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.

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Showing 11 - 20 of 38 Records

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16 Military camps -- Virginia. 12 Families of military personnel. 10 Morale. 10 VeazeyWheelock G. (Wheelock Graves) 1835-1898. 9 United States Army. Vermont Infantry Regiment, 3rd (1861-1865). 9 Vermont -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865. 8 United States Army -- Military life. 7 Diseases. 5 Armed Forces -- Officers. 5 Military camps -- Maryland. 4 Love-letters. 3 Food. 3 United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Medical care. 3 United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865. 2 Chicago (Ill.). 2 Culpeper County (Va.). 2 Drill and minor tactics. 2 Horses. 2 Medicine, Military. 2 Military pay. 2 Photographs. 2 Picketing. 2 Prisoners of war. 2 United States Army -- Surgeons. 2 United States Army. Vermont Infantry Regiment, 10th (1862-1865). 2 War casualties. 1 Armies -- Medical and sanitary affairs. 1 Battle casualties. 1 Bounties, Military. 1 Butler(Benjamin Franklin) Mr 1818-1893. 1 Camp Douglas (Ill.). 1 Confederate States of America Army. 1 Copperhead movement. 1 Courts-martial and courts of inquiry -- United States. 1 Draft -- United States. 1 FarnhamRoswell 1827-1903. 1 Fredericksburg, Battle of, Fredericksburg, Va., 1862. 1 HancockWinfield Scott 1824-1886. 1 JacksonStonewall 1824-1863. 1 Marching. 1 McClellanGeorge Brinton 1826-1885. 1 Military chaplains. 1 Military hospitals. 1 Newport (N.C.). 1 Newspapers. 1 Patriotism. 1 Pillage. 1 Postal service. 1 Promotions, Military. 1 Recruiting and enlistment. 1 Rumor. 1 Soldiers -- Alcohol use. 1 Tents. 1 United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns. 1 United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons. 1 United States Army. Vermont Infantry Regiment, 4th (1861-1865). 1 Winchester (Va.). 1 Yorktown (Va.).

38 text
Miniature of Henry A. Smith to Family
Henry A. Smith to Family
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    • Creator: Smith, Henry A., d. 1864.
    • Date Created: 1863-10-23
    • Description: Topics include his hope to be released soon and his wish for news about the farm and the fall harvest.
    • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Henry A. Smith Correspondence
    Miniature of Joseph Spafford to Homer White
    Joseph Spafford to Homer White
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      • Creator: Spafford, Joseph, 1837-1866.
      • Date Created: 1862-02-07
      • Description: Spafford writes to his friend Homer on topics including Typhoid Fever in the Regiment, friendship, camp life, Hancock‚Äôs Brigade [Winfield Scott Hancock], and answering his friend‚Äôs questions about joining the Regiment and fear of dying.
      • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Joseph Spafford Correspondence
      Miniature of Letter to Rufus and Sebra Towle
      Letter to Rufus and Sebra Towle
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        • Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864.
        • Date Created: 1861-12-29
        • Description: December 29, 1861. Topics include the health of the regiment in the cold weather (rheumatism, boils, homesickness), camp inspection, lack of presence of Chaplain except at religious services, and the prospect of battle.
        • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Civil War correspondence of Ransom W. Towle and Thomas N. Flanders
        Miniature of Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
        Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
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          • Creator: Veazey, Wheelock G., 1835-1898.
          • Date Created: 1862-06-10
          • Description: Topics include reporting of a few scrimmages, of Captain William Parker Ainsworth‚Äôs funeral and his honorable life, of desire to be home.
          • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Wheelock Graves Veazey Correspondence
          Miniature of Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
          Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
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            • Creator: Veazey, Wheelock G., 1835-1898.
            • Date Created: 1863-01-28
            • Description: Topics include the snowy weather, a description of his comfortable and cozy two tent living situation in camp, and a love letter to Julia, missing her and home.
            • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Wheelock Graves Veazey Correspondence
            Miniature of Lyman S. Williams to Caroline Williams
            Lyman S. Williams to Caroline Williams
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              • Creator: Williams, Lyman S., 1839-1905.
              • Date Created: 1861-11-16
              • Description: Topics include the comforts of camp life.
              • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Papers of Lyman S. Williams
              Miniature of Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
              Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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                • Creator: Rutherford, Joseph Chase, 1818-1902.
                • Date Created: 1864-04-14
                • Description: Expresses concern about Hannah's health, the political scandal over General Butler not searching baggage of Mrs. (Martha) Todd White [Mary Todd Lincoln's half sister], not seeking higher military pay, receiving sugar from home, prediction about Lincoln and the future election, asking his daughter, Helen, to not attend school but help teach her younger siblings to read and write.
                • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
                Miniature of Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
                Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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                  • Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
                  • Date Created: 1863-09-23
                  • Description: Barney writes of imagining himself at home with his family, and of fixing up the camp barracks for winter with comfortable living quarters. He thanks his wife for sending him slippers and asks for cloth, shirts, towels and socks to be sent to him.
                  • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
                  Miniature of William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
                  William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
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                    • Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915.
                    • Date Created: 1862-11-23
                    • Description: Writes of wanting to go home to see his wife or her coming to the camp in Md., how muddy it is in camp, knows soldiers in the Advance are marching, suffering from cold, rain & mud while he has a comfortable tent, wanting the war to end quickly, the health of the regiment is better, wishing for more letters from home.
                    • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, William Wirt Henry Correspondence
                    Miniature of William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
                    William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
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                      • Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915.
                      • Date Created: [1862-12-14]
                      • Description: News that the battle of Fredericksburg was a Union victory, how much he misses his wife, news that photographs he sent home were received, and the ill health of several members of the regiment.
                      • Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, William Wirt Henry Correspondence