United States Regiments & Batteries > Vermont
The 5th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment enrolled a total of 1,618 officers and men during the Civil War. It lost 11 officers and 202 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 124 enlisted men to disease. 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.
| 1861 | |
| Organized at St. Albans | |
| September 16 | Mustered in under the command of Colonel Henry A. Smalley (USMA 1854), on leave from the Regular Army where he had served as a Lieutenant in the 2nd United States Artillery, Lieutenant Colonel Lewis A. Grant, and Major Redfield Proctor. |
| September 23-25 | Moved to Washington, D.C. at Camp Griffin Defences of Washington attached to Brooks’ Brigade, Smith’s Division, Army of the Potomac. Major Lewis Grant was promoted to lieutenant colonel. |
| 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 | Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps. Army of the Potomac |
| March 10 | Moved to Alexandria |
| March 23-24 | Moved by ship to the Virginia Peninsula, landing near Fort Monroe and moving to Newport News. |
| March 30 | Reconnoissance to Warwick River |
| April 2 | Began the march up the Peninsula. |
| April 4 | Young’s Mills |
| April 5-May 4 | Siege of Yorktown |
| April 16 | Lee’s Mills |
| May 5 |
Battle of WilliamsburgAttached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
| May 13 | The 5th 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 27 | Garnett’s Farm |
| June 29 |
Savage’s StationThe regiment brought around 400 men to the field and in one half hour lost 188 officers and men, with Company E losing 25 men killed or mortally wounded and 19 men wounded out of 59. |
| June 30 |
White Oak Swamp Bridge |
| July 1 |
Malvern Hill |
| July – August | At Harrison’s Landing |
| 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 10 | Colonel Smalley resigned and returned to the Regular Army as a captain in the 2nd United States Artillery when his leave expired. |
| September 14 |
Crampton’s Pass (South Mountain) |
| September 16 | Lewis A. Grant was promoted to colonel. Major Lewis Lewis was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and Captain Charles P. Dudley of Company E. was promoted to major. |
| September 16-17 |
Battle of AntietamCommanded by Colonel Lewis A. Grant. The regiment was not heavily engaged at Antietam and suffered only 2 men wounded. 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., |
| October 29- November 19 |
Movement to Falmouth, Va. |
| December 12-15 |
Battle of Fredericksburg |
| 1863 | |
| January 20-24 | Burnside’s Second Campaign, “Mud March” |
| February 21 | Colonel Grant took command of the Vermont Brigade as senior colonel for most of the next year. Lieutenant Colonel John R. Lewis would command the regiment. |
| April 27-May 6 | Chancellorsville Campaign |
| April 29-May 2 | Operations at Franklin’s Crossing |
| May 3 |
Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg |
| May 3-4 |
Salem ChurchColonel Grant was wounded. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for “Personal gallantry and intrepidity displayed in the management of his brigade and in leading it in the assault in which he was wounded.” |
| May 4 | Banks’ Ford |
| June 5-12 | Franklin’s Crossing |
| July 2-4 |
Battle of GettysburgCommanded by Lieutenant Colonel John R. Lewis. It brought 341 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-September 16 | Detached from Army for duty at New York City and Kingston, N.Y. during the draft riots. |
| September 23 | Rejoined army at Culpeper Court House, Va. |
| October 9-22 |
Bristoe Campaign |
| November 7-8 | Advance to line of the Rappahannock |
| November 7 | Rappahannock Station |
| November 26-December 2 |
Mine Run Campaign |
| December 15 | The regiment reenlisted and was granted a Veteran Furlough. |
| 1864 | |
| April 27 | Colonel Grant was promoted to brigadier general. |
| May-June |
Campaign from the Rapidan to the JamesThe regiment began the campaign with about 500 men, and in one month wold lose 349 men killed, wounded and missing, including 13 officers. |
| May 5-6 |
Battle of the Wilderness |
| May 6 | Lieutenant Colonel John R. Lewis was promoted to colonel. |
| May 8-21 |
Spotsylvania Court House |
| May 12 | Assault on the Salient, Spottsylvania Court House |
| 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; Siege of Petersburg begins |
| 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 | Near Charlestown |
| September 4 | Colonel Lewis was transferred to the Veteran’s Reserve Corps |
| September 13 | Gilbert’s Ford, Opequan Creek |
| September 15 | Non-Vetrans mustered out at Clifton, Virginia, leaving 5 officers and 300 men. |
| September 19 |
Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan) |
| September 22 |
Fisher’s Hill |
| October 19 |
Battle of Cedar Creek |
| October | At Strasburg |
| October 14 | Mustered out nonveterans |
| November 9 | At Kernstown |
| December 9-12 | Moved to Petersburg, Va. and the Siege of Petersburg. Went into winter quarters near Squirrel Level Road. |
| 1865 | |
| February 20 | Captain Ronald A. Kennedy of Company K, 3rd Vermont Infantry was transferred to the 5th Vermont and promoted to lieutenant colonel. |
| March 25 | Fort Fisher, before Petersburg |
| March 28-April 9 | Appomattox Campaign |
| April 2 |
Fall of PetersburgThe 5th Vermont was the first regiment to plant its colors on the Confederate defensive works. |
| April 6 | Sailor’s Creek |
| April 9 |
Appomattox Court HouseSurrender of Lee and his army. |
| April 10 – 23 | At Farmville and Burkesville Station |
| April 23-27 | March to Danville |
| May 18 | Moved to Manchester |
| May 24-June 8 | March to Washington, D.C. |
| June 8 | Corps Review |
| June 9 | Lieutenant Colonel Ronald A. Kennedy was promoted to colonel. |
| June 29 | Mustered out 24 officers and 288 men. |