- 4th Vermont Infantry
.
History
In July 1861, Congress authorized President
Abraham Lincoln to call out 500,000 men, to serve for three years unless sooner discharged. The 4th Vermont Infantry was the third of the three years regiments from the state placed in the field as a result of this call, and organized simultaneously with the5th Vermont Infantry . It was recruited from towns mostly in the southern part of the state.Governor
Erastus Fairbanks ' first choice to command the regiment was Lt. Col.Peter T. Washburn , late of the1st Vermont Infantry , but he declined due to poor health. Fairbanks' second choice was 2nd Lt.Edwin H. Stoughton , U.S. Army, an 1859 graduate of theUnited States Military Academy in the6th U.S. Infantry . He was a native of Bellows Falls. Maj. Harry W. Worthen, of Bedford, late of the 1st Vermont Infantry, was selectedlieutenant colonel . John C. Tyler of Brattleboro becamemajor , andCharles B. Stoughton , Edwin's younger brother, became adjutant.The regiment rendezvoused at Brattleboro by
September 14 on the grounds of what is now Brattleboro High School. The camp was named "Camp Holbrook," in honor of GovernorFrederick Holbrook , of Brattleboro, who had just been elected. OnSeptember 21 , the regiment, 1048 men strong, was mustered into Federal service, left that evening and arrived inWashington, D.C. the evening ofSeptember 23 , and went into camp onCapitol Hill . Four days later, the regiment marched to the Chain Bridge, where it joined the 2nd, 3rd and 5th regiments.On
October 9 , the Vermont regiments moved to Camp Griffin, about four miles from Chain Bridge. Here, onOctober 24 , the6th Vermont Infantry arrived, completing the initial organization of the "OldVermont Brigade ."The history of the regiment from this point on is essentially that of the
Vermont Brigade , except for several senior personnel changes. Lieutenant Colonel Worthen and Major Tyler resigned onJanuary 17 ,1862 . Adjutant Stoughton became lieutenant colonel, andGeorge P. Foster , Captain, Co. G, was promoted to major. Colonel Stoughton was promoted to brigadier general onNovember 5 ,1862 ; Charles Stoughton became Colonel, Major Foster lieutenant colonel, andStephen M. Pingree , originally 1st lieutenant, Co. E, became major. After Charles Stoughton was discharged for wounds, Foster became the final commander of the regiment, and Pingree was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Both Charles Stoughton and George Foster would later be brevetted brigadier general for their gallant and meritorious service.One
June 23 ,1864 , the regiment "suffered the greatest loss of men by capture" it ever experienced. It was engaged with the brigade and the Sixth Corps in a movement against the Weldon Railroad, and was thrown out in front under command of Major Pratt, with a battalion of the eleventh. The enemy broke through the line with a strong force, and surrounded and captured seven officers and 137 men of the Fourth, as well as almost the entire battalion of the Eleventh. The colors of the Fourth were saved by the activity and coolness of the color guard. The officers so captured were Major Pratt, Captains Chapin and Boutin, and Lieutenants Carr, Fisher, Needham and Pierce. Among the killed was Captain William C. Tracy, of Co. G. His dead body was found on the field next day, stripped of arms, watch, money and boots, and surrounded by the muskets of his men, showing that he had rallied his company around him, and that they threw down their arms only when their gallant leader had fallen." [G. G. Benedict, "Vermont in the Civil War. A History of the part taken by the Vermont Soldiers And Sailors in the War For The Union, 1861-5." Burlington, VT.: The Free Press Association, 1888, i:171-172.]The original members of the regiment, who did not reenlist, were mustered out of the service on
September 30 ,1864 . The First, Second and Third Companies ofSharpshooters transferred to the regiment on February 25, 1865, and the regiment was consolidated into eight companies. One year recruits and others whose term of service was due to expire prior toOctober 1 ,1865 , were mustered out onJune 19 ,1865 . The remaining officers and men mustered out of service onJuly 13 .Medal of Honor
Five members of the regiment were awarded the
Medal of Honor .* Alexander M. Beattie, Captain, Co. F, " removed, under a hot fire, a wounded member of his command to a place of safety," at the
Battle of Cold Harbor ,June 5 ,1864 .* Robert J. Coffey, Sergeant, Co. K, "single-handedly captured 2 officers and 5 privates of the 8th Louisiana Regiment (C.S.A.)," at the
Battle of Salem Church onMay 4 ,1863 .* James Drury, Sergeant, Co. C, "saved the colors of his regiment when it was surrounded by a much larger force of the enemy and after the greater part of the regiment had been killed or captured," at Weldon Railroad, on
July 23 ,1864 * George W. Hooker, 1st lieutenant, Co. E, "rode alone, in advance of his regiment, into the enemy's lines, and before his own men came up received the surrender of the major of a Confederate regiment, together with the colors and 116 men," at the
Battle of South Mountain onSeptember 14 ,1862 .* Carlos H. Rich, 1st sergeant, Co. K, "saved the life of an officer," at the
Battle of the Wilderness onMay 5 ,1864 .* Daniel D. Wheeler, 1st lieutenant, Co. G, exhibited "distinguished bravery in action where he was wounded and had a horse shot from under him," at the
Battle of Salem Church , onMay 3 ,1863 .Engagements
Final Statement
ee also
Vermont in the Civil War References
* Benedict, G. G., "Vermont in the Civil War. A History of the part taken by the Vermont Soldiers And Sailors in the War For The Union, 1861-5." Burlington, VT.: The Free Press Association, 1888.
* Crockett, Walter Hill, "Vermont The Green Mountain State," New York: The Century History Company, Inc., 1921.
* Fox, William F., "Regimental Losses In The American Civil War 1861-1865." Albany: Albany Publishing Company. 1889.
* Peck, Theodore S., compiler, "Revised Roster of Vermont Volunteers and lists of Vermonters Who Served in the Army and Navy of the United States During the War of the Rebellion, 1861-66. Montpelier, VT.: Press of the Watchman Publishing Co., 1892.
Further reading
* Coffin, Howard, "Full Duty: Vermonters in the Civil War." Woodstock, VT.: Countryman Press, 1995.
* -----, "The Battered Stars: One State's Civil War Ordeal during Grant's Overland Campaign." Woodstock, VT.: Countryman Press, 2002.
* Cross, David Faris, "A melancholy affair at the Weldon Railroad: the Vermont Brigade, June 23, 1864," Shippensburg, Pa.: White Mane, 2004.
* Dyer, Frederick Henry, "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion." New York: T. Yoseloff, 1908. 3 vol.
* Poirier, Robert G., "By the Blood of our Alumni: Norwich University Citizen-Soldiers in the Army of the Potomac." Mason City, IA: Savas Publishing Co., 1999.
* U.S. War Department, "The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies", 70 volumes in 4 series. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.
Notes
External links
* [http://vermontcivilwar.org Vermont in the Civil War]
* [http://www.vtguard.com/museum/index.htm Vermont Veterans Militia Museum and Library]
* [http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/gsc/pubrec/referen/military.htm Vermont Military Records Project, Vermont Public Records Division]
* [http://vermontcivilwar.org/units/3/sentinel.php William Scott, The Sleeping Sentinel]
* [http://www.weldonrailroad.com/main.htm A Melancholy Affair at the Weldon Railroad]
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