2nd Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Vermont

The 2nd Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 6 officers and 218 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 175 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored on the Old Vermont Brigade monument at Antietam, the 1st Vermont Brigade monument at Gettysburg, and the Vermont Brigade monument at The Wilderness.

1861
Organized at Burlington under Colonel Henry Whiting (West Point Class of 1840)
June 20 Mustered in
June 24 Left State for Washington, D.C.
June 26 Arrived in Washington and went into camp on Camp Hill.
July 10 Crossed the Potomac over Long Bridge and marched through Alexandria to Bush Hill, about five miles towards Fairfax Court House. Formed into a brigade with the 3rd, 4th and 5th Maine under command of Col. Oliver O. Howard of the 3rd Maine in Heintzelman’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeast Virginia.
July 16-21 Advance on Manassas, Va.
July 21
Battle of Bull Run

The 2nd Vermont lost 2 enlisted men killed, 1 officer and 34 enlisted men wounded, and 1 officer and 30 enlisted men missing.
August Attached to William F. Smith’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac
August 12 Ordered to Chain Bridge, about ten miles above Georgetown on the Potomac. Went into camp on the east end of the bridge, brigaded with the 3rd Vermont, the 6th Maine and the 33rd New York regiments.
August 20-25 Scout to Great Falls
September 3 Crossed Chain Bridge into Virginia. Went into camp (Camp Advance) about a mile from the bridge, building Forts Marcy and Ethan Allen with the 3rd Vermont and 6th Maine.
September 11 Skirmish near Lewinsville (Companies A and F)
September 25 Reconnoissance to Lewinsville (Companies A and F)
September 28 Expedition to Munson’s Hill
October Joined with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Vermont Regiments to form Brooks’ Brigade, Smith’s Division, Army of the Potomac
October 17 Reconnoissance to Vienna
November 9 Reconnoissance to Peacock Hill
November Duty in the Defences of Washington at Camp Griffin.
1862
March 10 Moved to Alexandria. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 23-24 Moved by ship to the Virginia Peninsula, landing near Fort Monroe and moving to Newport News.
April 2 Began the march up the Peninsula.
April 4 Young’s Mill
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown
April 16 Lee’s Mills
April 30 Reconnoissance to Warwick River
May 5
Battle of Williamsburg
May 13 The 2nd Vermont was attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. It would remain with this organization until the end of the war.
May 19 Marched from White House Landing to the Chickahominy River, going into camp at Golding’s Farm
May 21 Captain James H. Walbridge of Company A was promoted to major
June 25-July 1
Seven days before Richmond
June 27 Garnett’s Farm
June 29 Savage Station
June 30 White Oak Swamp Bridge
July 1 Malvern Hill
July – August At Harrison’s Landing
August 16-24 Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Alexandria
August 30 Reached the Bull Run battlefield on the evening after the fighting.
September 1 Ordered back to Chantilly
September-October Maryland Campaign
September 14
Crampton’s Pass, South Mountain
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Major James H. Walbridge. The regiment was not heavily engaged at Antietam and suffered only light losses.

From the War Department marker for Brooks’ brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

Brooks’ Brigade left its camp in Pleasant Valley at 6 A.M. of the 17th, crossed the Antietam at Pry’s Ford and reached the field about noon. It was ordered to the support of Sedgwick’s Division, Second Corps, on the Union right but, before getting into position, was ordered to the support of French’s Division and formed in Mumma’s Cornfield, on ground vacated by the 14th Connecticut, its left connecting with French, its right resting on Mumma’s Lane, facing south parallel to and about 170 yards from the Bloody Lane.

It was subjected to a galling fire of both Artillery and Sharpshooters, causing some loss.

It remained in this position until the morning of the 19th.
September 26-October 29 At Hagerstown
October 17 Colonel Whiting took command of the brigade.
October 29-November 19 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 8 Major Walbridge was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Newton Stone of Company I was promoted to major.
January 20-24 Burnside’s Second Campaign, “Mud March”
February 9 Colonel Whiting resigned after his claims for promotion were neglected, having commanded the brigade for several months. Lt. Colonel Walbridge was promoted to colonel, Major Stone was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John S Tyler of Company C was promoted to major.
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Franklin’s Crossing
May 3
Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg

Captain Amasa S. Tracey of Company H was wounded in the leg.
May 3-4
Salem Heights
May 4
Banks’ Ford
June 5-13 Franklin’s Crossing
July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

The 2nd Vermont was commanded by Colonel James H. Walbridge. It brought 528 men to the field and had no casualties.

From the Vermont Brigade monument on the Gettysburg battlefield:

Reaching this field by a forced march of thirty two miles in the evening of July 2, the brigade took position on the left Union flank near this point in anticipation of an attack by the enemy and held the same July 3d and 4th.
July 10-13 Funkstown, Md.
August 14 Ordered to New York City. Duty there and at Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
September 13-17 Moved to Alexandria, then to Fairfax Court House, Va.
September 22 To Culpeper Court House
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to the Rappahannock
November 7 Rappahannock Station
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
1864
January Lieutenant Colonel Newton Stone served as Acting Assistant Inspector General to the 2nd Division of the 6th Corps.
April 1 Colonel Walbridge resigned due to disability, suffering from pain and poor circulation in his legs. Lieutenant Colonel Newton Stone was promoted to colonel, Major Tyler was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Amasa S. Tracey of Company H was promoted to major.
May-June Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-6
Battle of the Wilderness

Colonel Stone was shot in the head and killed. Lieutenant Colonel Tyler was promoted to colonel but was wounded in the thigh, which would prove mortal.

From the Vermont Brigade monument on the Wilderness battlefield:

In these woods, during the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5 and 6, 1864, Vermont’s “Old Brigade” suffered 1,234 casualties while defending the Brock Road and Orange Plank Road intersection.
May 8-21
Spotsylvania Court House
May 12 Assault on the Salient at Spotsylvania
May 23 Colonel Tyler died of his wound from the Wilderness.
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Cold Harbor
June 17 Major Tracy was promoted to lieutenant colonel
June 18-19 First Assault on Petersburg
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road
July 9-11 Moved to Washington, D.C.
July 11-12 Repulse of Early’s attack on Fort Stevens
August 7-November 28 Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
August 21-22 Charlestown
September 18 Gilbert’s Ford, Opequan River
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)
September 22
Fisher’s Hill
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek

Lieutenant Colonel Tracy was wounded in the hip by a shell.
October At Strasburg
November 9 At Kernstown
December 9-12 Moved to Petersburg; Siege of Petersburg begins
1865
February 5-7 Dabney’s Mills
March 25 Fort Fisher, before Petersburg
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
April 2
Assault on and fall of Petersburg

Lieutenant Colonel Tracy was breveted colonel for gallant and meritorious service in the assault
April 6 Sailor’s Creek
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 10-23 At Farmville and Burkesville Junction
April 23-27 March to Danville
May 18 At Manchester
May 24-June 3 March to Washington
June 7 Brevet Colonel Tracy was promoted to colonel
June 8 Corps Review
June 29 Nonveterans mustered out
July 15 Regiment mustered out