History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 9

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 988

USA > Vermont > Addison County > History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 9

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While these latter figures show an era of growth (and we may add it was not alone in population, but in general thrift and prosperity), the two years. immediately subsequent to that in which peace was declared, 1816 and 1817, by no means presaged this result. The county was exclusively a rural commu- nity. Its citizens depended entirely upon the products of the soil not only for the luxuries, but for the necessaries of life. With the constant fear of hostile invasion removed, it was natural for them to look into the future with hope and confidence, and to expect a liberal return for their labor. But fate, Providence, or the elements willed it otherwise. The "cold summer of 1816," as it is- known, but really of two summers, 1816 and 1817, blighted nearly all crops in many parts of the State and caused great loss and considerable suffering.

The following facts show what these seasons must have been for farmers in this region : On the 17th of May, 1816, there was snow on the ground and the earth was frozen hard enough to bear the weight of a man. As late as June 4 apple trees were hardly in full bloom, while the 6th, says an old diary, was " very cold with snow-squalls-we think the coldest day we ever knew in June -men work with their great coats and woolen mittens on." On the morning of the Ioth ice half an inch thick was found in some localities. On the 29th of July the ground was covered with frost, and on October 18 the snow was six inches deep. The following summer was less phenomenal for cold and frost, but still was sufficiently severe to nearly ruin crops. Great scarcity of provisions ensued and much suffering prevailed.

Previous to the year 1820 the chief agricultural pursuits of the county were the production of wheat and cattle. A few Spanish Merino sheep had been brought into the territory by Horatio Seymour, Hallet Thorne, Daniel Chip- man, Zebulon Frost, and others, which were added to during the war with England, the high price of wool at that time having stimulated their produc- tion ; but the price rapidly declined after the removal of the embargo, when

FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE PRESENT TIME.

the commerce of the country again became unrestricted. This decline in the value of wool had, naturally, a corresponding effect on the value of sheep, and most of these importations, if not all, became scattered and lost among the common flocks. In 1823 Charles Rich, of Shoreham, member of Congress for this district, with rare foresight laid the foundation of the first permanent flock of pure-bred Spanish Merino sheep in Addison county, they being purchased in company with Messrs. J. Beedle and E. Wright. The portion of the flock that went into the hands of Mr. Beedle was extensively crossed with Saxony blood, and not many years after was broken up. The failure of wheat from the invasion of insects, together with the passage of the tariff act in 1828, greatly stimulated the production of wool, and pure-bred flocks soon began to rapidly increase, both in numbers and quality, and the county soon attained the dis- tinction it still bears, of "the banner sheep-producing county of the United States." In the mean time manufacturing interests had not been entirely neg- lected, especially in Middlebury and Vergennes, as will be detailed in the chap- ters devoted to those towns.

In 1798 the first local newspaper made its appearance at Vergennes, an important event in the growth of any community. The Vergennes Gazette, published by Samuel Chipman, had a brief existence of only a few years, how- ever, and from that time no newspaper was published there until 1825, when Gamaliel Small commenced the Vermont Aurora, which, through several changes in title and proprietors, is continued in the Vergennes Vermonter of to- day. In the mean time, beginning with 1801, several different papers made their appearance in Middlebury, details of which will be found in a future chapter.

The year 1830 was characterized by an unusual quantity of rain, the month of July witnessing one of the most general and destructive freshets ever known in the county. By this freshet a number of lives were lost, and property, con- sisting of mills, bridges, buildings and crops, was destroyed to the extent of many thousands of dollars. In New Haven and Bristol the loss of life and property was especially severe, for a detailed account of which we refer the reader to the pages devoted to those towns.

In 1837 occurred the great financial panic, when the currency system was deranged, confidence destroyed, business paralyzed, and the banks obliged to suspend specie payments from one end of the Union to the other, entailing distress and ruin throughout the land. Numerous causes united to produce this great disaster, the principal of which were the vast importations of foreign goods, the increase of trade upon borrowed capital, the unparalleled specula- tions in public lands, the failure of the wheat crop, which rendered the impor- tation of breadstuffs necessary, the removal of the deposits of public money from the United States Bank, and the effort of that bank to close its concerns. In Addison county, however, the results of this panic were comparatively little felt. Though the county had three banks in operation-at Vergennes, Middle- bury and Orwell, respectively -the wealth of its inhabitants was principally

HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

invested in farms and live stock. To this fact, doubtless, and the remoteness from the great centers of trade and whirlpools of speculation, the county owed its escape from that unparalleled crisis.

