History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 10

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 10

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

A few words as to the career of the Eleventh Regiment previous to its as- sociation with the Second Brigade. After its muster it left Brattleboro and was first stationed at Fort Lincoln, near Bladensburg, Va., in the northern de- fenses of Washington for about two months. It was then (December 10, 1862) transferred to the Heavy Artillery branch of the service and occupied Forts Ste- vens, Slocum and Totten, near Silver Spring, D. C. Two additional companies (L and M) were recruited for the regiment in 1863, giving the regiment one thousand eight hundred men. It performed duty in that vicinity, without memorable incident, until May, 1864, when it was assigned to the Vermont Brigade, as stated.

Starting on the night of the 21st from Spottsylvania the brigade made ar- duous marches to Guinness's Station, thence to Harris's store on the 22d ; to the North Anna on the 23d; crossed the river on the 24th, and two days later advanced to Little River, destroying the railroad at that point ; on the night of the 25th they recrossed the North Anna and marched in the mud to Ches- terfield Station on the Fredericksburg Railroad ; continued the march on the 26th and on the 27th crossed the Pamunky River three miles above Hanover Town and moved to the right two miles towards Hanover Court-House, where they remained entrenched two days. On the 29th the brigade marched to a new position on the Tolopotamy River where they remained two days, Major Chamberlain's battalion of the Eleventh Regiment being engaged in skirmish- · ing nearly the whole of one day.

On the Ist of June the brigade marched to Cold Harbor and participated in the attack on the enemy, holding the extreme left, the Fifth Regiment be- ing in support of a battery. A charge was made by the Second Regiment and Major Fleming's battalion and "Captain Sears's company of the Eleventh, under a destructive fire, displaying great gallantry. On the following day the

RUTLAND COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

division containing this brigade held a portion of the enemy's works which had been captured, under a destructive fire. In the general attack on the enemy on the 3d, the Third and Fifth Regiments were in the front line of battle and greatly exposed ; their losses were heavy. During the night the Third and Fifth Regiments and two battalions of the Eleventh, under Colonel Seaver, re- lieved a portion of the front line. The casualties in the Fifth, from the 21st of May to the 5th of June were eight killed ; twenty-two wounded; one miss- ing. In the Eleventh, thirteen killed ; one hundred and twenty-one wounded. Captain Merrill T. Samson, of the Fifth, Lieutenant Hiram C. Bailey of the Second, and Lieutenant Henry C. Miller, of the Third, fell in the engagement on the 3d. From the 3d of June to the I Ith the brigade held the front line at two important points, and on the evening of the 12th moved back to a new line of works, a mile in the rear, leaving the Fourth Regiment in the front as skirmishers, and about midnight started on the march for Petersburg. For twelve days the brigade had been under almost incessant fire, evincing the most heroic bravery and almost marvelous endurance. Major Richard B. Crandall, of the Sixth Regiment, a gallant young officer, fell on the 7th. From the 4th to the 10th of June the Fifth Regiment lost three wounded and the Eleventh two killed and seventeen wounded.

Regarding the conduct of the Eleventh Regiment, which was new to active service in the field, it is but just to quote from the reports of Brigadier- General Grant, who said: " Special mention ought to be made of the officers and men of the Eleventh for their gallant bearing in the charge of May 18. This was the first time they had been under fire, but they exhibited the cool- ness and noble bearing of the ' Vermonters,' and fairly stood beside the veteran regiments of the old brigade."

