1st Vermont Heavy Artillery.

Robert Gray

Sergeant Major
Joined
Jul 24, 2012
09535601.jpg


William F. Fox, Lt. Col. U.S.V. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865.
The Civil War in the East.
To The Sound Of The Guns.

The 1st Regiment, Vermont Heavy Artillery organized at Brattleboro and mustered in as the 11th Vermont Infantry on September 1, 1862. On December 10, 1862, its designation changed to the 1st Vermont Heavy Artillery.The additional companies, L. and M. made necessary by this change, were recruited in July and October, 1863. The regiment was assigned to garrison duty within the defences of Washington, occupying Forts Slocum, Totten, and Stevens. It remained at Washington until May 12, 1864, when it moved, 1,500 strong, to join the Army of the Potomac.

Although nominally a heavy artillery regiment, it served as infantry, the only difference being in its larger organization; it had 12 companies of 150 men each, with a captain and four lieutenants for each company, forming three battalions with a major for each. The regiment arrived at the front on May 15th, when it was assigned to the Vermont Brigade, and two days later it went into action near Spotsylvania. On June 1st, Major Fleming's Battalion was engaged in the storming of Cold Harbor, with a loss of 13 killed and 107 wounded. In the affair at the Weldon Railroad, June 23d, the regiment lost 9 killed, 36 wounded, and 257 captured or missing. It was next engaged in Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. At the Opequon, the regiment lost 8 killed, 85 wounded, and 6 missing; and at Cedar Creek, 13 killed, 74 wounded, and 20 missing. Returning to Petersburg, it was engaged in the final and victorious assault, with a loss of 5 killed and 45 wounded.

The 1st Vermont Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment lost 10 officers and 154 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 410 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. The regiment mustered out August 25, 1865.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
In the background there is a civilian wearing a stovepipe hat. I suppose he is NOT Lincoln, but what would a civilian do in the middle of an artillery unit? He seems to be the only civilian there…. strange.
I was thinking he might be a visiting politician from back home -- but then he'd be pushing his way up to the front of the picture.
 
On the cannon mount in the bottom middle of the photo just in
front of the sgt. it appears to say
Fort Totten with a Lt. s name and I cannot make out the rest of what it says.

There was a Ft. Totten in NY and in DC (now a subway stop with that name in DC). Here is a picture from the DC fort--the same unit? The civilian guy in the dark suit from the first picture is in this one too. Also notice in first picture there are 2 buglers and no fifes and drums. In this picture, there are 4 buglers! and one's holding his instrument up like he's playing it. And look how young that lad is in the left front. Seems to be wearing a different uniform, too.
Fort_Totten_32454v.jpg


More pictures of Heavy Artillery units at Ft. Totten at this site:
 
Last edited:
On the cannon mount in the bottom middle of the photo just in
front of the sgt. it appears to say
Fort Totten with a Lt. s name and I cannot make out the rest of what it says.

Here's a rotated blow up of a snip of that inscription. I cant make out any more of it but maybe someone can?
Cannon mount.JPG
 
It definitely is Fort Totten near Washington - in the Wikipedia article about the fort there is a photo that must be taken shortly before or after the one above. Even my visitor with the stovepipe hat is there again. It could be Lincoln after all, as Fort Totten was only 1/2 mile away from his "summer residence", the soldier home.
Fort_Totten,_Washington,_D.C._Interior_view_32755v.jpg

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wik...._Interior_view_32755v.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
 
Last edited:
Back
Top