While the country was new and the settlers were engaged in clearing their lands, pot and pearl ashes were the staple articles for market, though lum- bering was carried on to considerable extent. Up to the time of the opening of the Champlain and Hudson Canal in 1823, Quebec was the county's natural market, though Albany received a share ; but after that event Albany and New York became the markets for exports. Finally, beginning about the year 1843, the passion for railroad building was ushered in, rivaling that for turnpike con- struction. On November 1, 1843, the Legislature, among other railroad char- ters, granted the "Champlain and Connecticut River Railroad Company" the privilege of building a road "from some point at Burlington, thence south- wardly through the counties of Addison, Rutland, Windsor and Windham, to some point on the western bank of the Connecticut River." The first blow to- wards the construction of this road was struck at Rockingham, near Bellows Falls, in the month of February, 1847. In two years and nine months it was completed and was opened December 18, 1849. This gave comparatively convenient facilities for commerce with Boston, while the subsequent building of other roads has given the county ample facilities for rapid and convenient commercial connections with all of the great markets of the country.

From this time down to 1861 we have no great or striking eras in the county's growth to record. A continuous period of growing prosperity and increasing wealth prevailed, during which time the population reached 24,010 souls. But the great cloud so long gathering broke on the fatal 12th of April of that year, whirling the county into the general storm-our great civil war.

CHAPTER VIII.

ADDISON COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

Patriotism of Vermont - The Middlebury Light Guard - History of the First Regiment - The Second Regiment - Addison County Enlistments Therein - Career in the Field - The " Vermont Brigade " - The Fifth Regiment - The Sixth Regiment and its Addison County Members - Further History of the Vermont Brigade -- Details of its Honorable Service - The Eleventh Regiment -- The Seventh Regiment and its Relation to Addison County -Death of Colonel Roberts -- The Ninth Regiment - First Vermont Cavalry - Its Formidable List of Engagements -- First Battery -- Nine Months Men - The Seventeenth and Fourteenth Regi- ments -- Statistics from the Various Towns of the County -- Roster of Field and Staff Officers.

N TO State in the Union came out of the recent great struggle for the preser- vation of our national government with greater glory or a more honorable record than Vermont. With almost unexampled promptitude and unselfish

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

prodigality she sent her best blood to baptize the southern fields and languish in deadly prisons, and lavished her treasure in support of the noble cause, and to-day no one can do the memory of her heroes, dead and living, too much honor. The sharp anguish of sudden loss of father, husband, or brother may have become softened by the kindly hand of time; but the vacant places around thousands of hearthstones are still there and must for many more years awaken mournful memories in innumerable hearts and bring the occasional tear to many an eye.

Addison county felt the awful ravages of the war with as great severity as any other of similar population. No sooner did the first traitorous gun send its fateful shot upon Fort Sumter than her citizens aroused themselves to action for that energetic support of the government which never flagged until the last shot was fired against the old flag. Of the 34,238 patriotic men who went to the front from this State, her quota was promptly and freely contributed, almost without a semblance of compulsion through conscription, and the most liberal measures were successively adopted for the payment of bounties and the aid of soldiers in the field and their families at home.

The First Regiment .- When the first call of the president was issued for 75,000 men to serve three months, immediate steps were taken in this county to furnish volunteers. These measures resulted in the enlistment of nearly all of the rank and file of the old Middlebury Light Guard, then under command of Charles W. Rose. This company went into the First Regiment as Company I, with Eben S. Hayward as captain, Charles W. Rose, first lieutenant, and Orville W. Heath as second lieutenant. There were many other enlistments in this regiment from other towns, which will be found enumerated in the town histories.

On the 13th of May the First Regiment arrived at Fortress Monroe from New York, at which city they arrived on the 10th. On the 23d of May the regiment encamped at Hampton and on the 25th received orders to embark the following morning on the gunboat Monticello for the James River. Land- ing was made the same day at Newport News, and the regiment began work on the fortifications at that point, continuing two weeks. On the 10th of June occurred the battle of Big Bethel, in which five companies of the regiment, in- cluding the Light Guards, were engaged. This was the first of the many oc- casions when Vermont troops were under fire. The losses in killed and wounded in the First Regiment were forty-five. The regiment remained at Newport News until the expiration of its term, when it returned home and was mustered out at Brattleboro on the 15th of August, 1861.

