6th Vermont Infantry

[frontrank2]

Company E, 6th Vermont Infantry standing at Support Arms at Camp Griffin. They were a part of the 6th Corps, 2nd Division.

 

[CWdiaryPA]

The soldier second in from the left at the top appears to crack a smile . I hope they lived, but especially him.

 

[lelliott19]

I hope they lived, but especially him.

me too! He reminds me of someone.... but I can't put my finger on it.

 

[CWdiaryPA]

me too! He reminds me of someone.... but I can't put my finger on it.

I wonder if he became well known later in the war. Or just another photo of one man smiling while the rest stayed stone faced

 

[Belfoured]

As an aside, it's unclear how much the guys in this company participated in the second attack at Dam No. 1 on April 16, 1862. Brigade commander Brook reported that "four companies" of the 6th were involved. Regiment CO Lord reported that Cos. A and F led the attack, and mentioned three other companies - D, H, and I. The photo would have been taken before the Army headed to the Peninsula in Spring 1862.

 

[lelliott19]

As an aside, it's unclear how much the guys in this company participated in the second attack at Dam No. 1 on April 16, 1862. Brigade commander Brook reported that "four companies" of the 6th were involved. Regiment CO Lord reported that Cos. A and F led the attack, and mentioned three other companies - D, H, and I. The photo would have been taken before the Army headed to the Peninsula in Spring 1862.

Thanks for adding this context. I didn't immediately place them at Dam No 1. I guess I was too busy looking at the 2nd guy from left in the top row that @CWdiaryPA pointed out and trying to recall who he looks like. Thanks again for placing them.

 

[lelliott19]

The soldier second in from the left at the top appears to crack a smile

He reminds me of someone....

Kinda looks like VP JD Vance?

 

[CWdiaryPA]

Kinda looks like VP JD Vance?
View attachment 558747

Wonder if they're cousins....

Edit: He kind of reminds me of the guy in that famous photo from Germany or wherever it was taken. You know the one, sea of people with arms raised and one man is there with & just has his arms crossed in defiance. They sort of look alike.

 

[frontrank2]

The soldier second in from the left at the top appears to crack a smile . I hope they lived, but especially him.

Probably one of his file mates cracked an off color joke.

 

[rpkennedy]

The sergeants in the company in 1861 were John Somers of Peacham, John M. Buckley of Ludlow, Dennis H. Townsend of St. Johnsbury, William J. Sperry of Cavendish, and Calvin J.B. Harris of Danville.

Ryan

 

[lelliott19]

The sergeants in the company in 1861 were John Somers of Peacham, John M. Buckley of Ludlow, Dennis H. Townsend of St. Johnsbury, William J. Sperry of Cavendish, and Calvin J.B. Harris of Danville.

Ryan

So does the guy out front have Sgt stripes? I can't enlarge the image on the computer screen and its hard to tell. What about the little guy on the end? I presume those are corporal stripes?

 

[rpkennedy]

So does the guy out front have Sgt stripes? I can't enlarge the image on the computer screen and its hard to tell. What about the little guy on the end? I presume those are corporal stripes?

I couldn't tell how many stripes that they had. I'll look up the rest of the company roster in a bit.

Ryan

 

[lelliott19]

I couldn't tell how many stripes that they had. I'll look up the rest of the company roster in a bit.

Ryan

The guy out front seems to have two stripes and the little young guy on the end seems to have one? But I could be wrong.

 

[Belfoured]

Thanks for adding this context. I didn't immediately place them at Dam No 1. I guess I was too busy looking at the 2nd guy from left in the top row that @CWdiaryPA pointed out and trying to recall who he looks like. Thanks again for placing them.

A and F, according to Lord, were the companies that got across just below the dam. The other (two?) got to the river. It was the second assault of the day, ordered by Smith after McClellan had left the scene following the first.

 

[frontrank2]

The guy out front seems to have two stripes and the little young guy on the end seems to have one? But I could be wrong.
View attachment 558782

He wouldn't have just one stripe, they didn't use that. They used 2 for a corporal and 3 for a sergeant. That's a sergeant on the right and a corporal on the left. ( IMHO )

 

[lelliott19]

He wouldn't have just one stripe, they didn't use that. They used 2 for a corporal and 3 for a sergeant. That's a sergeant on the right and a corporal on the left. ( IMHO )

Shows what I [don't] know about rank insignia. Thanks for the lesson.

EDIT TO ADD: If I was a Sergeant I would have wanted at least 3 stripes too.