June 13 the brigade crossed the Chickahominy after a march of twenty-four miles, and encamped. The march was resumed next day and on the 17th they occupied the rebel works near Petersburg which had been captured. During the day the enemy was attacked in his new position and driven back, the Sec- ond and Fifth Regiments holding the skirmish line. The lines at Petersburg were held under heavy artillery fire until the evening of the 20th, when the brigade was moved to the left, relieving a division of the Second Corps. From the 11th to the 20th of June the Fifth Regiment lost two men killed and wounded and the Eleventh five. On the evening of June 21 the Sixth Corps was moved six miles to the entire left of the army, and on the night of the 22d the Vermont Brigade took position about a mile from the Weldon Railroad. The 23d was occupied in the destruction of the road, during which the enemy made an attack from the woods on the right and closing on the rear of the Fourth Regiment and Major Fleming's battalion, cut them off. A desperate fight ensued and the men surrendered only when driven to the last extremity. Captain William C. Tracy, of the Fourth, and Merritt H. Sherman, of Major

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

A. F. Walker's battalion of the Eleventh Regiment, were killed during the day. Between the 20th and the 26th of June the Eleventh Regiment lost nine killed and twenty - seven wounded, with two hundred and sixty - three reported missing.

On the 29th of June the Vermont Brigade led the advance of the Sixth Corps to Reams's Station on the Weldon Railroad. After one day out they occupied their former position until July 8, when they marched to City Point and on the 9th embarked for Washington. On the 13th the brigade marched to Poolesville, Maryland, where the rear guard of the enemy was overtaken and routed ; thence they marched to Snicker's Gap and on the 23d returned to the capital. On the 26th they again left Washington for Harper's Ferry, going into camp on Bolivar Heights on the night of the 29th. On the 30th they returned to Frederick City, Md. This was Sunday, and Major Aldace F. Walker, in his admirable little book on The Vermont Brigade in the Shenan- doah Valley, says: "It was the hardest day's march we ever made. The heat was intense ; the day was the very hottest of all the season ; the clouds of dust were actually blinding ; the pace almost a gallop ; the poor men struggled bravely, ambulances were crowded, shady spots covered with exhausted sol- diers, men falling out of the ranks at every rod, overpowered by the heat and positively unable to proceed ; actual cases of sunstroke by the score and by the hundred; a great scarcity of water; but no halt or chance for rest until to- ward night we reached Frederick City." No more vivid and truthful picture could be drawn in a few words of a forced march under a southern sun.

August 5 the brigade proceeded to Harper's Ferry and up the Shenandoah valley to Strasburgh, where in a skirmish the Second Regiment lost two men on the 14th. The 16th the brigade returned to Charlestown, Va., remaining until the 21st, when they were attacked by the enemy. The brigade was sub- jected to a destructive fire from 9 a. m. until dark. The loss of the Fifth Regi- ment was six killed and wounded and in the Eleventh thirty-two, including the gallant Lieutenant-Colonel George E. Chamberlain, who was wounded early in the day, while bravely leading his battalion, and died soon afterward. In the report of Colonel J. M. Warner, in command of the Eleventh, he pays high tribute of praise to Captain A. Brown, jr., of the Fifth, and Major Aldace F. Walker of the Eleventh, as well as to many others in the brigade.

The brigade lay at Harper's Ferry from the 22d to the 29th of August, when it moved to Charlestown, remaining in that vicinity until September 19, making in the mean time a reconnaissance to the Opequan River, where a slight skirmish was had. On the 19th the brigade crossed the Opequan in early morn- ing and went into position under heavy shelling on the Winchester pike. In front was a section of rolling country, the crests being held by the enemy so as to command the valleys through which our forces must pass to the attack. The advance was therefore made rapidly over the crest in face of a galling musketry

RUTLAND COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

fire, and the enemy were driven back in confusion. About one o'clock the brigade was compelled to fall back half a mile, having suffered severely. About 3 p. m. the entire line again advanced. The Vermont Brigade was exposed, from the time when they reached within a mile from Winchester, to a heavy musketry fire in front and an enfilading fire from a battery on the left. More than two hundred prisoners were captured by the brigade. The casualties in this engagement were two hundred and fifty-six total, twenty-two of which in killed and wounded occurred in the Fifth Regiment and eighty-five in the Eleventh. Captain Charles Buxton and Lieutenant Dennis Duhigg of the Eleventh were killed; both excellent officers and recently promoted, the former to major and the latter to a captain.

