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
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August-September | The 4th Vermont Infantry Regiment was organized at Brattleboro.
Organization of the Regiment
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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
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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 CampaignMoved 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 MountainFirst 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 AntietamCommanded 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 |
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December 12-15 |
Battle of FredericksburgThe 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
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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 ChurchSergeant 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’ FordSecond 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 GettysburgCommanded 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 FunkstownColonel 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
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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 WildernessOut 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
Wounded
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. First 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 |
TotopotomoyCaptain James H. Platt, Jr. of Company B was captured. |
June 1-12 |
Cold HarborFirst 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.
Sergeant 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 CharlestownSecond 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 CreekCaptains 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 PetersburgReturned to siege at Petersburg. Went into winter quarters near Squirrel Level Road. |
1865
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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 PetersburgSecond Lieutenant William F. Tilton of Company G was wounded. |
April 6 |
Sailor’s Creek |
April 9 |
Appomattox Court HouseSurrender 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 |