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Adjutant and Inspector General Reports
1862 Report
The military operation in this State during the present year, commencing with first day of November, 1861, and closing November 1, 1862, in their extent, the amount of labor and responsibility involved , and their importance in their relation to the history of the State, have greatly exceeded all anticipations existing at the commencement of the year.
It was known, that it was necessary to raise about two thousand men, in order to complete the quota of the State. And the people of the State, in their strong reliance upon the justice of the cause in which they were engaged, and the speedy triumph of the arms of the Union firmly believed, that no further call for troops would be made.
Yet, in the course of the year, ten regiments of infantry, two batteries of light artillery and one company of sharp shooters have been raised, organized, clothed, armed, equipped and sent out of the State, in addition to keeping the ranks of the regiments, previously in the field, full, by the enlistment of recruits, -- making an aggregate of nearly 12,000 men.
By the act of November 12, 1861, the Governor was authorized to raise one regiment, to serve i the division which Major General Benjamin F. Butler was authorized, by the Secretary of War, to raise in the New England States. By the act of November 16, 1861, the Governor was authorized to raise one regiment of infantry, to serve in the army of the United States for the term of three years, and to raise such number of volunteers as were necessary to make up the number then called for, or which might thereafter, in any emergency, or under any act of Congress, be called for by the President of the United States. And by the act of November 21, 1861, the Governor was authorized to raise one or more batteries of light artillery, to serve in the division of Maj. Gen. Butler.
The work of raising the troops, thus authorized, was commenced without delay.
In the mode of recruiting, which had been adopted in raising the fourth, fifth and sixth regiments, by appointing a large number of recruiting officers, located at different parts of the State, and then bringing together the squads of men, enlisted by them, in numbers sufficient to form companies, for the purpose of company organization by the election of officers, but having no connection, either of locality, or acquaintance, it had been found, in many instances, that serious difficulty had arisen from the anxiety of each squad to secure as many of the offices as possible for their own members, -- and that, although the rapidity of enlistments had probably been increased, that advantage had been gained at the expense of harmony and good feeling.
To avoid this difficulty, and to secure entire harmony in the companies, when the point of company organization should be reached, it was determined in raising the seventh and eighth regiments, to appoint but one recruiting officer for each company, and to select, for that position, a man desirous of entering the service, and apparently competent to command the company he was authorized to raise, in case he should be elected to that office.
For the SEVENTH REGIMENT recruiting stations were established and recruiting officers appointed, as follows:
Middlebury, Henry M. Porter, November 11, 1861 Brandon, William Cronan, " 11, " Burlington, David B. Peck, " 18, " Swanton, Albert B. Jewett, " 18, " Cavendish, Salmon Dutton, " 18, " Poultney, Charles C. Ruggles, " 19, " Johnson, Samuel Morgan, " 21, " Northfield, David P. Barber, " 21, " Woodstock, Mahlon M. Young, " 23, " Rutland, John B. Kilbourn, " 30, "
The recruiting officers performed faithfully the duties assigned to them, making their reports with commendable promptitude, and the several companies of the regiment were organized, as follows:
Co. A Burlington Jan. 14, 1862 Capt. David B. Peck " B Brandon " 6, " " William Cronan " C Middlebury " 15, " " Henry M. Porter " D Rutland " 7, " " John B. Kilburn " E Johnson " 9, " " Daniel Landon " F Swanton " 9, " " Lorenzo D. Brooks " G Cavendish " 31, " " Salmon Dutton " H Woodstock Feb. 5, " " Mahlon M. Young " I Poultney " 1, " " Charles C. Ruggles " K Northfield " 1, " " David P. Barber
The regiment rendezvoused at Rutland, -- the several companies going into camp at that place as soon as they were organized, -- and was mustered into the service of the United States on the 12th day of February, 1862, with 1014 officers and men, under command of Colonel George T. Roberts, of Rutland, and left the State the 10th day of March.
