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 1191 - 1200 of 1339 Records

Roswell Farnham to Mary [Farnham]
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    • Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
    • Date Created: 1863-04-20
    • Description: Topics include dropping a note to Mary Farnham to figure out logistics of her visit.
    • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


    Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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      • Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
      • Date Created: 1863-04-23
      • Description: Topics include Mary Farnham finally heading home from her stay in Washington D.C., arrival of General George J. Stannard & his headquarters to be at Union Mills, Va., the prediction of moving soon & possibly guarding the railroad, an update on some of the men in camp, reference to Mr. and Mrs. Peach, and the possibility of Roswell Farnham becoming a colonel in a new regiment.
      • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


      Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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        • Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
        • Date Created: 1863-04-26
        • Description: Topics include being field officer of the day on picket line, Freeman Keyes in camp, concerns for his horse Burnie's health, stern orders from General Abercrombie regarding drills, request for photographs of his wife be taken and sent to him.
        • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


        Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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          • Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
          • Date Created: 1863-05-04
          • Description: Writing from Warrenton Junction, VA, on the railroad in an open field topics include marching from Wolf Run Shoals to Union Mills, then by train to Falmouth, writes of his horses Burnie and White Face, relates a fight with the men of John Singleton Mosby (nicknamed The Gray Ghost, a Confederate cavalry battalion commander) resulting in casualties, the capture and escape of Union soldiers, the killing of a Rebel spy, and the capture of a Rebel major, captain, and two lieutenants.
          • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


          Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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            • Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
            • Date Created: 1863-05-26
            • Description: Topics include a pleasant ride at Manassas Junction, stopping by a deserted house and picking bouquets of flowers from the over grown garden there, the danger of rebel guerrilla warfare, his horse Burnie improving in health but still with a cough, the plan to return to Union Mills tomorrow, hoping to receive the newspapers sooner than before, and much preparations by the soldiers in expectation of rebels in Alexandria.
            • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


            Roswell Farnham to Mary [Farnham]
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              • Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
              • Date Created: 1863-06-10
              • Description: Train arriving from Rappahannock with wounded soldiers & rebel prisoners from fight at Brandy Station on June 9 between Confederate Major General J. E. B. Stuart & Union Gen. Alfred Pleasanton [part of the Gettysburg Campaign], reference to Rebel military tatic regarding Vicksburgh and Fredericksburgh, the examination of witnesses in regard to Lieutenant Hartshorn‚Äôs conduct, Captain Hazard being at Chantilly with his battery, money sent to Geo. Chamberlin
              • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


              Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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                • Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
                • Date Created: 1863-07-03
                • Description: From camp at Westminster, MD topics include a description of the Battle of Gettysburg, the 12th ordered to guard the trains, supplies needed by the men in the field as they have none, the men of the 12th carrying out their duty and suffering much even though not engaged in the fighting, the determination of the men to continue marching despite severe hardship, horses giving out but coming to camp the next morning, men may be needed to stay on duty even though their military duties are up.
                • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


                Conductors Will Pass Free
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                  • Date Created: 1864-02-26
                  • Description: A railroad military pass for Col. Roswell Farnham allowing passage from Alexandria (Va.) to Brandy (maybe, Brandy, Va.)
                  • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence


                  Solomon G. Heaton to ?
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                    • Creator: Heaton, Solomon G.
                    • Date Created: 1862-12-10
                    • Description: Heaton writes that he is sending money home ($20), and that he needs $1 in postage stamps sent to him (the rest can go toward Lucy's board at school during the winter). His camp site, Belle Plains, Va., lies just east of Fredericksburg, the site of a major battle (Dec. 11-15, 1862) that began a day after Heaton wrote this note; hence, the need to be ready with sixty rounds of "catridges."
                    • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Solomon G. Heaton Correspondence


                    William C. Holbrook to Mother
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                      • Creator: Holbrook, William Cune, 1842-1904.
                      • Date Created: 1861-10-16
                      • Description: Topics include the movement of the regiment from Camp Advance to Camp Griffin, an alarm caused by the Dutchmen mistaking a calf for the rebels, Union officers receive praise from Holbrook (McClellan) as does the unit he is in from officers Col Stoughton and Gen Smith and a description of the living situation at camp that include good food, sleeping on the ground and sending money back home.
                      • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, William C. Holbrook Correspondence