The brigade participated in the engagement at Fisher's Hill on the 21st and 22d and at Mount Jackson on the 23d. October I they were in camp at Har- risonburgh, and on the 5th moved to New Market ; the 6th to Woodstock ; on the 7th to Strasburgh ; on the Ioth to near Fort Royal; on the 13th to Mill- town, and on the 14th to Middletown. On the 19th of October the army lay upon the easterly side of Cedar Creek, the Sixth Corps on the right, and the Vermont Brigade holding the extreme right, except one brigade. At daybreak the enemy attacked in strong force on the left ; the Sixth Corps was moved to that part of the line and formed nearly at right angles to its former position, there being now but one brigade on the left of the Vermont. Before the troops could take position Major Walker's battalion of the Eleventh Regiment and the Fifth and Sixth Regiments, under command of Major Johnson, of the Second, were thrown forward as skirmishers and drove in the rebel skirmish line. The brigade then advanced with the division and were soon engaged in a desperate struggle, checking for a time the impetuous advance of the enemy. About this time the right gave way and the division fell back a short distance, the Vermont Brigade in the center, the First Brigade, under Colonel Warner, of the Eleventh Regiment, the right, and the Third Brigade the left. Upon this line the enemy made a desperate attack, the brunt of which fell on the Vermont Brigade. Gen- eral Ricketts, commanding the corps, being wounded, and General Getty, who commanded the Second Division, taking his place, General Grant assumed com- mand of the division, and Lieutenant-Colonel Tracy, of the Second Vermont, who was then the ranking officer in the brigade, took command of the brigade. Again the enemy assaulted the lines and were repulsed with great loss, and the left of the brigade suffered severely. The persistent and gallant resistance of the Sixth Corps, of which the brigade was a part, gave opportunity for proper preparations for the final stand in the engagement. Up to that time the tide had been against the Union forces, and the losses had been very heavy. The enemy now made a most determined attack, the Eighth and Sixth Corps receiving the heaviest of it; the whole line soon gave way and were pressed backward toward Newtown.

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

At this crisis General Sheridan made his memorable appearance on the field. Riding down the pike he halted in front of the Second Brigade and asked what troops they were. "The Sixth Corps !" " The Vermont Brigade !" was. shouted simultaneously from the ranks. "Then we are all right !" he exclaimed, and swinging his hat over his head he rode away to the right amid the shouts. of the men. Upon his return General Wright took command of the Sixth Corps, General Getty of the Second Division and General Grant of the Vermont Brigade. During the remainder of the engagement the Vermont Brigade shared in the heaviest of the fighting, holding a position much of the time far in ad- vance of the other troops until the enemy was finally driven back and across. Cedar Creek, their lines entirely broken up. Reaching Cedar Creek, the in- fantry was reorganized, and there also the Vermont Brigade, after a pursuit of the retreating enemy a distance of three miles, was found in advance of the remainder of the troops. The casualties in this engagement were two killed and seventeen wounded in the Fifth Regiment, and nine killed and seventy- four wounded in the Eleventh. Among the killed was Lieutenant Oscar Lee, of the Eleventh. Lieutenant Edward P. Lee, of the Eleventh, was among the wounded, and Lieutenant Thomas Kavanagh, of the Fifth.

The brigade moved to Strasburgh on October 21, and remained until the 9th of November ; thence to Newtown, and thence on the 10th to Kearntown, where they performed picket duty until December 9. They were then trans- ported to Washington and thence to City Point; thence to Meade's Station and on the 13th moved out on the Squirrel Level Road to works occupied previously by the Fifth Corps. Here the brigade went into winter quarters ; but the picket duty was very severe. On the 25th of March the corps charged upon Fort Fisher, capturing nearly the whole of the enemy's picket line. One- man was killed in the Fifth Regiment and seven wounded ; and in the Elev- enth one killed and twelve wounded ; one of the latter was Lieutenant Wm. G. Dickinson, of the Eleventh.

