Ransom W. Towle Correspondence
Collection Overview
Ransom W. Towle of Rochester, Vt. enlisted as a Sergeant in Co. E, 4th Vermont Regiment, on August 24, 1861. He was wounded at Savage's Station, Va. on June 29, 1862. He re-enlisted on December 15, 1863 and was promoted to 1st Sergeant of Co. A. On May 17, 1864, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in Co. A. He was wounded and taken prisoner at Weldon Railroad, Va. on June 23, 1864 but subsequently escaped. On September 19, 1864 he was killed in action at Winchester, Va.
Thomas N. Flanders of Braintree, Vt. enlisted as a Private in Co. G., 8th Vermont Regiment on November 30, 1861. He was taken prisoner on September 4, 1862 at Bayou des Allemands, La. and was paroled on November 13, 1862. On January 5, 1864 he re-enlisted. He was promoted to Corporal on July 1, 1864, to Sergeant on April 12, 1865, and was mustered out of the service on June 28, 1865.
Towle's letters include accounts of his responsibilities within the regiment, foraging for food, the cold weather, his stay at Camp Griffen, and requests for provisions.
Time Period Covered: November 25, 1861 - December 29, 1861
Parent Collections
Related Archival Collection(s)
Civil War Diary of Ransom W. Towle
Published: October 14, 2010, University of Vermont, Bailey/Howe Library, Center for Digital Initiatives
Rights: Requests to reproduce this item should be sent to Vermont Historical Society Library, vhs-library@state.vt.us. For more information, see http://cdi.uvm.edu/about/rights. More information.
Browse Options
Creator(s)
Recipient(s)
- Towle, Sebra [10]
- Towle, Rufus [4]
Place(s)
- Military campsVirginia [22]
- United StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865Military reconnaissance [3]
- United StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865Campaigns [2]
- United StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865Casualties [2]
- United StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865Destruction and pillage [2]
- United StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865Medical care [2]
- Fort Monroe (Va.) [1]
Format(s)
- text [32]
Genre(s)
- correspondence [32]
Topic(s)
- United StatesArmy Military life [19]
- United StatesArmy.Vermont Infantry Regiment, 4th (1861-1865) [18]
- Diseases [8]
- Battle casualties [7]
- Armed Forces Officers [6]
- Marching [3]
- Families of military personnel [2]
- Military discipline [2]
- Postal service [2]
- Prisoners of war [2]
- Soldiers Alcohol use [2]
- Hardtack [1]
- Homesickness [1]
- Intrenchments [1]
- McClellan, George Brinton1826-1885 [1]
- Military chaplains [1]
- Military deserters [1]
- Monitor (Ironclad) [1]
- Operational rations (Military supplies) [1]
- Pillage [1]
- Slaves [1]
- Trench warfare [1]
- War Psychological aspects [1]
- Women in war [1]
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Title: Letter to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1861-11-25
Resource type: correspondence
From Camp Griffen, Va. Topics include the health of the regiment (measles, Typhoid fever), requests for food, tea, clothing and the cold weather.
Title: Letter to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1861-12-07
Resource type: correspondence
December 7, 1861. Topics include Ransom W. Towle's responsibilities in the regiment, discipline if duties not carried out, foraging for food, marching in preparation to join an attack, request for newspapers and the location of the camp.
Title: Letter to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1861-12-29
Resource type: correspondence
December 29, 1861. Topics include the health of the regiment in the cold weather (rheumatism, boils, homesickness), camp inspection, lack of presence of Chaplain except at religious services, and the prospect of battle.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Family
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-01-09
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes in some detail of the hardships of and the way foraging expeditions are conducted, of the cold weather, of rumors of a recall of Vermont troops and of news from home.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Family
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: [1862]-01-20
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes from his Virginia camp to his parents and sister on the mud while out on picket duty, fearfulness of some of the soldiers, list of items to send from home including a reference to his much needed new boots, sickness and deaths in the Regiment, and news of the Rochester boys.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Family and Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-01-29
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes to parents and friends from Camp Griffin in Virginia about foraging for wood by tearing down fences, desolation of the countryside due to the war, Southerners pretending Union sympathies so as to not be driven from their homes, of the mud, and of making a pipe for smoking from the root of a Laurel tree.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Family and Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-02-02
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes of missing his newspaper and his wish to remain informed on both foreign and army news and of some of the men's morale writing home about the hardships of war and a desire to see it end. He writes of Col. Stoughton resignation, of officers' wives attending the camp's religious service and how the service differs from the traditional church worship.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-02-17
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include Towle’s sickness Saturday night, of illness and death within the company and regiment, praise for officer Lieut. Pingree, reference to rumor of the capture of Savannah (does he refer to Georgia?), and a brief reference to the possible firing of guns at Fort Ethan Allen for some victory somewhere.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1861-02-27
Resource type: correspondence
Writing from his Virgina camp Griffin, Towle gives a description of a Battalion Drill and the ill health effects on the soldiers, of a gale storm damaging tents and overturning an ambulance with a sick soldier inside. He writes of orders from General McClellan to be ready to move, and states men are sick and death count to date for his regiment is 66.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: [1862]-03-05
Resource type: correspondence
From Camp Griffin, Towle writes of a brigade and bayonet drill, the increasing number of sick men with the death count for the regiment at 77, and of the monotony of camp life.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1861-03-22
Resource type: correspondence
From his camp near Alexandria, Virginia Towle writes of the rainy weather, muddy conditions, sleeping conditions wet and tents inadequate for keeping the soldiers dry and of the number of troops camped out in the area. Towle makes a brief reference to his father’s misfortunes [ill health?].
