0021 2nd Regiment of US Sharpshooter from Vermont Monument at Antietam Battlefield

Company H was third and last company of the 2nd Regiment raised in Vermont,it was organised and mustered by December 31st,1861,at Brattleboro,with Gilbet Hart as Captain and Lieutenats Henry Herbert and Albert Buxton.They Quatered at the camp of instruction near the city,as part of the 2nd Regiment until March 19th,1862 they then began duty in the field as part of Brigadier General Irvin McDowell'Army Corps,Brigade Commander was Brigadier General Christopher C.Augur and Brigadier General Rufus King commanded their Division.

 

Remaining near Washington until April 4th,1862,they then adance towards the Rappahannock River,camped at Bristoe Station April 6th,1862 to April 15th,1862,and at Catletts until April 17th,1862,from there a forced march to Falmouth where they camped until May 25th,1862.When on the way to Richmond after crossing the Rappahannock River,they turned back on May 29th,1862 to Catletts to take the train and went via Manassas Junction to Front Royal,to try to intercept Major General Thomas J."Stonewall" Jackson's retreat up the Shenandoah.After being held up at Rector town Station when their trains collied (causing loss and injury to the company),marched on and reoccupied their camp at Falmouth,on June 15th,1862.

 

After a brief spell of duty at and around Spottsylvania Court House from August 5th,1862, th August 9th,1862 they marched to Cedar Mountain on August 10th,1862,passed Ellis's Ford,on the evening of August 11th,1862,they reached the area of the late battle,where they camped until August 19th,1862,when they moved back with the Army of Virginia behind the Rappahannock River.

 

From August 21st,1862,to September 3rd,1862,they were involved in several battles,marches and counter marches,connected with Major General John Pope's campain,after his retreat from Cedar Mountain.Company H had one man killed in their three days dkirmish near Rappahannock Station,and another during their skirmish at Sulpur Spring on August 26th,1862.During the attack on General King on August 28th,1862,their brigade (now Brigadier General John P. Hatch's)played and important part in the proceedings,and met with no losses,even through the company was under fire,mostly by Artillery.On August 28th ,1862,the same brigade was commanded by Colonel Timothy Sullivan,Brigadier General John P. Hatch having succeeded Brigadier General Rufus King.A battle began at night fall between this and Brigadier General John B. Hood's Division,it lasted until 9:00 p.m. Company H positioned on the Warrenton Pike assisted in holding the enemy until night ended the battle,with two wounded and one captured.They were engaged again the following day,but without and company losses.

 

In the re-organanisation of the Army of the Potomac their brigade,now under the command of Colonel Walter Phelps,with its division,became a part of the 1st Army Corps under Major General Joseph Hooker.They marched through Maryland to the South Mountain range,they engaged the enemy at Turner's Gap on Septeber 13th,1862,where they took the summit and after routing the enemy and capturing the mountain howitzers,they rested,at day break they advanced to Antietam.

 

On September 16th,1862,they led the advance of General Hookers Division on General Robert E. Lee's left,they had a slight skirmish that evening,but were in the thickest of the fight in the cornfields at sunrise the next morning.The company sustained four wounded and one killed,the regiment also took heavy losses including Colonel Henry A.V. Post being wounded and its adjutant killed.On September 30th,1862 they recrossed the Potomac River,Colonel Post recovered and returned,but to resign,Captain Homer R.Stoughton of Company E was promoted to Major and took command of the regiment.Captain Gilbert Hart and Lieutenant Henry Herbert also resigned,Lieutenant Albert Buxton and Quater Master Sergeant William P. Shreve were promoted to Captain and First Lieutenant of Company H,and First Sergeant William Newell to Second Lieutenant.

 

The march towards Fredericksburg on December 9th,1862,was met adverse weather conditions,(snow and ice),but they finally crossed the river at the lower bridge on December 12th,1862.The three days following,they were positioned on the terrace above the river and were subjected to intervals of fire,from the enemy's guns that were positioned along the wooded ridge.They went out on December 13th,1862,as skirmishers and took a redoubt which included capturing several enemy and horses,the tree days skirmishing took past the range of the big guns,where they encountered the enemy rifles.Yet in the whole three days they only received two slightly wounded.

 

By command of Major General Ambrose E.Burnside,January 14th,1863,1303 the two regiments of shapshooters where formed into a distinct arm of service,comanded by Colonel Hiram Berdan.February 2nd,1863,found them at winter quaters near Stoneman's Switch,until the opening of the Chancellorsville campain.They took a full and active part in the maneuvers and battle of Chancellorsville.They crossed the river below Chancellorsville on May 1st,1863,by means of pontoons,their conduct on this field was quite notewortly,including their part in the capture of the 23rd Georgia Infantry Regiment,they skirmish on Lewis Creek that same day,and bare escape from capture on that disastrous evening,but what is more interesting was proximity to the area of Confederate Lieutenant General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's wounding.Their skirmihing on May 3rd,1863,was hot and bloody,some of the casualties through were sadly from ras,friendly fire,Division commander Brigadier General William Birney made an especial compliment to the two regiments after this battle.June 24th,1863,Major Stoughton was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

 

July 1st,1863 Company H reached Gettysburg,July 2nd,1863,found them holding back the charging columns of the enemy on the extreme left of the army,while Little Round Top was in danger.On July 3rd,1863,they double quicked to the scene of Picket's Charge,fired a volley into the ranks of Bigadier General Cadmus M.Wilcox's men and went out in skirmish line push the retreating enemy.July 4th,1863 found them skirmishing again,where they received losses of four wounded and two captured.