On the second day of April the Vermont Brigade was hotly engaged in the struggle which resulted in the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond. In the night of the Ist the brigade moved out from camp and took posi- tion near the skirmish line entrenchments which had been captured from the enemy a few days earlier. The Second Division was in the center of the Sixth Corps and the Vermont Brigade on the left of the division. At one o'clock the corps was in position and laid down to await the attack. About two o'clock a heavy fire was opened along the entire skirmish line, which was vigorously replied to by the enemy. During this fire Brevet Major-General L. A. Grant was wounded, and the command of the brigade devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Tracy, of the Second Regiment. At the signal agreed upon the brigade moved out of the entrenchments and pressed forward toward the enemy's line, driving in their skirmishers ; then with a cheer

RUTLAND COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

the command charged forward towards the enemy's works, five hundred yards distant. When half the distance was passed they were assailed by a heavy rain of musket balls with an enfilading artillery fire from the forts on either hand. The line wavered momentarily, but again pushed on under terrific fire, all vie- ing with each other in the race to be first at the works. The enemy could not withstand the assault and fled; two earthworks, one on the right of a ravine containing four guns, and the other on the left with two guns, were captured. The honor of being the first to break the enemy's line was awarded to the Ver- mont Brigade, and Captain Charles G. Gould is said to have been the first man of the Sixth Corps to mount the enemy's works. His regiment was in the first line of the brigade, and in the charge he was far in advance of his command. Upon mounting the works he was severely wounded in the face by a bayonet thrust and was struck by clubbed muskets ; but he slew the man who wielded the bayonet, and retired only when his command had come to his assistance and the rebels were routed. Beyond the works the brigade was halted briefly to re-form, and then the pursuit of the flying enemy continued for about four . miles to near Hatcher's Run - a charge that must go down into history as one of the most brilliant and successful of the war. Nothing could withstand the onward pressing troops. Brevet Major Elijah Wales, of the Second Regi- ment, with two men, captured a piece of artillery and turning it on the enemy, fired a charge which the rebels themselves had placed in the gun. Major Wm. J. Sperry, of the Sixth, and Lieutenant George A. Bailey, of the Eleventh, with a few men, captured two guns and turned them on the routed enemy. Cap- tain George G. Tilden, of the Eleventh, with about a dozen men, captured two pieces, eleven commissioned officers and sixty-two men of the Forty-second Mississippi. Sergeant Lester G. Hack, of Company F, Fifth Regiment, charged a squad of rebels surrounding a stand of colors, knocked down the bearer and captured the flag. Corporal Chas. W. Dolloff, Company K, Eleventh Regi- ment, also captured a stand of colors ; but there were too many deeds of in- dividual heroism to mention here. About 9 o'clock A. M. the brigade moved back along the line of works to a point about three miles south of Petersburg and formed in line of battle with the Eleventh on the right, the Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth and Fourth Regiments on its left, in the order named. An ad- vance was made and a battery of artillery captured in the yard of the Turn- brell House, where General Lee had his headquarters. Captain Robert Tem- pleton, with a squad of men of the Eleventh, was conspicuous in planning and executing the feat. That night the brigade established its headquarters at the Turnbrell House. The last stand of the enemy before Petersburg was ended. The casualties among the Rutland county men were six killed and thirty-four wounded in the Fifth Regiment, and five killed and forty-five wounded in the Eleventh. Among the killed was Lieutenant Geo. O. French, of the Eleventh, who fell in the first assault, and Charles C. Morey, of the Second. Major-

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

General Meade, in his official report, speaks of the gallant attack of the Sixth Corps on the Second of April, as " the decisive movement of the campaign." Petersburg was evacuated that afternoon and Richmond the next morning.

