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 171 - 180 of 1338 Records
Roswell Farnham to Laura
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- Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
- Date Created: 1862-12-02
- Description: Writes to his sister, Laura, of his new house at Camp Vermont, describing it being built of logs, its rooms, mentions first brigade of his division having left and may have gone to Fredericksburg, his trip to Washington DC to the opening of Congress in the Capitol, and inquires of home.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
S. P. Heintzleman to ?
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- Creator: Heintzleman, S. P.
- Date Created: 1861-06-05
- Description: Topics include orders prohibiting anyone from entering the premises or grounds of G. Mason.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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- Creator: Farnham, Roswell, 1827-1903.
- Date Created: 1862-10-21
- Description: Topics include Roswell Farnham’s foot injury.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Roswell Farnham 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: 1863-04-06
- Description: Topics include having upset Hannah in an earlier letter regarding dangers Rutherford may face, his reassurance to her that a surgeon faces much less danger due to being a doctor, a terrible snow storm in camp, waiting for the weather to clear so the regiment can move to Poolesville, a maple sugar party given by Col. Henry, the anticipation of getting military pay (due $600 but will only get $400) and the return of Captain Steele to duty and his being reprimanded by Rutherford, Jewett and Henry.
- 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: 1863-04-20
- Description: Writing from a different camp, Heintzelman some 2 miles from Poolesville, topics include being put upon and over burdened with duties that put him in a bad mood that he had an unpleasant interaction with the Quartermaster, being put in charge of the Brigade Hospital, and recommended treatment for scarlet fever requested by his wife in case the children come down with the disease.
- 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: 1863-05-30
- Description: Topics include not receiving any letters from home, wishing to know if the $25 sent has been received, dealing with the camp cooks drinking too much whiskey and getting drunk, needing to confront the Quartermaster for interfering with his teams and ambulances again, Colonel Jewett's wife visiting which makes four wives in camp which relieves coarseness among the men and relieves monotony in camp.
- 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: 1863-06-27
- Description: Writing in the field at Maryland Heights Rutherford writes of being surrounded by thousands of troops, writing his letter on a box looking down on Harpers Ferry, W. Va. and the view of the Shenandoah Valley and being in anticipation of some great event about to happen (perhaps part of the Maryland Campaign), mentions the damage to area houses and the ground laid waste.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
William C. Holbrook to Frederick Holbrook
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- Creator: Holbrook, William Cune, 1842-1904.
- Date Created: 1862-05-27
- Description: Topics include the Union gaining control of New Orleans, General Shepley becoming Military Commandant of the city, and the news that the Vermont Brigade has been gaining control on the Potomac. Evaluations of Generals Butler and Shepley. Also mentions the "contrabands" or slaves coming within Union lines. (Butler would later start recruiting African Americans to be Union soldiers.)
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, William C. Holbrook Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
William C. Holbrook to Frederick Holbrook
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- Creator: Holbrook, William Cune, 1842-1904.
- Date Created: 1862-07-01
- Description: Writing to his father, Gov. Holbrook, from the steamer, Morning Sight near Vicksburg topics include asking if he can have a battery to command, mentions Fort Pike, the desire to join the artillery service, the hope to be given captaincy, and the slow bombardments by the rebels but there was an attack by 3000 Confederates thinking to board the Union mortar boats only to be beaten back when fired upon.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, William C. Holbrook Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War
William C. Holbrook to Frederick Holbrook
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- Creator: Holbrook, William Cune, 1842-1904.
- Date Created: 1862-07-29
- Description: Topics include returning to Baton Rouge and the comforts that came with this move, expresses his decided opinion on the ramifications of releasing “unlettered Negroes” (i.e. slaves), feels the blacks are well enough cared for in general, speaks against blacks as a possible fighting force, the treatment of the slaves who enter Union lines by the Union soldiers, feels politicians need to experience first hand the habits of black slaves of the south and not hold such lofty ideals, the attempted “cut off” of the Mississippi River by the Union, and the death of W. C. Holbrook’s grandfather.
- Parent Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War, William C. Holbrook Correspondence
Part of: Vermonters in the Civil War