Honoring Memorial Day: 
Vermont Stories from the Front Lines

Dear Fellow Vermonter,

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who gave, as President Lincoln famously said, “the last full measure of devotion” to our country. Vermont has a long, proud history of military service dating back to before the country was even founded. 

On Monday, Vermonters and Americans nationwide honored those who lost their lives in service to our nation, the Gold Star families who loved them and kept their memories alive, as well as all those who served alongside them. One way to honor their sacrifice is to learn more about Vermont’s history of military service, directly from those who served.

On April 9, 1865 – 160 years ago – the Civil War drew to a close after almost four years of fighting between the North and the South. While many of the most well-known battles took place far from our state, Vermonters played an important role in the war. 

Vermont’s participation in the Civil War is best probably remembered through the St. Albans Raid and the Sleeping Sentinel. However, there is much we can learn simply by looking at the correspondence between Vermont soldiers and their family and friends back home. Through these letters, we get a glimpse of what life was like on the front lines, the state of mind of these young Vermonters, and what they missed about home. 

Fortunately, many of these letters have been preserved and are held in the University of Vermont’s and the Vermont Historical Society’s collections. Dozens of them have been digitized and can be accessed online. I hope you will read about this correspondence and take a look at the links below to see the images of these letters. We are truly fortunate to have this unique window into a very different time in Vermont, and in our nation.


Sincerely,

Vermont Dispatches from the Civil War Battlefield 

Co. E, 6th Vermont Infantry, Camp Griffin, Va.  SOURCE

Vermonters Write Home

The descriptions and photos of the letters below are taken directly from the University of Vermont Libraries Digital Collection, Vermonters in the Civil War. You can find all materials in this collection here. 

Over 10% of the state’s population – more than 34,000 Vermonters – served in the military during the Civil War. According to the Vermont Historical Society, 5,237 of them died, whether in battle or from wounds, diseases, or accidents. These letters from Albert May of Ludlow and Bradford Sparrow of Calais, who were both injured but survived, offer just a small window into Vermonters’ role in Civil War.

Albert A. May

Albert A. May of Ludlow enlisted in Co. A, Second Vermont Infantry, in May, 1861, at the age of 17. He reenlisted in December 1863 and was promoted to corporal, and later sergeant. He received a commission as Second Lieutenant in Co. I in June, 1865 but was mustered out of service the following month. Though wounded at the Wilderness on May 5, 1864, he served with his regiment from the very beginning to the very end of its existence. The letters below describe the skirmish at Lewinsville, September 28, 1861, the improved morale of the Army of the Potomac, and rumors about the regiment being sent home to enforce conscription.

A digitized version of Albert’s letter. The full version is available HERE.

A digitized version of Albert’s letter. The full version is available HERE.

Bradford P. Sparrow

Bradford P. Sparrow was drafted and assigned to the Fourth Vermont in the summer of 1863. In letters to his family, Sparrow wrote about the journey to Virginia, his illness through much of the winter, and the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. Sparro was captured at the Weldon Railroad near Petersburg, Virginia, on June 23, 1864. For a month he kept a diary, writing about the prisoners' march to Georgia and conditions at Andersonville Prison. Paroled in April 1865, Sparrow wrote several more letters home from military hospitals before he was mustered out. Below is a sampling of letters from Bradford, and you can read more letters here.

In this letter, Bradford again writes his father, Alner Sparrow, in Calais about marching from Burlington to Long Island, conscripts, waiting for the remaining 59 men before going to join the 4th regiment, very basic tent accommodations, meals given and Charles Stoddard's error while restocking guns which has led to reducing ranks.

A digitized version of the envelope of this letter. The full version of the letter itself is available HERE.

In the letter below Bradford writes to his father about receiving mittens, Vermont cheese, boots and other items, many of the men receiving many goods with some of them being sold off, and the expectation of being paid.

A digitized version of Bradford’s letter. The full version is available HERE.

In this brief letter from 1864, Bradford writes of returning from a three-day picket, of the food and utensils in the recently received box from home, his good health, of witnessing an execution and of stories about the Rebels infiltrating the lines.

A digitized version of Bradford’s letter. The full version is available HERE.

Nearly five months after Sparrow wrote this letter, he was captured at the Weldon Railroad near Petersburg, Virginia, on June 23, 1864.  Below is a letter from clerk in the Adjutant General's office to Bradford's father regarding his inquiry about Bradford. The letter states nothing is known at the office about Bradford except that he was taken prisoner and that Alner's request for information has been forwarded to F. F. Holbrook, Vermont Military Commissioner.

A digitized version of the Adjutant General’s response to Bradford’s father.  The full version is available HERE.

In May of 1865, Bradford writes his family from Parole Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida; states he had been a prisoner at the Confederate prison camp Andersonville, Georgia.  His health is not good as he is suffering from scurvy but is eating well now. He mentions the role of the Sanitary Commission, his hope to be home soon, and mentions the assassination of President Lincoln.

A digitized version of Bradford’s letter. The full version is available HERE.

After recovering in a number of military hospitals, Bradford was discharged due to disability on June 17, 1865, at age 22. He returned home to Calais. Below is an official document by Private Bradford P. Sparrow stating his military service and is an application to recover military pay due him. He notes that his health is “very much impaired” following his service.

A digitized version of Bradford’s letter. The full version is available HERE.

Additional Resources

The Vermont Historical Society: Freedom and Unity: Vermont in the Civil War

The Vermont Historical Society: Raid on St. Albans, (VIDEO)

The Vermont Historical Society: The Sleeping Sentinel

The Vermont Historical Society: General George Stannard

The Vermont Historical Society: Civil War Manuscript Transcriptions

The University of Vermont Libraries - Digital Collections: Vermonters in the Civil War

Vermont Military Museum and Library: Civil War Collection and Visitor Information

National Park Service: Stand of the Eighth Vermont: A Victory Turned From Disaster

Library of Congress: History of the Eighth Regiment Vermont Volunteers. 1861-1865.

To check out more Vermont history topics, visit the Vermont Historical Society's Vermont History Explorer