6th Vermont Infantry Regiment


The 6th Vermont Infantry Regiment was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Montpelier and mustered in October 15, it served in the Army of the Potomac. It departed Vermont for Washington, DC, October 19, 1861. It served in the Eastern Theater, predominantly in the VI Corps, AoP, from October 1861 to June 1865. It was a part of the Vermont Brigade.

Service

The 6th, recruited from the state at large, was mustered into the U. S. service for three years under Colonel Nathan Lord, Jr., the son of the Dartmouth College president Nathan Lord, at Montpelier, October 15, 1861, and immediately ordered to Washington, where it arrived on October 22.
It proceeded at once to Camp Griffin, where it was attached to the Vermont brigade under the command of was Brig. Gen. William T. H. Brooks. The command remained at this post during the winter and broke camp on March 10, 1862, for George B. McClellan's Peninsula Campaign.
In this campaign, the brigade was incorporated into the Army of the Potomac as the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps. On April 6, 1862, at Warwick Creek., the regiment was first in action and had no casualties. The 6th fought at Golding's Farm, and received praise from Brig. Gen. Hancock for their performance. At Savage Station, they suffered severe losses. The regiment remained with its brigade and corps through the end of the campaign.
Leaving the Peninsula, the regiment was busy in the Maryland campaign. It fought Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Crampton's Gap and Antietam. After the relief of McClellan, Burnside moved the regiment and brigade to Falmouth. It fought at Fredericksburg and took part in the failed assault on Maryes Heights.
After the battle, it went into winter quarters at White Oak Church, where it remained, with the exception of the "Mud March," until camp was broken for the Chancellorsville movement in the end of April 1863. During the winter, the regiment received a new brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Grant,. Under Grant's brigade command, the 6th fought in the Chancellorsville campaign culminating in the Battle of Chancellorsville. Operating as part of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick's force opposite Fredericksburg. On May 2, the U.S. forces there had broken through the Confederate lines. The 6th participated in the capture of Marye's Heights in the Second Battle of Fredericksburg and then were prominent in the fighting at Salem Church.
Like most of VI Corps, the regiment and its brigade were held in reserve during the Battle of Gettysburg, holding a flank guard position behind Big Round Top, losing only one man wounded. After the Gettysburg campaign, the 6th saw elements of their brigade were sent to help quell the draft riots in New York City while they remained in Virginia, fighting at Funkstown later in the summer. Like its brigade mates, the 6th proved itself as a steady and reliable unit.
After fighting in the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns in the fall, the 6th regrouped. It went into winter camp at Brandy Station, until the opening of Overland Campaign in the spring of 1864. Its depleted brigade received reinforcements in May 1864 when the 11th Vermont Infantry was assigned to the organization.

Regimental staff

Through its service, the commanders were:
  • Colonels— Nathan Lord, Jr., Oscar S. Tuttle, Elisha L. Barney, Sumner H. Lincoln
The staff officers were:
  • Lieutenant Colonels— Asa P. Blunt, Oscar S. Tuttle, Elisha L. Barney, Oscar A. Hale, Frank G. Butterfield, Sumner H. Lincoln, William J. Sperry
  • Majors—O scar S. Tuttle, Elisha L. Barney, Oscar Hale, Richard B. Crandall, Carlos W. Dwinell, Sumner H. Lincoln, William J. Sperry, Edwin R. Kinney.

Affiliations, battle honors, detailed service, and casualties

Organizational affiliation

Its assignments are as follows:
  • Attached to Brook's Brigade, Smith's Division, AoP, to March, 1862
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, IV Corps, AoP, to May, 1862
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps, AoP, to August, 1863
  • Provost of New York City, August to September, 1863
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps, AoP, to August, 1864
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps, Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to December 1864
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps, AoP, to June 1865

List of battles

The official list of battles in which the regiment bore a part:

Detailed service

1861

1862

1863

  • Burnside's Second Campaign, Mud March, January 20–24
  • The Chancellorsville Campaign April 27- May 6
  • * Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2
  • * Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3
  • * Salem Heights lay 3-4
  • * Banks' Ford May 4
  • Franklin's Crossing June 5–12
  • Battle of Gettysburg, PA, July 2–4
  • Funkstown, MD, July 10–13
  • Detached from Army for duty at New York City and Kingston, NY, August 14- September 16
  • Rejoined army at Culpeper Court House, VA, September 23
  • The Bristoe Campaign October 9–22
  • Advance to line of the Rappahannock, November 7–8
  • Rappahannock Station, November 7
  • The Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2

1864

1865

  • Before Petersburg, March 25, 1865
  • * The Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9
  • * Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2
  • * Sailor's Creek April 6
  • * Appomattox Court House April 9
  • * Surrender of Lee and his army
  • At Farmville and Burkesville Station till April 23
  • March to Danville April 23–27, and duty there till May 18
  • Moved to Manchester, thence march to Washington, D. C., May 24-June 8
  • Corps Review June 8
  • Mustered out June 26, 1865.

Casualties and total strength

The 6th Vermont's original strength was 966. It gained 715 men between 1861-1865 as recruits and transfers.
Regiment lost during service 11 officers and 191 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 officers and 212 enlisted by disease. Total 418. Over the course of their service the regiment saw 19 promoted to other regiments, 440 honorably discharged, 8 dishonorably discharged, 66 deserted, and 6 missing in action. During its service, 126 of the men transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps and other organizations. The 5th had 616 men muster out at various times, 132 taken prisoner, and 449 wounded.