 

[rpkennedy]

Here are the early war Company E members that I could find:

Captain Edwin W. Barker, St. Johnsbury: resigned 2/28/63
1st Lt. Thomas R. Clark, Chester: detached to the Signal Corps 12/27/61, MO 10/28/64
2nd Lt. Frank B. Bradbury, Danville: promoted 1st Lt. (Co. F) 8/21/62, discharged 4/14/64
Sergeant John Somers, Peacham: discharged 11/12/62
Sergeant John M. Buckley, Ludlow: promoted 1st Sergeant 10/31/61, wounded 4/16/62, promoted 2nd Lt., resigned 8/3/63
Sergeant Dennis H. Townsend, St. Johnsbury: discharged 1/9/63
Sergeant William J. Sperry, Cavendish: promoted 2nd Lt. 8/21/62, 1st Lt. 3/3/63, Captain (Co. C) 8/8/64, Major 1/7/65, Lt. Colonel 6/4/65, MO 6/17/65
Sergeant Calvin J.B. Harris, Danville: promoted 1st Sergeant (Co. K) 10/16/64, MO 7/1/65,
Corporal William W. Carey, Cavendish: wounded 4/16/62, promoted Sergeant-Major 1/1/63, 1st Lt. (Co. F) 5/15/64, MO 10/28/64
Corporal Augustus L. Roberts, Ludlow: transferred to VRC 4/15/64, discharged 10/15/64
Corporal Brigham D. Eames, Danville: discharged 1/29/62
Corporal Edwin S. Spear, Reading: reduced to ranks (Co. K) 10/16/64, MO 6/26/65
Corporal Benjamin T. French, Newark: wounded and captured 6/29/62, discharged 9/20/62
Corporal Henry C. Cleveland, Ludlow: promoted Sergeant, wounded 5/5/64, transferred and promoted USCT 9/29/64
Corporal Archibald L. Gillis, Peacham: reduced to ranks, MO 10/28/64
Musician Isaac T. Chase, Andover: died of disease 7/4/62
Musician Benjamin F. Dwinell, Windham: deserted 7/30/62, returned 3/25/63, transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, MO 6/26/65
Wagoner George W. Haris, Chester: discharged 12/29/62
Private David Allard, Jr., Wheelock: died of disease 6/8/62
Private Loren Ayer, St. Johnsbury: discharged 1/8/62
Private Theron L. Bailey, Greensboro: killed 6/29/62
Private Joseph Barber, Sheffield: transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, MO 6/26/65
Private Mason Barney, Royalton: killed 4/16/62
Private George W. Bickford, St. Johnsbury: deserted 12/11/62
Private Rensellaer Bickford, St. Johnsbury: captured 6/29/62, discharged 9/25/63
Private Arthur Blake, Sutton: discharged 6/8/62
Private Willard T. Brown, Peacham: discharged 11/30/62
Private Amasa O. Bryant, Chester: discharged 1/5/63
Private Abel F. Carpenter, St. Johnsbury: MO 10/28/64
Private John A. Coffran, Wheelock: died of disease 11/21/61
Private Roswell L. Coffran, Wheelock: promoted Corporal 4/30/62, deserted 12/30/62
Private James F. Corliss, Chester: wounded and captured 6/29/62, died of wounds 7/11/62
Private Daniel W. Cutler, St. Johnsbury: transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, promoted Corporal 6/1/65, MO 6/26/65
Private Edward Dain, Sharon: deserted 7/7/62
Private Riley Denning, Chester: discharged 3/8/62
Private Silas O. Dwinell, Grafton: wounded 8/21/64, transferred to Co. K and promoted Sergeant 10/16/64, MO 6/26/65
Private Albert S. Earle, Chester: discharged 12/25/62
Private Levi E. Foster, Wallingford: discharged 12/20/62
Private Asa B. French, Newark: discharged 11/30/62
Private Enos M. Gould, Ludlow: promoted Corporal 2/18/62, wounded 5/5/64, transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, reduced to ranks, MO 6/26/65
Private James Gray, Barnet: transferred to VRC 12/1/63, discharged 4/2/64
Private Sanford G. Gray, Wheelock: promoted Corporal, Sergeant, wounded 6/1/64, promoted 1st Lt. (Co. H) 10/29/64, MO 6/26/65
Private Hiram Greeley, Ludlow: promoted Corporal, wounded 5/5/64, died of wounds 5/16/64
Private Archibald F. Guthrie, Ryegate: died 1/10/63
Private Amos Ham, Sutton: discharged 7/28/62
Private Frank H. Harris, Danville: promoted Corporal, wounded 5/3/63 and 5/5/63, MO 10/28/64
Private George E. Haselton, Chester: killed 6/29/62
Private George O. Hawkins, Reading: discharged 7/8/62
Private Charles F. Haywood, Springfield: discharged 2/5/63