The Second Regiment .- This regiment was raised. and mustered into the service on the 20th of June, 1861, for three years, and the original members mustered out June 29, 1864. For this regiment Company K was recruited largely by Solon Eaton, of Addison, and largely from that town. Mr. Eaton

HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

was made captain of the company; Amasa S. Tracy, first lieutenant, and Jon- athan M. Hoyt, second lieutenant. Colonel Tracy was promoted to captain of Company H January 24, 1862, and to major April 2, 1864; to lieutenant- colonel June 17, 1864. He was wounded May 3, 1863, and October 18, 1864; was breveted colonel April 2, 1865, for gallantry in the assault on Petersburg; mustered out as lieutenant-colonel July 15, 1865. Others who served as com- missioned officers of this company were: Captains, Erastus G. Ballou, of Bos- ton, and Augustus A. Decelle, of Shoreham; as first lieutenants, Erastus G. Ballou, Ward B. Hurlburt, of Weybridge, Eben N. Drury, of Vergennes, and Charles F. Greenleaf, Salisbury; as second lieutenants, Henry Carroll, of New Haven, and Russell Fisk, of Bennington. The promotions of these officers will be found at the close of this chapter.

The Second Regiment rendezvoused at Burlington, and was mustered in with 868 officers and men, under command of Colonel Henry Whiting and left the State on the 24th of June, 1861. It participated in the battle of Bull Run on the 21st of July, 1861, where a number of its members were wounded. Previous to November 1, 1861, two hundred and thirty-seven recruits were added to the regiment.

The Second Regiment was brigaded with the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Regiments, constituting the Second Brigade, Second Division, Sixth Corps; this brigade became known as one of the best in the Army of the Potomac. In the first battle fought at Fredericksburgh, in December, 1862, the brigade was commanded by Colonel Whiting, and was distinguished for its gallantry; the Second Regiment lost two killed and fifty-nine wounded. On the 3d of the following May, at the second battle of Fredericksburgh, and at Bank's Ford the next day, the brigade fought with great bravery and is particularly com- mended in the report of the adjutant-general. He says: "They stormed and carried the heights of Fredericksburgh in the face of a terrible fire," and "protected the rear of the Sixth Corps and enabled it to cross the Rappahan- nock in safety; the masses of the enemy were persistently hurled against them in vain." In the Second Regiment on the 3d of May there were twelve killed and ninety-four wounded.

At the battle of Gettysburg the brigade was held in reserve on the 3d of July and not engaged; but on the 10th, near Funkstown, Md., they met the enemy in superior force and gallantly repulsed them. The loss here was nine killed and fifty-nine wounded, among the latter being Lieutenant Drury. Col- onel L. A. Grant was now in command of the brigade.

Under General Order 191 of the War Department, June 25, 1863, there were 167 re-enlistments in the Second Regiment. In 1864 the regiments be- fore named, and the Eleventh after May 15, constituted the same brigade, and was commanded by Colonel Grant, who was promoted to brigadier-general. The brigade soon became known as the "Vermont Brigade," and acquired a

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

fame for bravery and efficiency second to none in the Army of the Potomac. Its history from this date onward is given a little further on, it being deemed more desirable to note brief statistics of enlistments from this county in the Fifth and Sixth Regiments, which constituted a part of the brigade, before proceeding with its general history.

The Fifth Regiment .- Company B, of the Fifth Regiment, was largely raised in Middlebury. The Addison county men who held commissions in it were Captains Charles W. Rose and Hiram Cook; the former was afterward promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment; First Lieutenants Wilson D. Wright, of Middlebury, Charles H. Williamson, of the same town; Second Lieutenants Olney A. Comstock, Charles H. Williamson and Newton Murdick, of Middlebury. The Regiment was mustered into the service Sep- tember 16, 1861.

Company F, of the Fifth Regiment, was recruited in Middlebury, Cornwall and adjoining towns. The Addison county men who held commissions in the company were Captains Edwin S. Stowell, of Cornwall, afterwards promoted to major, Cyrus R. Crane, of Bridport, and Eugene A. Hamilton, of Salisbury ; First Lieutenants Cyrus R. Crane, Eugene A. Hamilton and Watson O. Beach, of Salisbury ; Second Lieutenants Eugene A. Hamilton, Andrew J. Mason, of New Haven, Watson O. Beach. The services of these officers are given further on.

