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
(161 - 180 of 267)
Pages
- 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.
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- Ransom W. Towle to [Family and Friends]
- Description
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Writing seven miles from Richmond topics include packing up camp and marching at 10pm, a terrible rain storm that soaked the men, of sick soldiers including Towle.
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- Ransom W. Towle to Family
- Description
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Towle writes in some detail of the hardships of and the way foraging expeditions are conducted, of the cold weather, of rumors of a recall of Vermont troops and of news from home.
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- Ransom W. Towle to Family
- Description
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Towle writes from his Virginia camp to his parents and sister on the mud while out on picket duty, fearfulness of some of the soldiers, list of items to send from home including a reference to his much needed new boots, sickness and deaths in the Regiment, and news of the Rochester boys.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Family and Friends
- Description
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Towle writes of missing his newspaper and his wish to remain informed on both foreign and army news and of some of the men's morale writing home about the hardships of war and a desire to see it end. He writes of Col. Stoughton resignation, of officers' wives attending the camp's religious...
Show moreTowle writes of missing his newspaper and his wish to remain informed on both foreign and army news and of some of the men's morale writing home about the hardships of war and a desire to see it end. He writes of Col. Stoughton resignation, of officers' wives attending the camp's religious service and how the service differs from the traditional church worship.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Friends
- Description
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Writing from his Virgina camp Griffin, Towle gives a description of a Battalion Drill and the ill health effects on the soldiers, of a gale storm damaging tents and overturning an ambulance with a sick soldier inside. He writes of orders from General McClellan to be ready to move, and states men...
Show moreWriting from his Virgina camp Griffin, Towle gives a description of a Battalion Drill and the ill health effects on the soldiers, of a gale storm damaging tents and overturning an ambulance with a sick soldier inside. He writes of orders from General McClellan to be ready to move, and states men are sick and death count to date for his regiment is 66.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Friends
- Description
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Towle writes of what he hears about the living conditions of the Rebels including forced service, some without enough food and about the Battle of Richmond having been going on for a month with artillery shelling and likely to continue.
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- Ransom W. Towle to Friends
- Description
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From his camp near Alexandria, Virginia Towle writes of the rainy weather, muddy conditions, sleeping conditions wet and tents inadequate for keeping the soldiers dry and of the number of troops camped out in the area. Towle makes a brief reference to his father’s misfortunes [ill health?].
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- Ransom W. Towle to Friends
- Description
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Towle writes from near Yorktown and of firing upon and taking a Rebel fortification at Young's Mills with little resistance from the enemy. He writes a soldier was wounded soldier who was from the Rutland Company, 5th Regiment. The troops also marched to a well fortified encampment of the enemy....
Show moreTowle writes from near Yorktown and of firing upon and taking a Rebel fortification at Young's Mills with little resistance from the enemy. He writes a soldier was wounded soldier who was from the Rutland Company, 5th Regiment. The troops also marched to a well fortified encampment of the enemy. He was also in battle, men killed and wounded and the troops had difficulties with moving the artillery as the ground is march and swamp.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Parents and Friends
- Description
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Topics include Towle’s not receiving wages, the high prices of food, poverty in camp, the destruction of the countryside by the Rebels, how the Union soldiers are forbidden to even touch any property, the movement of the regiment in Virginia, and the attitude of the slaves towards the Yankees.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
- Description
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Towle writes of orders received to march on Richmond, Virginia and of his many camp duties. He writes of soldiers letters being detained and of their camp being fired upon by the Rebels. No harm done.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
- Description
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Towle writes from his Virginia camp to his parents about drill, military life, resignation of officers due to being unfit physically or mentally, of still needing new boots, illness, and his positive opinion of Colonel Stoughton.
- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
- Description
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Writing from Newport News (Virginia?) topics include the journey from Alexandria to his new camp, mentions the destruction of Hampton, Va. by the Confederates, the "concentration of troops" for the possible purpose of advancing into Va. and the inefficiency of the Quarter Master resulting in the...
Show moreWriting from Newport News (Virginia?) topics include the journey from Alexandria to his new camp, mentions the destruction of Hampton, Va. by the Confederates, the "concentration of troops" for the possible purpose of advancing into Va. and the inefficiency of the Quarter Master resulting in the soldiers going hungry for a week. He makes reference to passing gun boats, gives a brief description and impression of the "renowned" Monitor (Ironclad) and Fort Monroe.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Sebra Towle
- Description
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Towle writes from his Virginia camp to his mother about his thankfulness for the gift of a thick quilt. He writes in detail of boots he wants made, of his thoughts on what it would mean if there was an intervention of England, and his tent mates doing mundane domestic tasks of writing letters and...
Show moreTowle writes from his Virginia camp to his mother about his thankfulness for the gift of a thick quilt. He writes in detail of boots he wants made, of his thoughts on what it would mean if there was an intervention of England, and his tent mates doing mundane domestic tasks of writing letters and mending clothing.
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- Title
- Ransom W. Towle to Sister and Friends
- Description
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Camping in the field near Richmond topics include the weather in Virginia with food crops growing well in the hot temperatures, pickets conversing and trading papers, coffee, whiskey, fighting resulting in losses, reference to Rifle Pits, preparations for the Battle of Richmond, sickness among...
Show moreCamping in the field near Richmond topics include the weather in Virginia with food crops growing well in the hot temperatures, pickets conversing and trading papers, coffee, whiskey, fighting resulting in losses, reference to Rifle Pits, preparations for the Battle of Richmond, sickness among the soldiers.
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- Title
- Report
- Description
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A list of the distribution of soldiers on picket duty for the officer of Provost Marshal, for Yates Ford, Island Ford, Woodyard's Ford, McLane's Ford.
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- Roswell Farnham to [C. H.] Harding
- Description
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July 21, 1861. Writes to his friend C. H. Harding of conjecture among the men about the order to move out but with no details given, mentions Gen. Butler, Frank Blair, Cochran of New York and 3,500 men reviewed, of some minor illness among the men, of Farnham's re-nomination of State-Attorney.
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- Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
- Description
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Farnham writes from Camp Vermont headquarters of the 12th Regiment Vermont Volunteers to his wife, Mary, about her preparing for a visit to camp, what needed items she might bring and what discomforts she might expect living in a small hut he is building. He mentions other wives visiting their...
Show moreFarnham writes from Camp Vermont headquarters of the 12th Regiment Vermont Volunteers to his wife, Mary, about her preparing for a visit to camp, what needed items she might bring and what discomforts she might expect living in a small hut he is building. He mentions other wives visiting their spouses, Mrs. Blunt and Mrs. Vaughn. Writes of anticipation of homesickness.
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- Title
- Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
- Description
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Topics include the continued improvement of Roswell Farnham’s foot injury and orders to march the next day.
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- Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
- Description
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July 21, 1861. Topics include Farnham's anticipation to return home to his wife Mary, his urging again that Mary get someone to stay with her, of minor illnesses among the men and the politics of the company mentioning Peckett, Andross and Stearns.