3rd Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Vermont

The 3rd Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 5 officers and 201 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 164 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 St. Johnsbury
July 16 Mustered in under Colonel William F. Smith (USMA 1845) and Lt. Colonel Breed N. Hyde
July 24-26 Moved to Washington, D.C. Duty at Georgetown Heights and at Camp Griffin, defences of Washington attached to W. 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 2nd Vermont, the 6th Maine and the 33rd New York regiments.
August 13 Colonel Smith was promoted to brigadier general, Lt Colonel Hyde was promoted to colonel, Captain Wheelock Veazey to lieutenant colonel and Captain Thomas O. Seaver of Company F was promoted to major.
September 11 Skirmish at Lewinsville
September 25 Reconnoissance to Lewinsville
October Joined with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Vermont Regiments to form Brooks’ Brigade, Smith’s Division, Army of the Potomac
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 Action at Young’s Mill
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown; attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
April 16 Lee’s Mills
May 5
Battle of Williamsburg
May 13 The 3rd 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
June 25-July 1
Seven days before Richmond
June 29
Garnett’s Farm, Savage Station
June 30
White Oak Swamp Bridge
July 1
Malvern Hill
July-August At Harrison’s Landing
August 16-24 Moved to Fortress Monroe, thence 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 Lieutenant Colonel Veazey returned to Vermont to raise recruits and became colonel of the 16th Vermont
September 14
Crampton’s Pass, South Mountain
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Major Thomas O. Seaver. 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, Md.
September 27 Major Seaver was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
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 15 Colonel Hyde resigned, having been ordered before a court martial on charges of cowardice at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Lt. Colonel Seaver was promoted to colonel.
January 20-24 Burnside’s Second Campaign, “Mud March”
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Franklin’s Crossing
May 3
Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg
May 3-4
Salem Heights

Lieutenant Ronald A. Kennedy of Company I was wounded by a shell in his left side.
May 4
Banks’ Ford
June 5-13 Franklin’s Crossing
July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

Commanded by Colonel Thomas O. Seaver. It brought 428 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
September 13-17 Moved to Alexandria, thence to Fairfax Court House
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

Colonel Seaver took temporary command of the brigade until February
1864
May-June Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-12
Spotsylvania Court House
May 10
Assault at Spotsylvania Court House

Colonel Seaver was awarded the Medal of Honor for “At the head of three regiments and under a most galling fire, attacked and occupied the enemy’s works.”
May 12
Assault on the Salient, Spottsylvania Court House

Captain Horace W. Floyd of Company C was wounded in the hand.
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Cold Harbor
June 18-19 Before Petersburg
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road
June 24 – July 9 Siege of Petersburg
July 9-11 Moved to Washington, D.C.
July 11-12 Repulse of Early’s attack on Fort Stevens
July 27 Nonveterans mustered out, including Colonel Seaver.
August 4 Captain Horace W. Floyd was promoted to major.
August 7-November 28 Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
August 21-22 Near Charlestown
September 1 Opequan Creek
September 13 Gilbert’s Ford, Opequan Creek
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)
September 22
Fisher’s Hill
October 18 Major Floyd was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek

Lieutenant Colonel Floyd was breveted colonel for gallantry.
October At Strasburg
November 9 At Kernstown
December 9-12 Moved to Petersburg, Va.
December 13 Siege of Petersburg
1865
March 25 Fort Fisher, before Petersburg
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
April 2 Assault on and fall of Petersburg
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 Moved to Manchester
May 24-June 2 Marched to Washington, D.C.
June 4 Brevet Colonel Horace W. Floyd was promoted to colonel.
June 8 Corps Review
July 11 Mustered out