The brigade joined in the pursuit of Lee, exhibiting the same endurance and patience on that hard march that had before characterized their move- ments. Reaching Farmville on the 7th, the brigade was detailed to guard sup- plies and remained there until the surrender of Lee on the 9th. From there they returned to Burkesville Junction, where they remained until the 23d of April, when they left for Danville ; here they remained until May 18th, when they were transported to Manchester, Va., and there remained to the 24th. They then marched to Washington and remained in camp near Munson's Hill until mustered out. On the 28th of June the Vermont Brigade, one of the grandest organizations of the army, ceased to exist as an organization. Battal- ions of the Second, Third and Fourth Regiments, remaining in the service, were assigned to the Third Brigade, First Division, of a Provisional Corps and a battalion of the Eleventh Regiment was transferred to the defenses of Wash- ington.

We have given this noble brigade liberally of our limited space, perhaps to the detriment of the records of other organizations ; but the heroic service of this organization seems to demand that no less should be said ; indeed, it should be far more. Its full history is yet to be written.

The Seventh Regiment .- This organization, numbering 1,014 officers and men, was mustered into the service at Rutland on the 12th of February, 1862, under command of Colonel George T. Roberts (see notice of Twelfth Regi- ment in preceding page). It was recruited almost entirely in Rutland county and all of the towns were represented in its ranks, substantially according to the following statement : Benson, Co. A, 1; Co. C, 1 ; Co. I, 4 ; I not recorded to a company. Brandon, Co. B, 50; Co. E, I ; Co. F, 3 ; Co. H, 1 ; Co. K, 3 ; 2 not recorded to a company. Castleton, Co. A, 6; Co. C, 4; Co. D, 1 ; Co. I, 9. Chittenden, Co. B 17; Co. C, 1; Co I, 3. Clarendon, Co. A, I ; Co. B, 10; Co. C, 2 ; Co. D, 5 ; Co. I, 7 ; Co. K, 2; I not recorded to a com- pany. Danby, Co. B, I ; Co. D, 17; Co. G, 3; Co. I, 8. Fairhaven, Co. C, 14; Co. D, 2; Co. G, 4; Co. I, 2. Hubbardton, Co. A, 1; Co. D. 1 ; Co. H, I ; I not recorded to a company. Ira, Co. D, 2 ; Co. G, I ; Co. I, 2. Mendon, Co. B, 2 ; Co. D, 9 ; Co. H, 1 ; Co. K, I ; Co. I,4. Middletown, Co. D, I ; Co. I, 3. Mount Holly, Co. A, I ; Co. D, 3 ; Co. G, 5 ; I not recorded to a com- pany. Mount Tabor, Co. D, 3. Pawlet, Co. B, 1; Co. D, 17; Co. H, 2; Co. E, 1 ; Co. K, 2 ; Co. I, 8 ; 2 not recorded to a company. Pittsford, Co. A, 2 ; Co. B, 24 ; Co. C, 3 ; Co. G, 3 ; Co. I, 5 ; I not recorded to a company. Pittsfield, Co. C, I. Poultney, Co. C, I ; Co. B, I ; Co. D, 1; Co. 1, 25; Co. K, 1 ; 1 not recorded to a company. Rutland, Co. A, 6; Co. B, 24; Co. C, 3; Co. D, 40; Co. E, 16; Co. G, 4 ; Co. H, I; Co. I, 22 ; Co. K, 3; 5 officers.

RUTLAND COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

Sherburne, Co. B, 1; Co. D, 3; Co. H, 5. Shrewsbury, Co. D, 2; Co. G, 2 ; Co. 1, 8. Sudbury, Co. B, 3. Tinmouth, Co. C, 1; Co. D, 3; Co. I, 2. Wallingford, Co. A, 3 ; Co. B, I; Co. D, 14; Co. H, I. Wells, A, I; Co. C, I ; Co. D, I ; Co. 1, 7 ; 5 not recorded to companies. Westhaven, Co. C, 2 ; Co. I, 3.