The field and staff officers at the time it was mustered into the service were as follows :

Colonel, Henry A. Smalley. He was a regular army officer on leave of absence, and his leave was revoked September 10, 1862, and Lewis A. Grant was promoted to the colonelcy. Lieutenant-colonel, Nathan Lord, jr. Pro- moted to colonel of the Sixth Regiment September 16, 1861. Major, Lewis A. Grant. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel September 25, 1861 ; wounded December 14, 1862 ; promoted to brigadier-general April 27, 1864. Adju- tant, Edward M. Brown. Promoted lieutenant-colonel Eighth Vermont Jan- uary 8, 1862. Quartermaster, Aldis O. Brainerd. Resigned May 28, 1862. Surgeon, William P. Russell. Honorably discharged October II, 1862, for disability. Assistant Surgeon, Henry C. Shaw. Died September 7, 1862, at Alexandria, Va. Chaplain, Volney M. Simons. Resigned in March, 1862.

The Fifth Regiment rendezvoused at St. Albans, remaining there about two weeks, when they started for Virginia, going into camp first on Meridian Hill, near Washington, and two days later at Chain Bridge. Remaining there a short time, they moved to Camp Griffin, three miles distant, and remained through the winter. In the spring they entered the peninsula campaign. On the 16th of April the regiment took part in the battle of "The Chimneys," or Lee's Mills. The Fifth, now a part of the "Vermont Brigade," comprising the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Regiments, was in command of Brig-

HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

adier-General W. T. H. Brooks. In this engagement the Fifth was not so act- ively employed as some of the other regiments. In his report General Brooks says, after stating that the skirmishers of the Third and Fourth Regiments opened on the enemy, "A company of picked men from the Fifth was de- ployed in front of the chimneys and advanced under a heavy fire of shell and canister down the slope to the water's edge below the dam, where they re- mained sheltered during the day, and were in position to greatly harass the enemy in working his guns." Again in his report General Brooks says, " Col- onels Hyde and Smalley [the latter of the Fifth Regiment] are also deserving of notice for their activity and the dispositions of their regiments during the day." Two men were killed in the regiment and seven wounded.

The next engagement in which the Fifth took part was the battle of Will- iamsburgh, on the 5th of May, 1862. General E. D. Keyes was then in com- mand of the brigade. The brigade, previous to the opening of the battle, was bivouacked near the enemy, and occupied a portion of the front during the succeeding action, and was in support of Mott's battery. The report that the enemy had evacuated their works at this point reached the Union forces Sun- day morning of the 4th ; the brigade was placed under arms on the 5th, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, and sent across the dam on Skiff Creek; the enemy was not discovered and the troops were bivouacked. On the following day the brigade was in reserve, to support Hancock's brigade, not being actively engaged. June 29 Colonel Lewis A. Grant was promoted to brigadier-general and took command of the brigade.

In the succeeding operations about Golding's Farm, Savage's Station and White Oak Swamp, at each of which point engagements were fought, the Fifth was honorably employed. At the first-named point the Second, Fifth and Sixth Regiments were brought up to support the Fourth, which became hotly engaged while supporting Hancock's brigade on picket duty. Although under heavy fire during their approach to their position, they did not become actively engaged. These movements occurred on the 27th, and on the 28th the brig- ade was subjected to heavy shelling, which became so destructive that a change of camp was made prior to the change of base to the James River. On the

29th the brigade left its camp at Golding's Farm for the grand movement. After passing Savage's Station the division to which the brigade was attached was ordered to return to that point to repel an attack. This was done and the brigade formed as follows: The Fifth, Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, in line on the right; the Sixth, Colonel Lord, deployed to the left; the Second, Colonel Whiting, in column in support of the Fifth; the Third, Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Veazey, in column in support of the Sixth. Passing through a wood into an open field, the Fifth encountered a regiment of the enemy, which was routed in brilliant style. As soon as the firing began, the Second and Third Regiments deployed and became hotly engaged. General Brooks says in his

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

report : "The conduct of the troops in this action was generally very com- mendable. Of those that were under my own eye I take pleasure in mention- ing the names of Colonel Lord, Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, Lieutenant-Colonel Blunt, Lieutenant-Colonel Veazey," followed by many other names. After the engagement the brigade crossed the White Oak Swamp, and reached its new encampment without further incident.

The brigade was engaged in the battle at Crampton Gap, on the 14th of September, and Antietam on the 17th, but in the former the Fifth Regiment was not in active conflict. At Antietam the brigade lay under fire for forty- eight hours, the casualties being quite numerous from artillery and sharp- shooters.

