United States Regiments & Batteries > Vermont > 4th Vermont Infantry Regiment


The 4th Vermont Infantry Regiment mustered 38 officers and 1,010 enlisted men as original members and 642 recruits and transfers during the American Civil War, a total of 1,690 men.

It lost 9 officers and 77 enlisted men killed in action, 3 officers and 70 enlisted men who died of wounds, one officer and 200 enlisted men who died of disease, 61 men who died in Confederate prisons, and 2 who died in accidents: a total of 423 deaths. 418 men were wounded, and 199 were taken prisoner.

The regiment 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. Five members of the regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor (see below).

1861
August-September The 4th Vermont Infantry Regiment was organized at Brattleboro.

Organization of the Regiment
  • Company A – Captain John A. Pratt
  • Company B – Captain James H. Platt, Jr.
  • Company C – Captain Henry B. Atherton
  • Company D – Captain George Tucker
  • Company E – Captain Henry L. Terry
  • Company F – Captain Addison Brown, Jr,
  • Company G – Captain George F. Foster
  • Company H – Captain Robert W. Laird
  • Company i – Captain Leonard A. Stearns
  • Company K – Captain Francis B. Gove
September 21 Mustered in under the command of 23 year old Colonel Edwin H. Stoughton (West Point Class of 1859), Lieutenant Colonel Harry Niles Worthen, Major John C. Tyler, and Adjutant Charles B. Stoughton (younger brother of the Colonel.)
September 21-23 Moved to Washington, D.C., mustering 1,048 men.
October Joined with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Vermont Regiments to form Brooks’ Brigade, Smith’s Division, Army of the Potomac
October 19 Reconnoissance to Vienna, Va.
November Duty in the Defences of Washington at Camp Griffin.
1862
February 22 Captain George Tucker of Company D resigned.
February 25 Captain Charles Stoughton (the colonel’s younger brother) was promoted to major
March 10 Moved to Alexandria, attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 20 First Lieutenant George W. Quimby was promoted to Captain of Company D.
March 23-24

Peninsula Campaign

Moved by ship to the Virginia Peninsula, landing near Fort Monroe and moving to Newport News.

March 27-28 Reconnoissance to Big Bethel
March 30 Reconnoissance to Warwick
April 2 Began the march up the Peninsula.
April 4 Young’s Mills
April 5-May 4

Siege of Yorktown

April 5-May 4

Siege of Yorktown

April 13 Captain Francis B. Gove of Company K resigned.
April 21 First Lieutenant Stephen A. Pingree of Company E was promoted to Captain of Company K.
May 5

Battle of Williamsburg

May 13 The 4th Vermont was attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th 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 27

Garnett’s Farm

June 29

Savage Station

June 30

White Oak Swamp Bridge

July 1

Malvern Hill

July-August At Harrison’s Landing
July 17-19 Major Charles Stoughton was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain George P. Foster of Company G was promoted to major. First Lieutenant Joseph W.D. Carpenter was promoted to Captain of Company G.
July 31-August 1 Captain Leonard A. Stearns of Company I resigned, and First Lieutenant Daniel Lillie of Company E was promoted to Captain of Company I.
August 12 Captain Henry B. Atherton of Company C resigned, and First Lieutenant Dennie W. Farr of Company F was promoted to Captain of Company C.
August 16-24 Moved 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

Medal of Honor from the Civil War eraFirst Lieutenant George Hooker earned the Medal of Honor when he “rode alone, in advance of his regiment, into the enemy’s lines, and before his own men came up received the surrender of the major of a Confederate regiment, together with the colors and 116 men.” His story and photograph are on the Medal of Honor Recipients wayside marker at Crampton’s Gap.

September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Charles B. Stoughton. 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 22 Captain Henry L. Terry of Company E was discharged for disability. First Lieutenant Groege H. Amidon of Company G was promoted to Captain of Company G.
September 26-October 29 At Hagerstown, Md.
October 29-November 19 Movement to Falmouth
November 5
  • Colonel Edwin Stoughton was promoted to Brigadier General.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Charles B. Stoughton was promoted to Colonel
  • Major Foster was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
  • Captain Stephen M. Pingree of Company E was promoted to Major
  • First Lieutenant Abiel L. Fisher was promoted to Captain of Company K
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost 56 men. Captain George W. Quimby of Company D was killed. First Lieutenant Charles W. Boutin of Company K was promoted to Captain of Company D.

1863
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, “Second Fredericksburg”

May 3-4

Salem Church

Medal of Honor from the Civil War eraSergeant Robert J. Coffee was awarded the Medal of Honor when he “single-handedly captured 2 officers and 5 privates of the 8th Louisiana Regiment (C.S.A.)”

First Lieutenant Deniel Wheeler of Compeny G was awarded the Medal of Honor when he exhibited “distinguished bravery in action where he was wounded and had a horse shot from under him.”

May 4

Banks’ Ford

Second Lieutenants Frank Hastings of Company B, Willis W. Morton of Company C and Thomas Ensworth, Jr. of Company D were wounded.

June 5-13

Franklin’s Crossing

July 2-4

Battle of Gettysburg

Commanded by Colonel Charles B. Stoughton. It brought 437 men to the field and suffered one wounded.

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

Battle of Funkstown

Colonel Charles Stoughton was badly wounded, losing his right eye.

