Vermonters in the Civil War
Collection Overview
Vermont soldiers in the Civil War wrote an enormous quantity of letters and diaries, of which many thousands have survived in libraries, historical societies, and in private hands. This collection represents a selection of letters and diaries from...
Show moreVermont soldiers in the Civil War wrote an enormous quantity of letters and diaries, of which many thousands have survived in libraries, historical societies, and in private hands. This collection represents a selection of letters and diaries from the University of Vermont and the Vermont Historical Society.
The collection includes materials dating from 1861-1865. Materials were selected for digitization to provide a variety of perspectives on events and issues. The voices represented in the collection include private soldiers and officers, as well as a few civilians. All of the extant Civil War-era letters or diaries of each of the selected individuals (at least, all that are to be found in the participating institutions’ collections) are included; each adds a certain experience and point of view to the whole.
Officers in the photo above are (from left to right): Lieutenant Colonel Charles B. Stoughton, Colonel Edwin H. Stoughton, Major Harry N. Worthen. All are from the Fourth Vermont Infantry Regiment.
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Sub-collections
- Daniel S. White Correspondence
- Edward P. Stone Correspondence
- George W. Quimby Correspondence
- Henry A. Smith Correspondence
- Henry Harrison Wilder Correspondence
- Horace Barlow Diary
- John Lester Barstow Correspondence
- John W. Campbell Correspondence
- John Wolcott Phelps Correspondence
- Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
- Joseph L. Perkins Correspondence
- Joseph Spafford Correspondence
- Justus F. Gale Correspondence
- Lyman S. Williams Correspondence
- Orlando S. Turner Correspondence
- Ransom W. Towle Correspondence
- Roswell Farnham Correspondence
- Solomon G. Heaton Correspondence
- Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
- Wheelock Graves Veazey Correspondence
- William C. Holbrook Correspondence
- William Wirt Henry Correspondence
Lesson Plans
(681 - 700 of 1,368)
Pages
- Title
- Miscellaneous
- Description
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Permission for "the Negro Dawson Speedley" to leave camp. Signed by Col. Phelps.
- Title
- Moses W. Sawyer to William Wirt Henry
- Description
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Receipts for the purchase of two horses.
- Title
- N. A. M. Dudley to William C. Holbrook
- Description
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Two letters; one signed by N. A. M. Dudley and the other by W. C. Holbrook requesting a Court of Inquiry to investigate allegations against the 7th Regiment participation in the Battle of Baton Rouge by a Commanding General.
- Title
- N. S. Leffnis
- Description
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Topics include a pass instructing guards to allow Mrs. Blunt and Mrs. Mary Farnham to cross Long Bridge and enter camp of the 12th Vermont Volunteers by order of General Casey .
- Title
- N. S. Leffnis to Roswell Farnham
- Description
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Orders to guards to allow Roswell Farnham to travel to and from Washington and Alexandria via Long Bridge by order of General Casey ; N.S. Jeffries, Assist. Adjt. General.
- Title
- Nathan A. Williams to Lois L. Williams
- Description
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Topics include the expectation of a battle and reinforcements. The anticipated battle was probably the 2nd Manassas or Bull Run campaign (Aug. 26-30, another win for the Confederates).
- Title
- Note
- Description
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A handwritten note to call Mr. Kenney of the Globe (?). Possibly a reference to someone at a newspaper. No date.
- Title
- Notice
- Description
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Notice to the residents of the town of Elmore from the town clerk to gather for a meeting on the 29th of March 1864 to act on several issues before the voters including rescinding the vote on bounties.
- Title
- Notice
- Description
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Notice to the legal voters of the town of Elmore, Vt to meet March 1st to transact business on several issues listed including military bounties. The year 1864 appears on last page.
- Title
- Orlando S. Turner Correspondence
- Description
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Orlando S. Turner was born in November, 1839 in Duxbury, Vermont - the son of Joseph and Louisa (Cameron) Turner. He enlisted in Moretown as a Private in Co. D, 2nd Vermont Regiment, on May 7, 1861 and was promoted to Corporal on October 21, 1861. Turner re-enlisted on January 31, 1864 and was...
Show moreOrlando S. Turner was born in November, 1839 in Duxbury, Vermont - the son of Joseph and Louisa (Cameron) Turner. He enlisted in Moretown as a Private in Co. D, 2nd Vermont Regiment, on May 7, 1861 and was promoted to Corporal on October 21, 1861. Turner re-enlisted on January 31, 1864 and was subsequently promoted to Sergeant on July 19, 1864 and then to 1st Sergeant on February 7, 1865. On June 7, 1865, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and on July 15, 1865 was mustered out of service with the rank of 1st Sergeant. His correspondence consists of two letters written in July of 1861 describing Union troops in Washington D.C. and the Battle of Bull Run.
