Vermonters in the Civil War
Collection Overview
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 at the start of the Civil War, and will grow with additional materials throughout the years of the sesquicentennial commemoration, from 2011 through 2015. 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) will eventually be included; each adds a certain experience and point of view to the whole.
1861
In 1861, Vermont produced a three-month volunteer infantry regiment (the First Vermont Infantry) that served in Virginia from May through July. Five additional volunteer infantry regiments, mustered for three-year terms and numbered consecutively, were put in the field in the summer and fall, camping first in Washington and at Camp Griffin through the fall and winter. The First Vermont Cavalry regiment was also mustered and sent south in the fall of 1861.
Subject content for the 1861 letters and diaries covers a great deal of ground. The many logistical issues involved in launching the war effort come to light in the letters of General John W. Phelps, while officers such as Lieutenant Roswell Farnham often made thoughtful observations on the events and personalities in the camps and in the field. The enlisted men occasionally described important events in detail, but more often wrote about everyday life and concerns. Eyewitness accounts of engagements at Big Bethel (June 9-10), Bull Run (July 21), and Lewinsville (September 11) reveal the motivations and expectations of the men in arms, while descriptions of living conditions, drilling, sickness, and political intrigue provide insight on the soldiers’ experiences.
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.
Time Period Covered: 1861
Sub-collections
Charles F. Bancroft Correspondence
Horace Barlow Diary
Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
John Lester Barstow Correspondence
Barton Family Correspondence
John W. Campbell Correspondence
Roswell Farnham Correspondence
Justus F. Gale Correspondence
Solomon G. Heaton Correspondence
William Wirt Henry Correspondence
William C. Holbrook Correspondence
Albert A. May Correspondence
Benjamin F. Parmenter Correspondence
Joseph L. Perkins Correspondence
John Wolcott Phelps Correspondence
George W. Quimby Correspondence
Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
Henry A. Smith Correspondence
Joseph Spafford Correspondence
Edward and John Stone Correspondence
Ransom W. Towle Correspondence
Orlando S. Turner Correspondence
Wheelock Graves Veazey Correspondence
Daniel S. White Correspondence
Henry Harrison Wilder Correspondence
Lyman Williams Correspondence
Published: April 11, 2011, University of Vermont, Bailey/Howe Library, Center for Digital Initiatives
Rights: Requests to reproduce this item should be sent to the UVM Libraries' Center for Digital Initiatives at cdi@uvm.edu. For more information, see http://cdi.uvm.edu/about/rights. More information.
Browse Options
Creator(s)
- Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915 [9]
- Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889 [2]
- Veazey, Wheelock G., 1835-1898 [2]
- Whitmore, Orange S., 1836-1908 [1]
Recipient(s)
Place(s)
- United StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865 [4]
- Camp Douglas (Ill.) [1]
- Military campsVirginia [1]
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Medical care [1]
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons [1]
Format(s)
- text [14]
Genre(s)
- correspondence [14]
Topic(s)
- Armed Forces Officers [14]
- Families of military personnel [14]
- Promotions, Military [5]
- United StatesArmy.Vermont Infantry Regiment, 10th (1862-1865) [5]
- Diseases [2]
- Food [1]
- Military deserters [1]
- Military pay [1]
- Picketing [1]
- Prisoner-of-war camps [1]
- United StatesArmy.Vermont Infantry Regiment, 10th (1862-1865).Company B [1]
- United StatesArmy.Vermont Infantry Regiment, 11th (1862-1865) [1]
- United StatesArmy.Vermont Infantry Regiment, 9th (1862-1865) [1]
- Veazey, Wheelock G. (Wheelock Graves)1835-1898 [1]
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Topic: ("Families of military personnel")
Topic: ("Armed Forces Officers")
Title: Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889
Date: 1862-12-14
Resource type: correspondence
From Camp Douglas topics include Barney receiving military pay (back from Nov 1 of $580), how Maria is to distribute it to pay off money owed by Barney, reaffirms his devotion to Maria, his ability to not be tempted to stray and his delight in receiving letters from his young children Carrie and Fred (even if not quite intelligible).
Title: Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889
Date: [1862]-10-12
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include receiving $10 from his father, the food supplies at camp, the health of the regiment which includes many men with jaundice, morale of the men, mentions telling his wife army life would be better than he knew it would be in order for her to feel better about letting him be in the military, reporting 2 of his men as deserters to Head Quarters, the false reports written in the papers and mentions prisoner of war camp Camp Douglas.
Title: Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
Creator: Whitmore, Orange S., 1836-1908
Date: 1862-10-23
Resource type: correspondence
A letter to Maria Barney telling her of Valentine Barney's illness (Bilious Fever) written by 1st Sgt. Whitmore. He writes of the probability the regiment will not be paid soon thus Barney asking for $25 be sent, that Barney is receiving the best medical care by a widow (Mrs. Snow) in a private home and a Corporal has been assigned to stay with him.
Title: Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
Creator: Veazey, Wheelock G., 1835-1898
Date: 1862-04-22
Resource type: correspondence
Veazey writes to Julia of how much he loves and misses her and addressing lies told about General Smith, McClellan's favorable opinion of Gen. Smith along with that of other officers.
Title: Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
Creator: Veazey, Wheelock G., 1835-1898
Date: 1862-11-10
Resource type: correspondence
From Camp Vermont, topics include orders to prepare huts for winter quarters, Wheelock Veazey loving and missing his wife, of a visit to Col Stevens and Col. Bowers, and an indirect reference to his wife's pregnancy.
Title: William Wirt Henry to John Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-09-01
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include the continued sickness of Katie, being mustered into the United States Service, and the commission as Major of the 10th Regiment.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-08-22
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include the poor health of William Henry's sister Katie and the appointment of Acting Major.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-08-24
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include being put in charge of the 10th Regiment for a few days, William Henry's wish to go home to see his family, the duties of being a Major, feeling very proud of his military promotion, Dress Parade well attended by some 400 to 500 people including Mr. Cummings who was Speaker of the House.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-08-15
Resource type: correspondence
A very brief letter from Camp Washburn topics include inquiries after the well being of his baby boy and the anticipated promotion to Major.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-08-18
Resource type: correspondence
Writing from Camp Bradley (later Camp Holbrook) in Brattleboro, Vt. topics include anxious to see his baby boy, continued anticipation of appointment to Major and as acting Adjutant for 11th Regt.until Mr. Curtis of Burlington arrives.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-09-20
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include reflecting on Katie's death and William Henry being in command of five companies and five miles of the Potomac River.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-09-24
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include the good health of the regiment, him having a good bay horse as he needs to ride 15 miles to visit all the pickets and the need for friends and family in a time of loss.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-09-28
Resource type: correspondence
Writing from his camp in the field topics include a brief account of William Henry's day that includes living quarters with Company B, morning hygiene, breakfast, riding his horse to visit a company and give a lecture picket duty, visiting another officer to discuss matters, a good dinner and ride back to his headquarters. Also inquiries about his family.
Title: William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
Creator: Henry, William Wirt, 1831-1915
Date: 1862-08-13
Resource type: correspondence
A brief letter writing from camp in Brattleboro, Vt. topics include the birth of Henry's baby boy and a possible promotion to Major.
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