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 711 - 720 of 1338 Records
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1864-02-17
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1864-03-23
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1864-03-26
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Hiram H. Barton to Lyman Barton
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- Creator: Barton, Hiram H., 1836-1903.
- Date Created: 1863-07-16
- Description: Hiram Barton writes a detailed description of a misunderstanding between the 96th New York Regiment and a cavalry company that they were to rendezvous with. The two forces exchanged fire but no one was injured. He then describes his unit’s participation in a pincer movement against Williamston, North Carolina, in which his unit was supposed to engage the enemy from the front while the 101st and 103rd Pennsylvania Regiments were to attack from the rear.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Barton Family Correspondence
Lyman Barton to Melissa Barton
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- Creator: Barton, Lyman, 1839-1936.
- Date Created: 1863-03-15
- Description: Lyman Barton writes of his travels from Fredericksburg to Newport News via a steamer, and then on to Suffolk. While at Newport News he saw a monitor and the U.S.S. Galena, as well as the wrecks of the U.S.S. Merrimack (C.S.S. Virginia) and the U.S.S. Cumberland and U.S.S. Congress. He also comments on the lack of alcohol available to the troops and that while he is not a drinker, he is “as bad can be” and that it is “hard spoiling a rotten egg.”
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Barton Family Correspondence
Lyman Barton to Melissa Barton
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- Creator: Barton, Lyman, 1839-1936.
- Date Created: 1863-08-02
- Description: Lyman writes about wishing to receive more letters from his sister, as he is lonely in camp, even though it sounds like he is enjoying himself. He points out the battles printed on the bottom of the writing paper he is using, saying that he was in the last four of them. The letter continues with a detailed description of the movements of his Brigade. He also mentions “confiscating” a beef, writing that soldiers don’t steal, only confiscate and the only difficulty was getting the beef into the camp.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Barton Family Correspondence
Theodore Barton to Melissa Barton
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- Creator: Barton, Theodore, 1842-1926.
- Date Created: 1863-02-25
- Description: Theodore Barton writes that there is a foot of snow but it is melting fast. He also writes of his pleasure at the news of the draft, as he would be happy to see some of those who stayed behind and to give them the same encouragement they gave to him about how easy it would be to “whip” the South. He also mentions that there is not much drinking of alcohol going on.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Barton Family Correspondence
Justus F. Gale to Brother
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- Creator: Gale, Justus F., 1837-1863.
- Date Created: 1862-02-07
- Description: Writing from Brattleboro, Vermont, topics include news of bombardment of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River (February 6, 1862) by Commodore Andrew Hull Foote (officer of the U.S. Navy) and General Ulysses S. Grant, a skirmish that resulted in finding a barrel of rum, food sometimes good but not the hash made in camp and the vaccination of the company for pox.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Justus F. Gale Correspondence
Justus F. Gale to Mother
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- Creator: Gale, Justus F., 1837-1863.
- Date Created: 1862-02-21
- Description: From Brattleboro topics include Justus Gale’s common cold, asking for leave denied, only those with wife and babies being allowed to go home, the rumor that Texas and Tennessee has been ordered to surrender, has received $33 in military pay and the expectation to stay at Camp Holbrook for another month.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Justus F. Gale Correspondence
Justus F. Gale to Brother
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- Creator: Gale, Justus F., 1837-1863.
- Date Created: 1862-04-05
- Description: Two letters, dated April 5th and 6th he writes from aboard the Ship Wallace heading for Ship Island. Mentions the "sugar place" back home in Elmore, Vt. Topics also include making a little bit of money buying and selling tobacco, the displeasure at having to remain on the ship, and the capture of two rebel steamers up the Mississippi River.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Justus F. Gale Correspondence