For the EIGHTH REGIMENT recruiting officers were appointed, and stations established, as follows:
Bradford, Cyrus B. Leach, November 18, 1861 Townshend, Henry F. Dutton, " 18, " Worcester, Edward Hall, " 18, " West Randolph, Samuel G. P. Craig, " 18, " Marlboro, William W. Lynde, " 18, " St. Johnsbury, Henry E. Foster, " 19, " St. Albans, Hiram E. Perkins, " 19, " Derby Line, Charles B. Child , " 19, " Lunenburgh, John S. Clark, " 19, "
A company, originally enlisted for the sixth regiment, had been left in the State, and was stationed at Hydepark, and was assigned to this regiment.
The recruiting officers for the regiment performed their duties with great rapidity, considering the inclement season of the year, and their returns were made promptly, and to my entire satisfaction.
The several companies of the regiment were organized as follows:
Co. A Hydepark, Nov. 14, 1861 Capt. Luman M. Grout " B Derby Line, Dec. 19, " " Charles B. Child " C St. Johnsbury, " 25, " " Henry E. Foster " D Bradford, " 28, " " Cyrus B. Leach " E Worcester, Jan. 1, 1862 " Edward Hall " F St. Albans, " 3, " " Hiram E. Perkins " G West Randolph, " 7, " " Samuel G. P. Craig " H Townshend, Feb. 17, " " Henry F. Dutton " I Marlboro, " 17, " " Wm. W. Lynde " K Lunenburgh, " 22, " " John S. Clarke
The companies were ordered into camp at Brattleboro', from time to time, as they were organized, and the regiment was mustered into the service of the United States on the 18th day of February, with 0115 officers and men, commanded by Colonel Stephen Thomas, of West Fairlee, and left the State on the sixth day of March.
For the FIRST BATTERY recruiting stations were established and recruiting officers appointed, as follows:
George W. Duncan, Nov. 18, 1861, So. Shaftsbury George T. Hebard, " 18 " Montpelier
It was deemed advisable, in consideration of the greater number of men required for a battery, that there should be this deviation from the rule adopted as to the number of recruiting officers, and it is worthy of note, that this was the only case, in which there was any want of harmony in the organization. The difficulty did not prove serious, and Geo. W. Duncan was elected Captain and George T. Hebard, First Lieutenant, January 16, 1862.
This Battery was temporarily attached to the Eighth Regiment, and went into Camp at Brattleboro', and was mustered into the United States' service, February 18, 1862, with 156 officers and men, and left the State March 6, with the Eighth Regiment.
A body of men had been enlisted without authority from the State, for a regiment of cavalry, then called the New England Cavalry. The Legislature of 1861 declined to recognize the enlistments for that purpose, and a large number of the men being willing to change their service from cavalry to artillery, a recruiting station was established at Leicester for the purpose of raising, from this body of men, and otherwise, the SECOND BATTERY, and Lensie R. Sayles was appointed Recruiting Officer, November 19, 1861. The station was afterwards transferred to Brandon. The Battery was organized December 13, 1861, Captain Lensie R. Sayles, and 89 men were mustered into the United States' service, December 26, 1861, and 20 men, December 24th, making an aggregate of 109 men; the the Battery went into camp, at Lowell, Mass., December 25th. Before leaving that camp, 21 men were added by enlistment, -- making 130 officers and men.
Capt. Sayles resigned, Feb. 20, 1862, and Captain Pythagoras U. Holcomb was commissioned in his place. The Battery left Lowell the last of February, and has since been stationed at Ship Island and New-Orleans. Forty-two recruits have been enlisted at New-Orleans.
For the THIRD COMPANY OF SHARP SHOOTERS a recruiting stations was established at Brattleboro, and William H. Knights was appointed recruiting officer, November 20, 1861.
The company was organized December 24, 1861, Gilbert Hart, Captain, and was mustered into the United States' service December 31, 1861, with 94 officers and men, and left the State immediately after. On the 18th of February 12 recruits were mustered, and left the State, making an aggregate of 106 officers and men. the company was attached, as Company H, to the Second Regiment United States' Sharp Shooters.