Private Charles Hill, Wheelock: wounded and captured 6/29/62, discharged 1/12/63
Private William H. Ingleston, Cavendish: promoted Corporal, wounded 5/5/64, captured 8/21/64
Private Byron Jefts, Chester: discharged 1/2/63
Private Daniel S. Jones, Wheelock: wounded 4/16/62 and 10/19/64, promoted Corporal, Sergeant 8/21/64, transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, MO 7/1/65
Private Stephen M. Jones, Wheelock: deserted 1/4/63, returned 6/4/63, transferred to VRC 11/20/63, discharged 10/15/64
Private William F. Jones, Peacham: discharged 8/15/62
Private William W. Judd, Wheelock: deserted 7/31/62
Private James Keighly, Wheelock: deserted 9/6/62
Private Patrick King, Wheelock: discharged 1/8/62
Private Charles D. Knapp, St. Johnsbury: transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, MO 6/26/64
Private Ozias D. Mathewson, Wheelock: died 4/25/62
Private John McGill, Barnet: discharged 7/28/62
Private David Merrill, Peacham: discharged 1/5/63
Private William K. Montgomery, Greensboro: transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, MO 6/26/65
Private Charles W. Moore, Ludlow: died of disease 12/1/61
Private John F. Murdock, St. Johnsbury: discharged 11/14/62
Private Walter C. Murdock, St. Johnsbury: discharged 5/16/63
Private Henry C. Packard, Wallingford: discharged 12/27/62
Private Josiah W. Page, Barnet: killed 5/5/64
Private Isaac L. Park, Grafton: wounded 6/29/62, transferred to VRC 7/1/63, discharged 10/15/64
Private Orris Pier, Ludlow: promoted Corporal, wounded 5/12/64, transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, promoted Sergeant 3/5/65, MO 6/26/65
Private Elmore W. Pierce, St. Johnsbury: wounded and captured 6/29/62, discharged 3/6/63
Private Isaiah Piper, Wheelock: discharged 6/14/62
Private Henry Z. Pollard, Ludlow: wounded 4/16/62, discharged 10/31/62
Private Aaron W. Quimby, Lyndon: wounded and captured 6/29/62, died of disease 8/20/62
Private James Ramsay, Barnet: wounded and captured 6/29/62, discharged 1/16/63
Private Everett D. Ricker, Groton: died of disease 4/27/62
Private Levi Rock, Ludlow: discharged 7/17/62
Private John S. Russell, Kirby: died of disease 10/26/62
Private Robert D. Sanborn, Barnet: promoted Corporal 5/16/64, wounded 9/19/64, transferred to Co. K 10/16/64, promoted Sergeant 5/1/65, MO 6/26/65
Private Frank B. Sargent, Ludlow: wounded and captured 6/29/62, discharged 11/30/62
Private Nelson F. Scott, Barnet: promoted Sergeant, wounded 5/5/64, died of wounds 8/2/64
Private Frederick Shanty, Wheelock: discharged 5/31/62
Private Henry F. Sheldon, Newark: promoted Corporal 6/4/64, wounded 9/19/64, discharged 10/31/64
Private George D. Taylor, Cavendish: died of disease 7/19/62
Private Henry S. Wade, St. Johnsbury: died of disease 10/25/62
Private George Walcott, Sheffield: MO 10/28/64
Private Charles W. Wallace, Greensboro: discharged 1/10/63
Private Dana R. Ward, Chester: discharged 1/8/62
Private Benjamin M. Ware, Chester: killed 6/3/64
Private Wyman S. Walker, Chester: discharged 5/8/62
Private Harrison S. Way, Wheelock: MO 10/28/64
Private Frederick Whitney, Wheelock: died of disease 3/13/62
Private David Wright, Ryegate: promoted Corporal, discharged 6/30/63
Private Henry Wright, Ryegate: killed 5/5/64

 

[Robert Gray]

Company E, 6th Vermont Infantry standing at Support Arms at Camp Griffin. They were a part of the 6th Corps, 2nd Division.
View attachment 558711

The full image. (Library of Congress)

 

[lelliott19]

Sergeant William J. Sperry, Cavendish: promoted 2nd Lt. 8/21/62, 1st Lt. 3/3/63, Captain (Co. C) 8/8/64, Major 1/7/65, Lt. Colonel 6/4/65, MO 6/17/65

I think the Sgt might be Wm J Sperry? If so, that would mean the image was prior to 8/21/62?

 

[rpkennedy]

I think the Sgt might be Wm J Sperry? If so, that would mean the image was prior to 8/21/62?
View attachment 558799

That man does have a resemblance to Sperry. It might be. Good catch.

Ryan