Walbridge , who commanded the regiment until he resigned on April 1 , 1864 . He was replaced by Newton Stone , who was killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness , on May 5 , 1864 . His replacement , John S . Tyler , had been wounded on May 5 , and died of his wounds on May 23 . Amasa Tracy , his replacement , commanded the regiment until it was disbanded . Lieutenant Colonel George J . Stannard was promoted to the colonelcy of the 9th Vermont Infantry on May 21 , 1862 , and later commanded the 2nd Vermont Brigade , which garnered honors for its participation in the repulse of Pickett ' s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3 , 1863 . The original members of the regiment , who did not reenlist , were mustered out of the service on June 29 , 1864 . One year recruits and others whose term of service was due to expire prior to October 1 , 1865 , were mustered out on June 19 , 1865 . The remaining officers and men mustered out of service on July 15 . Medal of Honor . Five members of the regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor . See also . Vermont in the Civil War