Vermonters in the Civil War
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 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.
Showing 1 - 10 of 10 Records
Bradford Sparrow to Father, Mother, and Brothers
-
Image nop
- Creator: Sparrow, Bradford.
- Date Created: 1865-05-04
- Description: Writes from Parole Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida ; states he had been a prisoner at the Confederate prison camp Andersonville, Georgia ; health is not good as he is suffering from scurvy but is eating well now ; mentions the role of the Sanitary Commission ; hope to be home soon ; mentions the assassination of President Lincoln ; he under the care of Dr. Bundy
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Bradford Sparrow Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Henry A. Smith to Clarissa A. Smith
-
Image nop
- Creator: Smith, Henry A., d. 1864.
- Date Created: 1863-08-11
- Description: A short letter written from Belle Isle Prison to reassure his mother after his capture on July 6 at Hagerstown, Maryland.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Henry A. Smith Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Henry A. Smith to Clarissa A. Smith
-
Image nop
- Creator: Smith, Henry A., d. 1864.
- Date Created: 1863-11-20
- Description: Topics include receiving a letter from home, his hope to be released and return home, and news about others from his regiment who were killed or wounded at Hagerstown on July 6.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Henry A. Smith Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
-
Image nop
- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1862-11-07
- Description: Topics include the continued improvement of Barney’s health, having his attendant return to camp, his thinking of applying for a furlough to return home when he feels stronger, his outrage at the government for the continued poor living conditions for the men at camp in the sheds, his asking for more money from home and the lack of military pay the soldiers have received.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
-
Image nop
- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1863-03-06
- Description: Camp guard house cleaned and fixed up so that the guards can rest when off the relief, how his company is eager to learn bayonet drill, what effect the draft will have on filling up his company, information on members of his company, inquiries about family, sending another photograph and speaks of letters to his daughter Carrie and son Fred.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
-
Image nop
- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1863-01-18
- Description: Topics include receiving family photographs, his displeasure with General Order 145, which allowed enlistment by volunteer soldiers in the regular army, how it affected discipline, Col. Andross resigning his office because of it, 65th waiting for their arms to be manufactured so they can move out.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
-
Image nop
- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1863-01-31
- Description: Written on Sherman House stationery topics include getting reimbursed for $120 stolen from an Express package, the condition of the more Rebel prisoners arriving, camp now having 4000 Confederate prisoners, attending a temperance lecture given by John B. Gough, and staying at the Sherman House, whose marble floor in the lobby was manufactured by Barney’s father.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
-
Image nop
- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: [1862]-10-12
- Description: Topics include receiving $10 from his father, the food supplies at camp, the health of the regiment which includes many men with jaundice, morale of the men, mentions telling his wife army life would be better than he knew it would be in order for her to feel better about letting him be in the military, reporting 2 of his men as deserters to Head Quarters, the false reports written in the papers and mentions prisoner of war camp Camp Douglas.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
-
Image nop
- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1863-01-20
- Description: News of fighting at Fredericksburg, Va. (Mud March of January 1863?), his duties regarding Quarterly Reports and keeping accounts, his worry about his brother Elisha Barney who feels must be in the fighting, reads from the newspapers that Elisha has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He also writes of the weather, and reports of Rebel prisoners being sent to Camp Douglas.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
-
Image nop
- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1863-03-09
- Description: Barney writes of how soldiers incarcerated in the guard house organize life while there, mimicking the rules of a regiment, including a “Colonel” (the Bully) who gets his position by fighting other soldiers, of extortion committed, of brutal beatings with one soldier not expected to live. He also describes how a soldier from his company (the 9th) deposed the "Colonel" and himself rose to the rank of “Major General” before escaping from camp, of Barney going to church worship, of Gen. Hooker granting furloughs and writes of family members.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War