 

Company H supported the 1st Regiment of Sharpshooters at Wapping Heights,and formed rear guard of the Army during most of Major General George G.Meade's retreat,from Rapidan to Manassas an as such engaged in several skirmishes.Supported the First Sharpshooters at Kelly's Ford.

 

November 7th,1863,at Brandy Station,they engaged and quickly swept away the enemy cavalry,without casualties,through the regiment had one mortally wounded.November 27th,1863 at Locust grove,during the Mine Run Campaign they had four men wounded,when a shell burst in a tree felling it onto the company.The company engaged as skirmishers on Sunday and Monday at Mine Run,their loss at the Run was two wounded and among the regiments wounded was their Captain Chaplain Lorenzo Barber.

 

December 21,1863,the company and its regiment re-enlist as an organisation.On January 7th,1864,these now veterans received furloughs for home,to return to camp near Culpeper on February 23rd,1864,their company once again numbered one hunderd,just as it did when it first left Vermont.

 

Because of the re-organisation of the Army March 28th,1864,the 3rd Army Corps was absorbed by the @nd Army Corps commanded by Major General Winfield Scott Hancock,the 2nd Regiment of Sharpshooters became part of the 3rd Division,1st Brigade,Commanded Brigadier General William Birney and Brigadier General John H. HobartWard.The long campaign began with the Wilderness battle and ended with Appomattox Court House.

 

On May 4th,1864,Company H crossed the Rapidan,on May 5th,1864,they where fired on by flankers on the Brock Road,just soutg of the intersection with Orange Plank Road,resting that night they advanced in sold ranks to Orange Plank Road at the start of the battle that morning,the opening og the battle was bloody with varying success,until,at the burning of the breast-work,the enemy was driven off,Company H losses where eight killed,sixteen wounded and two missing,among the killed and mortally wounded was Captain Albert Buxton.They skirmished to the same field on May 7th,1864,May 8th,1864,they left the bloody field without waiting to hear the outcome,they marched to Todd's Tavern (in the push to Spottsylvania) and skirmished.The next join in Major General Gouverneur K.Warren's assaulting column.Finally on May 12th,1864,at the capture of the Angle,Company H gathered in several times its own number in prisoners,in this battle and the skirmish the next day,the company lost four wounded.

 

Company H led the charge at North Anna,which captured the Telegraph Road Bridge,the losses ehere one killed and two wounded.Company H and the 2nd Regiment captured several prisoners and the enemy's entreached skirmish line on their next charge at Totopotomoy Creek.

 

From June 2nd,1864,to June 13th,1864,the company lost one killed and three wounded,during the disastrous charge at Cold Harbor.They then crossed the James River and tried to take Petersburg by direct assault,they where skirmishing incressantly, losses from June 6th,1864,to June 18th,1864,three men killed,no less than five wounded and one capture.They moved against the Weldon Railroad on June 21st,1864 leading Brigadier General Francis C. Barlows Division,captured several prisoners including a Colonel and a Lieutenant,company losses included Lieutenant William Newell wounded,one man killed and Colonel Homer R.Stoughton captured.Sergeant Walter W. Smith took command of the company.Among the losses where two captured from Company H.

 

Back acroos the James River and Appomattox River,they skirmished and captured a Battery in vicinity of Deep Bottom.They skirmished during the episode of the General Burnside Mine,fighting where ever their rifles would prove most effective.September 10th,1864 with Brigadier General Philippe Regis De Trobriand now their brigade commander,they shared in the capture of the rifle pits on the Jerusalem Road,in front of Fort Hall and Fort Sedgewick.They were then in service in the riflr pits,which though dangerous,olny resulted in tow wounded,this service was varied by marches and battles.On October 1st,1864,on the ground where fort fisher was later bult,and October 27th,1864 beyond Burgess Hill in move against the southside railroad.Captain Willian H. Churchhill and Captain U.Edgar A.Beach who had recently been commissioned,never mustered in such because of wounds and capture at the battle (Captain Churchill's wound being fatal) five other where wounded here.During the night retreat from this field they were rear guard.

 

Early December 1864,they cross the Nottoway with the 5th Army Corps and assist in wrecking the Weldon Railroad.Durning the winter the company was augmented by seventeen recruits from Company F 1st U.S. Sharpshooters,whose organisation had ended.

 

Company H deliver their last skirmish as 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters on the Morning of Februay 5th,1865,at the Vaughn Road crossing of the Hatchers Run,capturing the works in the face of of enemy's fire with loss of one wounded.After the Regiments disbandment,Company H became part of the 4th Vermont Volunteers on February 25th,1865,(keepinh the letter H).They were well received by the 4th Vermont and joined them in skirmishes and the capture of entrenched picket lines in front of Fort Fisher.

 

After General Robert E. Lee's surrender they marched to Danville and returned through Richmond and Fredericksburg to Washington,a few weeks leter they mustered out in the new city of Burlinton.No disaster ever befell a flank of our Army with these men deployed in its front.

Done