United States Regiments & Batteries > Vermont > 9th Vermont Infantry Regiment


During the Civil War the 9th Vermont Infantry Regiment mustered a total of 1,878 members in the American Civil War. It lost 2 officers and 22 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 5 men died due to accidents, 2 men who committed suicide, and 3 officers and 278 enlisted men to disease, including 36 who died in Confederate prisons. Three men from the 9th Vermont Infantry were awarded the Medal of Honor (see details below.)

1862
May Organized at Brattleboro under the command of Colonel George J. Stannard (former Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Vermont Infantry Regiment), Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Andross (former Captain in the 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment), and Major Edwin Stowall (Captain in the 5th Vermont Infantry Regiment).

Organization of the Regiment
  • Company A – Captain Valentine G, Barney
  • Company B – Captain Edward H. Ripley
  • Company C – Captain Albert R. Sabin
  • Company D – Captain Charles Jarvis
  • Company E – Captain Amasa Bartlett
  • Company F – Captain George F. Beebe
  • Company G – Captain William J. Henderson
  • Company H – Captain Abiel H. Slayton
  • Company I – Captain Albion J. Mower
  • Company K – Captain David W. Lewis
July 9 The 9th Vermont Infantry Regiment was mustered in for three years Federal Service.
July 15-17 Moved to Washington, D.C.
July 19 Moved from Washington, D.C., to Cloud’s Mills, Va. and attached to General Sturgis’ Division.
July 24 Marched to Winchester. Attached to Piatt’s Brigade, Winchester, Va. Duty constructing fortificartions.
August 10 Captain George A. Beebe of Company F died of disease.
September 2 Retreat to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va. Attached to Miles’ Command, Harper’s Ferry, W. Va.
September 13-15

Defence of Harper’s Ferry

September 14

Bolivar Heights

September 15

Surrender of the Harpers Ferry Garrison

September 16 Paroled and sent to Annapolis, Md.
September 25 Moved to Chicago, Ill. to guard Rebel prisoners at Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill.
November 17 First Lieutenant Joseph C. Brooks of Company K was promoted to Captain of Company F.
December 8 Captain Albiel H. Slayton of Company H resigned.
December 24 Captain Albert R. Sabin of Company C resigned.
1863
January 1 First Lieutenant Herman Seligson was promoted to Captain of Company C .
January 6 First Lieutenant Guy H. Guyer was promoted to Captain of Company H.
January 10 The regiment was declared exchanged. Colonel George Stannard was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of the Second Vermont Brigade (12, 13, 14, 15 & 16th Vermont Infantry Regiments.)
January 14 Herman Seligson was promoted to Captain of Company C.
February 13 Captain Guy Guyer of Company H resigned.
February 17 Captain William Henderson of Company G resigned.
March 20
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dudley K. Andross was promoted to Colonel.
  • Major Edwin S. Stowell was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
  • Captain Edward H. Ripley of Company B was promoted to Major.
  • First Lieutenant Edwin Kilbourne was promoted to Captain of Company G.
  • First Lieutenant Lewis H. Bisbee was promoted to Captain of Company H.
March 28-April 7 Guarded Rebel prisoners at City Point, Va.
April 7-9 Moved to Fortress Monroe
April 12 To Suffolk, Va. Attached to Wardrop’s Reserve Brigade, 7th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia
April 13-May 4

Siege of Suffolk

April 24

Edenton Road

May 1 First Lieutenant Samuel Kelley was promoted to Captain of Company B.
May 4

Siege of Suffolk raised

May 11 Lieutenant Colonel Edwin S. Stowell resigned.
May-June

Duty at Suffolk

May 15-18

Operations on Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad

May 22 Colonel Dudley Andross resigned. Major Edward H. Ripley was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel .
May 23 Antioch Church and Barber’s Cross Roads
June 3 Captain Lewis H. Bisbee of Company H resigned.
June 13 Captain Herman Seligson of Company C transferred to Company A.
June 17 Moved to Yorktown and attached to Wistar’s Independent Brigade, 7th Army Corps
June 12 Lieutenant Colonel Edward H. Ripley was promoted to Colonel, Captain Valentine S. Barney of Company A was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Charles Jarvis of Company D was promoted to Major.
June 24 First Lieutenant Linus E. Sherman was promoted to Captain of Company A and First Lieutenant James T. Gorham was promoted to Captain of Company H.
June 25 To West Point, and outpost duty there
June 26 First Lieutenant Asaph Clark was promoted to Captain of Company D.
July 7 Duty at Yorktown. Captain Albion J. Mower of Company I resigned.
July 25 Expedition to Gloucester Court House
October 23 Ordered to New Berne, N. C.
October 26 Reached Morehead City and attached to District of Beaufort, N. C., Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina
November-July
Duty at Newport Barracks

The regiment guarded the railroad from Morehead to Croatan. The location proved to be much healthier for the men, and by November 12 the regiment mustered 18 officers and 264 enlisted men.

