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.
Show less
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
(1 - 11 of 11)
- Title
- Henry A. Smith to Family
- Description
-
Topics include the journey from Williamsport to Snickers Ferry on the Shenandoah River, mentions by name men missing from the Company, mentions horses in battle, of his horse having had very little to eat, the rumor that General Pope is going to take control of the army, Gen. Fremont resigning,...
Show moreTopics include the journey from Williamsport to Snickers Ferry on the Shenandoah River, mentions by name men missing from the Company, mentions horses in battle, of his horse having had very little to eat, the rumor that General Pope is going to take control of the army, Gen. Fremont resigning, Gen. Banks to be Assistant Sec. of War, and the Quarter Master Old Jones & Lieutenant Grover's waiter being taken prisoners.
Show less
- Title
- Henry A. Smith to Family
- Description
-
From Snickers Ferry on the Shenandoah River topics include news from Richmond, rumor that Stonewall Jackson was killed, having enough to eat including local peaches & cherries found in Virginia, horses well fed, men on picket duty, newspaper report that General McClellan taken prisoner along with...
Show moreFrom Snickers Ferry on the Shenandoah River topics include news from Richmond, rumor that Stonewall Jackson was killed, having enough to eat including local peaches & cherries found in Virginia, horses well fed, men on picket duty, newspaper report that General McClellan taken prisoner along with 40,000 of his men, and Henry Smith's homesickness.
Show less
- Title
- Mary E. Farnham to Laura
- Description
-
From Mary Farnham to sister Laura with topics including a detailed description of Mary Farnham’s visit to camp, a visit to Washington visiting the Capitol & Senate buildings ; Farnham's horses sick with horse distemper, one of them being Burnie ; Mary's discomfort traveling in the ambulance ; her...
Show moreFrom Mary Farnham to sister Laura with topics including a detailed description of Mary Farnham’s visit to camp, a visit to Washington visiting the Capitol & Senate buildings ; Farnham's horses sick with horse distemper, one of them being Burnie ; Mary's discomfort traveling in the ambulance ; her embarrassing slip and fall in the ambulance ; her horse ride back ; the good health of the regiment ; weight gain of Lt. Herrick ; her affection for horse Jenny.
Show less
- Title
- Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
- Description
-
Regiment moving into the Rebel fort at Yorktown and of being ordered to evict the 179th Pennsylvania Regiment from the barracks. He also writes of promotions in his former company, and of buying a splendid horse for $225. He comments on the expense of getting “rigged out” as a lieutenant colonel.
- Title
- Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
- Description
-
Barney writes of gaining strength and blames the southern climate for his slow recovery ; plans to buy a horse soon, writes of the change in command of the Army of the Potomac from General Hooker to General Meade, of the capture of William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (son of Robert E. Lee & Confederate...
Show moreBarney writes of gaining strength and blames the southern climate for his slow recovery ; plans to buy a horse soon, writes of the change in command of the Army of the Potomac from General Hooker to General Meade, of the capture of William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (son of Robert E. Lee & Confederate officer), of Harrisburg, Penn. taken by the Rebels.
Show less
- Title
- Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
- Description
-
Two letters enclosed. Gives detailed account of his duties as officer of the day, details on camp life including cleaning the sinks (latrines), of some of the sight-seeing he has done and hopes to do in the area of Yorktown, of sickness in the camp, of rain and lightening that killed one horse &...
Show moreTwo letters enclosed. Gives detailed account of his duties as officer of the day, details on camp life including cleaning the sinks (latrines), of some of the sight-seeing he has done and hopes to do in the area of Yorktown, of sickness in the camp, of rain and lightening that killed one horse & injured several others. As well, he complains of Vermont towns that pay $300 rather than send anyone who has been drafted, compares them to the rebels. Requests photographs of the children Fred and Carrie.
Show less
- Title
- Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
- Description
-
Barney writes of the death of Major [Charles] Jarvis, shot in the abdomen when he attempted to capture some Rebels while he was out looking from stolen horses.
- Title
- Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
- Description
-
Reflects on how different the Sabbath is for him while in the Army, of borrowing a horse to ride for the first time in a long while to make his rounds as “officer of the day”, a seven mile circuit. Writes of hearing heavy cannonading, 9th NY Infantry Regiment Hawkins Zouaves, & of rumors of the...
Show moreReflects on how different the Sabbath is for him while in the Army, of borrowing a horse to ride for the first time in a long while to make his rounds as “officer of the day”, a seven mile circuit. Writes of hearing heavy cannonading, 9th NY Infantry Regiment Hawkins Zouaves, & of rumors of the death of Lieutenant Colonel Edward A. Kimball as the Siege of Suffolk (Virginia April 11 - May 4) begins. Discusses his feelings about recent promotions in the Regiment and his fear that the Regiment will be consolidated with another.
Show less
- Title
- Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
- Description
-
A brief and intense letter to his wife about her ill health, purchasing a new horse, and officers in the regiment who have resigned.
- Title
- William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
- Description
-
Topics include the good health of the regiment, him having a good bay horse as he needs to ride 15 miles to visit all the pickets and the need for friends and family in a time of loss.
- Title
- William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
- Description
-
Writing from his camp in the field topics include a brief account of William Henry's day that includes living quarters with Company B, morning hygiene, breakfast, riding his horse to visit a company and give a lecture picket duty, visiting another officer to discuss matters, a good dinner and...
Show moreWriting from his camp in the field topics include a brief account of William Henry's day that includes living quarters with Company B, morning hygiene, breakfast, riding his horse to visit a company and give a lecture picket duty, visiting another officer to discuss matters, a good dinner and ride back to his headquarters. Also inquiries about his family.
Show less