Vermonters in the Civil War
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 1861-1865. 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) are included; each adds a certain experience and point of view to the whole.
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.
Showing 1 - 10 of 141 Records
Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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- Creator: Rutherford, Joseph Chase, 1818-1902.
- Date Created: 1863-09-10
- Description: Topics include his disputing the severity of disease in camp in the 10th Regiment, how disease claims more lives than bullets, reference to a fight at Boonsborough, the death of George Chase from illness, reference to a Mr. Joseph Calhoun and "Young Spafford" and a request for postage stamps as they are difficult to get.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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- Creator: Barney, Valentine G., 1834-1889.
- Date Created: 1863-02-22
- Description: His medicinal use of alcohol, the bitter weather, a practical joke he played on Lieutenant Erastus W. Jewett and the uses of humor, singing (Brave Boys are they) and other entertainments, his conversation with a Rebel prisoner about allegiance to the U.S., his worries about the news of small pox back home in Swanton.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Justus F. Gale to Sister
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- Creator: Gale, Justus F., 1837-1863.
- Date Created: 1862-07-18
- Description: Topics include the good health of Justus Gale, the food available at Algiers including confiscated beef from the locals, standing guard for 12 hour shifts, killing alligators, writes of some of his comrades, the sickness of Sargent 2nd Class.Chas. C. Martin with inflammation of the bowels, the capture of Richmond and Vicksburg, mentions Confederate Gen. G. T. Beauregard, receiving a copy of the Green Mountain Freeman and refers to his religious faith.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Justus F. Gale Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Lyman S. Williams to Lois L. Williams
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- Creator: Williams, Lyman S., 1839-1905.
- Date Created: 1864-02-14
- Description: Writes of returning to the regiment after a visit home, the warm welcome of his fellow soldiers and the visits he received, how lonesome he feels for his family, and how grateful he is to the kindness shown by his family to Mary Gorton, now Mary Williams. He also writes of a case of measles in the regiment.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Lyman S. Williams Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Lyman S. Williams to Warren Williams
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- Creator: Williams, Lyman S., 1839-1905.
- Date Created: 1862-04-20
- Description: Topics include Lyman Williams coming down with a fever, an encounter with the rebels that left four men wounded, and the rebels' description of the Vermont regiment as dare devils. Stationery has an illustration of a "Vermont Boy," plus two verses of a song with the title "Vermont Soldier." The refrain, "Away down in Dixie," suggests an attempt to compete with the immortal southern song "Dixie."
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Lyman S. Williams Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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- Creator: Whitmore, Orange S., 1836-1908.
- Date Created: 1862-10-25
- Description: Brief letter from 1st Sgt. Whitmore to Barney's wife on the improvement of Barney’s health with Bilious fever (a name used that may refer to a number of illnesses that include jaundice) and the excellent care he is receiving from widow, Mrs. Snow in her private home.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Valentine G. Barney Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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- Creator: Rutherford, Joseph Chase, 1818-1902.
- Date Created: 1864-07-24
- Description: Writing from Georgetown Heights, D.C. he tells of the regiment's march, towns they marched to (Poolsville, Luxbury, Winchester), expresses his fear more of capture than of being wounded, had an attack of dysentery and is recovering.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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- Creator: Rutherford, Joseph Chase, 1818-1902.
- Date Created: 1863-12-?
- Description: From Brandy Station, Virginia topics include Rutherford contracting a condition through a cut in his thumb by dressing a man's arm who had Erycipelas (an infectious disease evidenced by a deep red inflammation of the skin). Rutherford acknowledges his carelessness and was aware of how germs and bacteria can spread from person to person, of his near misses of being wounded in battle, of standing ready to march and of receiving letters from daughter Helen.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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- Creator: Rutherford, Joseph Chase, 1818-1902.
- Date Created: 1865-03-09
- Description: A short letter from Rutherford updating his wife on his poor health, improving slightly, having taken a "blue pill" for medication, the rainy weather which delays moving from their location and thus not having to engage in combat.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Bradford Sparrow to Friends
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- Creator: Sparrow, Bradford.
- Date Created: 1863-10-31
- Description: Writes of Bradford's sickness of "remitant fever", his stay and care in the regimental hospital, of other patients in the hospital having Typhoid fever, requests clothing with specific instructions on just how he wants them made, soap and green tea from home,
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Bradford Sparrow Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War