December 1
Cedar Point

Major Charles Jarvis was mortally wounded while on a scout.

December 22 Captain Amasa Bartlett of Company E was promoted to Major.
December 25 Destruction of salt works on Bear Inlet, N. C. (Detachment)
1864
January 27
Expedition to Onslow County

The regiment made a forced night march of 30 miles and captured the Confederate garrison at Young’s Cross Roads without firing a shot. Later that day 350 New recruits from Vermont arrived in camp, bringing the regimental strength to 844.

February 1 Fist Lieutenant Elisha Quimby was promoted to Captain of Company E and First Lieutenant Eugene Viele was promoted to Captain of Company I.
February 2

Newport Barracks, North Carolina

General Picket attacked New Berne with six brigades, one of which was tasked to attack the 9th Vermont. The outpost at Gales Creek held by Company H was driven in at 9 a.m., and the Bogue Sound Blockhouse held by the 62 men of Company B (half New recruits) was attacked at 11 a.m. The Blockhouse held out for some time until they were in danger of being surrounded, when the company escaped to Morehead City.

The Confederate force then came up on the line of battle of the full regiment and slowly pressed it back through their overwhelming numbers until it reached the Newport River. The regiment then crossed the river on the railroad and road bridges and, burning the bridges, marched for Beaufort unmolested.

The 9th Vermont lost 3 men killed,  14 men badly wounded and 47 men captured, while the Confederates lost 3 officers and 15 enlisted men killed and 30 men wounded. Three men from the regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions.

Medal of Honor from the Civil War eraFirst Lieutenant Erastus W. Jewett was awarded the Medal of Honor for “By long and persistent resistance and burning the bridges, Jewett kept a superior force of the enemy at a distance and thus covered the retreat of the garrison.”

First Lieutenant and Adjutant Josiah O. Livingston was awarded the Medal of Honor “When, after desperate resistance, the small garrison had been driven back to the river by a vastly superior force, this officer, while a small force held back the enemy, personally fired the railroad bridge, and, although wounded himself, assisted a wounded officer over the burning structure.”

First Lieutenant Theodore S. Peck was awarded the Medal of Honor when “By long and persistent resistance and burning the bridges, kept a superior force of the enemy at bay and covered the retreat of the garrison.”

March 16 Major Amasa Bartlett died of brain fever.
April 21 Captain Joseph C. Brooks of Company F was promoted to Major. He was replaced by Captain John T. Bascom.
July 11 Ordered to New Berne, N. C., and duty there attached to Defences of New Berne, N. C., Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina. The regiment was split into detachments stationed at a number of places:

  • Company A at Evans Mills
  • Companies B & C near Fort Spinola
  • Companies D & G at Red House
  • Companies E & I at Rocky Run
  • Company F at Fort Spinola
  • Company H at Buckwood
  • Companu K on the Trent
September 2 Captain David W. Lewis of Compamy K was discharged for disability.
September 13-15 Moved to Bermuda Hundred and attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James
September 15 – April 2

Siege of Petersburg 

September 20-26 Duty at Bailey’s Cross Roads
September 27 Detachment in Fort Dutton, Bermuda Hundred front until November 28. Captain Edwin Kilbourne of Company G resigned.
September 28-30

Battle of Chaffin’s Farm and Fort Harrison

The 9th Vermont successfully attacked Battery Morris and its neighboring entrenchments. Although moved forward to attack Fort Gilmore the assault was never ordered, and the regiment withdrew to the captured trenches to prepare them for defense. Confederate attacks followed the next day but were unsuccessful. Colonel Edward Ripley and Major Joseph C. Brooks were wounded.

October 27-28

Battle of Fair Oaks

November 2-17 Detached for duty at New York City (one company being sent to Troy) during presidential election of 1864.
November 18 Duty in trenches before Richmond. First Lieutenant Josiah O. Livingston was promoted to Captain of Company G.
December Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 24th Corps, Dept. of Virginia
December 21 First Lieutenant Abel E. Leavenworth was promoted to Captain of Company K.
1865
April 3 Occupation of Richmond on Provost duty
June 13 Non-Veterans mustered out, including Colonel Edward Ripley, Lieutenant Colonel Valentine Barney and Major Joseph C. Brooks.The regiment was consolidated to a Battalion of 400 Veterans and recruits in four Companies commanded by Captain Herman Seligson of Company A. They were assigned to provost duty at Norfolk, Drummondsville and Portsmouth.
July Attached to 2nd Independent Brigade, 24th Army Corps
July 20 Captain Herman Seligson of Company A was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
August Attached to Dept. of Virginia
December 1 The 9th Vermont Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Herman Seligson.