August 14-September 16 Detached for duty at New York
September 16-23 Moved to Alexandria, then to Fairfax Court House, Va., and 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
February 2 Colonel Charles Stoughton resigned due to is wound from Funkstown. Lieutenant Colonel George P. Foster was promoted to colonel and Major Stephen M. Pingree was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
April 12 Captain Robert W. Laird of Company H was cashiered and dismissed the service.
April 19 First Lieutenant J. Byron Brooks was promoted to Captain of Company H.
May-June

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James

May 5-6

Battle of the Wilderness

Out of 551 men engaged seven officers were killed and eleven wounded, one mortally, 41 enlisted men were killed and 223 wounded, 43 mortally, and four enlisted men were missing. This was the greatest casualties suffered by any Vermont regiment in a single battle, and one of the highest casualty rates for a single battle suffered by any Union regiment in the war.

Killed or Mortally Wounded
  • Captains Dennie W. Farr of Company C and Joseph W.D. Carpenter of Company G, First Lieutenant Isaac A. Putnam of Company C, and Second Lieutenant Winfield S. Wooster were killed.
  • Captain Daniel Lillie of Company I and First Lieutenant Thomas Ensworth, Jr. of Company D were mortally wounded.
Wounded
  • Colonel George Foster was badly wounded in the thigh.
  • Captains George H. Amidon of Company E,  J. Byron Brooks of Company H, and Abial Fisher of Company K
  • First Lieutenants Charles H. Newton of Company E, Edward D. Carter of Company G, William C. Tracey of Company H, and Charles A. Dam of Company K
  • Second Lieutenants Charles H. Carleton of Company C, Luther B. Scott of Company E, Nathan A. Smith of Company F, and Willis W. Morton of Company H

First Lieutenant Howard C. Chapin was promoted to Captain of Company C and William C. Tracey was promoted to Captain of Company H .

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.

Medal of Honor from the Civil War eraFirst Sergeant Carlos H. Rich of Company K was awarded the Medal of Honor when he “saved the life of an officer.”

May 8-21

Spotsylvania Court House

May 12

Assault on the Salient (Spotsylvania)

First Lieutenant Joseph B. Needham of Companyn H was wounded.

May 23-26
North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy

Captain James H. Platt, Jr. of Company B was captured.

June 1-12

Cold Harbor

First Lieutenant Abel K. Parsons was killed. First Lieutenant Charles G. Fisher was promoted Captain of Company I.

June 18-19

Grant’s First Assault on Petersburg

June 18

Siege of Petersburg

June 22-23

Jerusalem Plank Road (Weldon Railroad)

The regiment was in the lead in an advance against the Weldon Railroad when the Confederates broke through the line with a strong force. 137 enlisted men were surrounded and captured, but the colors were saved by the color guard.

  • Captain William C. Tracy of Company G was killed.
  • Major John E. Pratt and Captains Chapin of Company C and Charles W. Boutin of Company D were captured
  • Lieutenants William Towle of Company A, William Pierce of Company B, Carlos W. Carr of Company F, Joseph B. Needham of Company H, Charles G. Fisher of Company I, and George P. Spaulding of Company K were captured
  • First Lieutenant Edward W. Carter was promoted to Captain of Company G.

Medal of Honor from the Civil War eraSergeant James Drury of Company C was awarded the Medal of Honor when he “saved the colors of his regiment when it was surrounded by a much larger force of the enemy and after the greater part of the regiment had been killed or captured.”

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 9 First Lieutenant Joseph P. Aikens of Company C was promoted to Captain of Company A.
August 21-22

Near Charlestown

Second Lieutenant Luther B. Scott of Company F was killed.

September 13 Gilbert’s Ford, Opequan River. Captain Edward W. Carter of Company G resigned.
September 18 Captain Addison Brown, Jr. of Company F was transferred to the 5th Vermont Infantry Regiment and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
September 19

Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)

Colonel George Foster commanded the brigade. Second Lieutenant Ransom W. Towle of Company A was killed.

September 22

Fisher’s Hill

September 30 Duty at Strasburg. Nonveterans were mustered out, including Lieutenant Colonel Stephen M. Pingree, Captain Abiel W. Fisher of Company K..
October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek

Captains Joseph P. Aikens of Company A and George H. Amidon of Company G were wounded. First Lieutenant Charles A. Dam of Company K was wounded.

November 9 At Kernstown
November 21 Captain James H. Platt, Jr. of Company B was discharged after having been exchanged from Confederate prison.
December 9-12

Siege of Petersburg

Returned to siege at Petersburg. Went into winter quarters near Squirrel Level Road.

1865
January 1 First Lieutenant Alfred K. Nichols was promoted to Captain of Company B.
February 25 The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Independent Companies of Vermont Sharpshooters were merged into the regiment and it was consolidated into 8 companies. Captain Seymour F. Norton of Company E, 2nd United States Sharp Shooters became Captain of Company G and Captain Walter W. Smith of Company H, 2nd United States Sharp Shooters became Captain of Company H. Captain Charles G. Fisher of Company I was transferred to Company F.
March 8 Captain Joseph P. Aikens of Company A was discharged due to his wonds from Cedar Creek.
March 25

Fort Fisher, before Petersburg

March 27 Second Lieutenant Charles H. Carleton of Company C was wounded.
March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

April 2

Fall of Petersburg

Second Lieutenant William F. Tilton of Company G was wounded.

April 6

Sailor’s Creek

April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.

April 10 – 28 At Farmville and Burkesville Junction
April 23-27 March to Danville
May 18 Moved to Manchester
May 24-June 3 March to Washington
June 4 First Lieutenant Lewis W. Fisher of Company I was promoted to Captain of Company A.
June 8 Corps Review
June 9 Captain George H. Amidon of Company G was breveted Major.
July 13 The 4th Vermont Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General George P. Foster and Lieutenant Colonel Charles H. Newton