Put the Vermonters Ahead: The First Vermont Brigade in the Civil War"Put the Vermonters ahead" was the order of the Union's VI Corps commander, Major General John Sedgwick, to his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Martin T. McMahon on the march to Gettysburg. Never driven from the field, the 1st Vermont Brigade always held its line and never lost its flags in battle. Marching more than two thousand miles in its many campaigns, this brigade had the greatest loss of life of all the brigades in the United States Army. In four long years of war, the Vermont Brigade held at Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, Banks' Ford, Funkstown, and Charlestown. In the fierce fighting in Grant's 1864 overland campaign, this heroic unit suffered some of its heaviest losses and won some of its greatest victories. In 1864 the Vermonters were rushed to the defense of the capital during Jubal Early's raid on Washington. They were then sent on to the Shenandoah Valley. In the last months of the war, they were the first to break Lee's lines at Petersburg, going on to join the pursuit of Lee's dying army, which ended at Appomattox. |
Contents
The Beginning | 1 |
The Brigade | 7 |
The Brigades First Battle | 14 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
11th Vermont 1st Lieut 2nd Vermont 61 Sept action Adjutant advance army artillery attack battle Benedict called camp campaign Capt Captain cavalry charge Charles Civil Civil War Colonel command Company Confederate continued Corps crossed Date division Early enemy Federal field fighting finally fire flank forces four front George Grant heavy held Henry hill hold hundred Infantry Jersey John July June killed later Leaders Lee's Lieutenant losses lost Maine Major marched Medal of Honor miles moved mustered never night North officers ordered positions Potomac Priv Prom ranks reached realized rear received record regiments Report rest retired rifle river road sent Sept Sheridan side skirmishers Smith soldiers South Southern started stopped taken took troops Union units Vermont Brigade VI Corps Virginia wounded York