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-04-06
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes from near Yorktown and of firing upon and taking a Rebel fortification at Young's Mills with little resistance from the enemy. He writes a soldier was wounded soldier who was from the Rutland Company, 5th Regiment. The troops also marched to a well fortified encampment of the enemy. He was also in battle, men killed and wounded and the troops had difficulties with moving the artillery as the ground is march and swamp.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-04-18
Resource type: correspondence
Writing after a battle near Yorktown, Towle recalls those wounded and killed. States preparations continue to be made for more fighting, that provisions for the men sometimes are difficult to get, that Col Stoughton performs admirably but that General Smith was drunk and has been arrested .
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-06-08
Resource type: correspondence
Writing seven miles from Richmond, Virginia topics include the mention of the Chickahominy River, a prediction of a battle and a description of skirmishes.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-06-26
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes of what he hears about the living conditions of the Rebels including forced service, some without enough food and about the Battle of Richmond having been going on for a month with artillery shelling and likely to continue.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Parents and Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-05-23
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include Towle’s not receiving wages, the high prices of food, poverty in camp, the destruction of the countryside by the Rebels, how the Union soldiers are forbidden to even touch any property, the movement of the regiment in Virginia, and the attitude of the slaves towards the Yankees.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-01-11
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes from his Virginia camp to his parents about drill, military life, resignation of officers due to being unfit physically or mentally, of still needing new boots, illness, and his positive opinion of Colonel Stoughton.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-02-05
Resource type: correspondence
Towle responds to his parents' letter that expresses low morale at home, financial difficulties at home and Towle encourages the doing without luxuries on the home front as much as possible. He writes of a 30 hour picket trip, the capture of rebel two scouts, drills being only two a day and of a self inflicted wounding of a Union soldier requiring amputation of the wounded soldier's leg.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-02-23
Resource type: correspondence
Topics include a Brigade Parade and a farewell address of Washington, he relates some of the soldiers opinions and predictions that the war will end in three weeks. Mention of 109 six mule teams passing through his camp; exact purpose unknown.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-02-27
Resource type: correspondence
A brief letter to his parents from Camp Griffin in Virginia of marching orders with three days rations and the hope to encounter the Rebels. He makes a brief reference to Brigade surgeon Dr. Phelps. Towle expresses his dismay that the troops in the west are fighting and gaining glory while the army of the Potomac lays idle.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-03-29
Resource type: correspondence
Writing from Newport News (Virginia?) topics include the journey from Alexandria to his new camp, mentions the destruction of Hampton, Va. by the Confederates, the "concentration of troops" for the possible purpose of advancing into Va. and the inefficiency of the Quarter Master resulting in the soldiers going hungry for a week. He makes reference to passing gun boats, gives a brief description and impression of the "renowned" Monitor (Ironclad) and Fort Monroe.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-04-03
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes of orders received to march on Richmond, Virginia and of his many camp duties. He writes of soldiers letters being detained and of their camp being fired upon by the Rebels. No harm done.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Sebra Towle
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-01-05
Resource type: correspondence
Towle writes from his Virginia camp to his mother about his thankfulness for the gift of a thick quilt. He writes in detail of boots he wants made, of his thoughts on what it would mean if there was an intervention of England, and his tent mates doing mundane domestic tasks of writing letters and mending clothing.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Sister and Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-05-15
Resource type: correspondence
From camp in Whitehouse Landing, Va. topics include the destruction of the Merrimac (the ironclad warship), a bear hunt, the occupation of Norfolk, Virginia troops under the command of President Lincoln, a description of skirmishes with the Rebels, and the warm weather in Virginia.
Title: Ransom W. Towle to Sister and Friends
Creator: Towle, Ransom W., d. 1864
Date: 1862-06-22
Resource type: correspondence
Camping in the field near Richmond topics include the weather in Virginia with food crops growing well in the hot temperatures, pickets conversing and trading papers, coffee, whiskey, fighting resulting in losses, reference to Rifle Pits, preparations for the Battle of Richmond, sickness among the soldiers.
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