The field and staff officers of the Seventh, when organized, were as fol- lows : -

Colonel, George T. Roberts ; lieutenant-colonel, Volney S. Fullam ; major, William C. Holbrook; adjutant, Charles E. Parker ; quartermaster, E. A. Morse ; surgeon, Francis W. Kelley ; chaplain, Henry M. Frost ; sergeant- major, George Brown ; quartermaster-sergeant, Samuel F. Buel; commissary- sergeant, George E. Jones ; hospital-steward, Cyrus P. Rising.

The companies were originally officered as follows : -

Company A, Burlington .- Captain, David B. Beck ; first-lieutenant, Will- iam L. Harris ; second-lieutenant, Hiram B. Fish.

Company B, Brandon .- Captain, William Cronan ; first-lieutenant, Darwin A. Smalley ; second-lieutenant, Jackson V. Parker.

Company C, Middlebury .- Captain, Henry M. Porter ; first-lieutenant, E. V. N. Hitchcock ; second-lieutenant, John Q. Dickinson.

Company D, Rutland .- Captain, John B. Kilburn ; first-lieutenant, Will- iam B. Thrall ; second- lieutenant, George E. Croft.

Company E, Johnson .- Captain, Daniel Landon ; first-lieutenant, George W. Sheldon ; second-lieutenant, Richard T. Cull.

Company F, Swanton .- Captain, Lorenzo D. Brooks ; first-lieutenant, Edgar N. Bullard ; second-lieutenant, Rodney C. Gates.

Company G, Cavendish .- Captain, Salmon Dutton ; first-lieutenant, George M. R. Howard; second-lieutenant, Leonard P. Bingham.

Company H, Woodstock .- Captain, Mahlon Young ; first-lieutenant, Henry H. French ; second-lieutenant, George H. Kelley.

Company I, Poultney .- Captain, Charles C. Ruggles ; first-lieutenant, Charles Clark ; second-lieutenant, Austin E. Woodman.

Company K, Northfield .- Captain, David P. Barker ; first-lieutenant, John L. Moseley ; second-lieutenant, Allen Spaulding.

It was supposed that this regiment would form part of an expedition under General Butler, having for its field of action New Orleans and vicinity ; but many of the regiment would have preferred to join the army of the Potomac with other Vermont regiments. Through efforts of General Butler, as be- lieved, the regiment was finally placed under his command, much to its future sorrow. The regiment left for New York March 10, and after a long and uncomfortable voyage reached Ship Island on the 5th and Ioth of April. No sooner had the regiment landed than the unjust conduct of General Butler be- gan ; the quartermaster was placed under arrest because he disembarked the

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

men with their baggage, instead of the men only, as ordered. Little of im- portance occurred up to the Ist of May, at which time the Union forces oc- cupied New Orleans and the regiment was soon afterward ordered there.1 They were then ordered to Carrollton, eight miles from the city, reaching there May 16th, where they were placed under command of Brigadier-General J. W. Phelps, the former colonel of the First Vermont; many of his old com- mand were in the Seventh Regiment, and the reunion was very grateful.2

On the 6th of June the regiment was ordered to Baton Rouge, but did not reach there until the 15th. On the 19th orders were recived to embark on transports and take part in a campaign against Vicksburg under General Will- iams. The force with which the capture of the city was expected to be ac- complished numbered only about 3,500 men. Vicksburg was reached on the 25th and there Colonel Roberts rejoined the regiment and took command. Much sickness followed, and the regiment set to work on the famous " cut off," which resulted in failure. In his history of the Seventh Regiment, Colonel William C. Holbrook refers to this period as follows: " After a majority of our entire command had been brought down with malarial diseases, from inhaling the fumes and vapors which arose from the soil as it was excavated and ex- posed to the air and sun, a large auxiliary force of negroes, gathered from the surrounding country, was set to work. But notwithstanding, the expedition was a failure. The river persisted in falling, and we were not able to dig fast enough to keep pace with it, and so, much to our relief, we were ordered to abandon the enterprise."

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 10

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170