In the first battle at Fredericksburgh, in December, 1862, the brigade, then commanded by Colonel Henry Whiting, of the Second Regiment, was distin- guished for its gallantry. The losses were twenty-six killed and one hundred and forty-one wounded; ten of the killed and thirty of the wounded were from the Fifth Regiment. At the second battle of Fredericksburgh, May 3, and at Bank's Ford on the 4th, as before stated, the conduct of the Fifth Regi- ment could not be excelled. The total killed was thirty and wounded two hundred and twenty-seven ; of these the Fifth Regiment lost three killed and eleven wounded.

The Sixth Regiment .- The next full company recruited in this county was Company A, of the Sixth Regiment, which was raised principally in Ver- gennes and Bristol. Those who served in it as commissioned officers from Addison county were Captains George Parker, jr., of Vergennes, who resigned · in October, 1862, and Riley A. Bird, of Bristol (killed in the Wilderness May 5, 1864,) ; First Lieutenants Riley A. Bird, Albert A. Crane, of Bridport (killed May 5, 1864, in the Wilderness), Charles J. S. Randall, of Bristol, George Neddo, of Middlebury, and Edwin A. Barney, of Monkton. (See close of chapter for promotions, etc.) This regiment was mustered into service Octo- ber 15, 1861, and the original members mustered out October 28, 1864. None of the field and staff officers at the time of muster was from Addison county, though Lieutenant C. J. S. Randall was promoted to quartermaster in October, 1864.

The Sixth Regiment rendezvoused at Montpelier, and when mustered in had 97 1 officers and men, under command of Nathan Lord, jr. It left the State in the latter part of October. It participated in the same engagements before fought by the Fifth and other regiments of the brigade, as previously noted. In the first battle of Fredericksburgh one man was killed and one wounded. In the subsequent engagements of the first week in May the losses were, May 3, wounded eight; May 4, killed five, wounded forty-six.

Returning now to the general history of the famous "Vermont Brigade," it may be said that succeeding the engagement near Funkstown, Md., which

HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

has been mentioned, the brigade moved with the Army of the Potomac into Virginia in pursuit of the enemy, and were then detached and sent to New York city, to aid in enforcing order at the elections of that year. Returning, they were stationed near Culpepper, Va.

In summing up the operations of the Vermont Brigade thus far the adju- tant-general said : "Too much honor cannot be awarded by the people of Ver- mont to the officers and men of this gallant brigade. They are the men who responded among the earliest to the call of the nation for assistance in sup- pressing the Rebellion and restoring and preserving the national existence. They have fought gallantly in every battle in which the Army of the Potomac has been engaged, since the war commenced. Distinguished alike for bravery and discipline, they have acquired for themselves an imperishable record in history, and have won for the troops of the State in the field a reputation for unflinching courage and dashing bravery which is only equaled by the distinc- tion which the people of the State have earned for persistent loyalty to the Union, which is their proudest boast."

October 1, 1863, found the brigade encamped near Culpepper, Va., whence they marched on the 8th to the Rapidan, fifteen miles ; thence on the 10th to Culpepper, fifteen miles; thence on the IIth to Rappahannock Station, twelve miles; thence on the 12th to Brandy Station, five miles ; thence, October 13, to Kettle Run, near Bristow Station, thirty miles ; thence on the 14th to Little River Pike, near Chantilly, fifteen miles, and thence, on the following day, to Chantilly, two miles. Here the brigade rested, after these arduous marches, until the 19th of October, when the march was made to Gainesville, twelve miles, where the Sixth Regiment, while on picket, had a slight skirmish with the enemy's cavalry, but without loss. On the 20th the brigade led the ad- vance of the Sixth Corps, driving back the enemy's cavalry to Warrenton, twelve miles. Here the brigade remained encamped until November 7, when they advanced to Rappahannock Station, where the enemy was met in force. The brigade, however, was not engaged, but was under heavy artillery fire all of the afternoon ; no casualties. On the 8th the brigade crossed the Rappa- hannock and advanced to Brandy Station, where they went into camp on the 9th and remained until the 27th; on that day they moved four miles and sup- ported the Third Corps in the battle of Locust Grove; the brigade was only under artillery fire and suffered little. On the 2d of December they recrossed the Rapidan and went into camp at Brandy Station, remaining there with little of incident until the last week of February, when they accompanied the Sixth Corps on a week's reconnoissance to near Orange Court-House. The old camp was then resumed and kept until the 4th of May, when the brigade recrossed the Rapidan at Germania Ford and went into camp two miles to the south of the ford. The 5th and 6th the brigade was actively engaged in the battle of the Wilderness. On the morning of the 5th the rebels were engaged

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History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 9

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 988

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 988