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- Title
- Orlando S. Turner to Joseph and Louisa A. Turner
- Description
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Turner writes from Washington, D.C. to his parents of 80,000 Union men, of being given a "splendid flag" and of sending them $10.
- Title
- Orlando S. Turner to Joseph and Louisa A. Turner
- Description
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Topics include a brief account of the first Battle of Bull Run, Manassas, Virginia. Writes of the bravery of the soldiers, casualties and men killed, of his opinion that the officers were afraid to go where the soldiers were, damage to the American flag.
- Title
- Quincy F. Thurston to William Wirt Henry
- Description
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Topics include an account of the battle near Richmond (maybe the Battle of Seven Pines [Fair Oaks]??), makes mention of marching, the evacuation of Yorktown, the battle of Williamsburgh, a stay at the White House and advance to the Chickahominy River.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle Correspondence
- Description
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Ransom W. Towle of Rochester, Vt. enlisted as a Sergeant in Co. E, 4th Vermont Regiment, on August 24, 1861. He was wounded at Savage's Station, Va. on June 29, 1862. He re-enlisted on December 15, 1863 and was promoted to 1st Sergeant of Co. A. On May 17, 1864, he was commissioned a 2nd...
Show moreRansom W. Towle of Rochester, Vt. enlisted as a Sergeant in Co. E, 4th Vermont Regiment, on August 24, 1861. He was wounded at Savage's Station, Va. on June 29, 1862. He re-enlisted on December 15, 1863 and was promoted to 1st Sergeant of Co. A. On May 17, 1864, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in Co. A. He was wounded and taken prisoner at Weldon Railroad, Va. on June 23, 1864 but subsequently escaped. On September 19, 1864 he was killed in action at Winchester, Va. Thomas N. Flanders of Braintree, Vt. enlisted as a Private in Co. G., 8th Vermont Regiment on November 30, 1861. He was taken prisoner on September 4, 1862 at Bayou des Allemands, La. and was paroled on November 13, 1862. On January 5, 1864 he re-enlisted. He was promoted to Corporal on July 1, 1864, to Sergeant on April 12, 1865, and was mustered out of the service on June 28, 1865. Towle's letters include accounts of his responsibilities within the regiment, foraging for food, the cold weather, his stay at Camp Griffen, and requests for provisions.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to [Family and Friends]
- Description
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Towle writes from the field near Richmond, Va on heavy firing between Union gun boats on James River and Fort Darlin, an exchange of fire with the enemy, the seemingly deterioration of Gen. McClellan's appearance and the arrest of Colonel Stoughton for not turning out with his regiment to in line...
Show moreTowle writes from the field near Richmond, Va on heavy firing between Union gun boats on James River and Fort Darlin, an exchange of fire with the enemy, the seemingly deterioration of Gen. McClellan's appearance and the arrest of Colonel Stoughton for not turning out with his regiment to in line of battle.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to [Family and Friends]
- Description
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Topics include the Massachusetts 16th Regiment pushing the rebels back in heavy fighting with the Rebels in rifle pits, soldiers killed (74), prisoners taken (16) and preparations being made to move out in anticipation of battle the next day.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to [Family and Friends]
- Description
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Towle's regiment pursues the Rebels after finding their hasty departure from their camps. The men marched to the enemy's strong holds at Williamsburg, Virginia including Fort Magruder and a battle was fought. Killed and wounded reported. Soldiers had to endure heavy rain and muddy conditions....
Show moreTowle's regiment pursues the Rebels after finding their hasty departure from their camps. The men marched to the enemy's strong holds at Williamsburg, Virginia including Fort Magruder and a battle was fought. Killed and wounded reported. Soldiers had to endure heavy rain and muddy conditions. Some men did reconnaissance.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to [Family and Friends]
- Description
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Writing from the field topics include cleaning up the streets of Richmond, Va., Rebel and Union pickets conversing and trading bread and whiskey, the hot weather causing Sun Stroke, and building bridges and shoring up roads to ease the difficulty of moving the heavy artillery on the soft roads.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to [Family and Friends]
- Description
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Still in the field near Richmond, Va topics include the Battle of Richmond being fought since May 31, soldiers wounded and killed by Rebel fire, shell fire by the Rebels, balloon reconnaissance.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to [Family and Friends]
- Description
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Writing from in the field near Richmond, Va. topics include a detailed description of Company E at Lees Mills and speaks well of officers (Pingree, Terry). He criticizes a fellow soldier for shirking duty and writes of fighting of the the union and rebel batteries.