Brigade Band
(U.S. General Land Office, Washington, D.C.),
Band Master The Vermont Brigade
On the 9th of August, 1862, under General Orders of the War Department, the Band of the Third Vermont regiment was disbanded at Harrison's Landing, Virginia, and returned to Vermont. In the following winter and spring I was in correspondence with Gen. (then Col.) Lewis A. Grant, commanding the The Vermont Brigade, relative to the organization of a band for his brigade. This resulted in the enlistment of the The Vermont Brigade Band. It was mustered into the United States service at Brattleboro, Vt., May 26, 1863. They immediately joined the brigade at White Oak Church (now Montrose, Va.), and after a few days in camp started on the Gettysburg campaign. the forced marches which followed during the summer left no time for practice, and as the members were not accustomed to that kind of life, the band became somewhat broken up. During the summer we accompanied the brigade to New York city after the draft riots, and here for a short time an opportunity for practice and recreation was allowed. Returning to the front we found the Sixth Army Corps at Stone Mountain, near Culpeper, Va., after a three days' march from Alexandria, and shortly after went into camp at Warrenton. Soon the battle of Rappahannock Station was fought, and afterwards we went into winter quarters near Brandy Station, after another battle at that place. During the wint of 1863-64 we accompanied the brigade on the "Mine Run expedition," and in the spring was with it through the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg campaigns, as well as in the Shenandoah Valley under Sheridan. Late in the fall of 1864 we returned with the Sixth Army Corps to Petersburg, and were present at the battles of Petersburg and Sailor's Creek, the latter being the last engagement of the Old Vermont Brigade.
When Lee surrendered we were with the brigade at Farmville, Va., and here received information of the assassination of President Lincoln. At Burkeville, the Sixth Army Corps was ordered to Danville, Va., to form a junction with Sherman's Army, then moving north from Savannah. After a stay of about a month at Danville, the brigade was ordered to Richmond, and went by rail to Manchester, where, after a few days in camp, we marched to Washington via Fredericksburg.
At Washington we participated in the review of the Sixth Corps. On June 29, 1865, the Old Brigade Band was mustered out. Previous to leaving camp at Washington an agreement was made with the Second Vermont regiment to meet them at Burlington, Vt., on their return to that place, and in accordance with the same we met the regiment on their arrival and escorted them to City Hall. The following night we gave a concert in the City Hall, and therefore the last piece of the Old Brigade Band ever played was on that occasion.
In conclusion, I would say that from the time the band joined the brigade we were always present with them through all the battles and campaigns, and though at time badly broken up by sickness, the members were never in such a condition as to be absolutely unable to perform the duties devolving upon them, and I venture to say that the men of the Old Vermont Brigade will never forget how their band played "Old John Brown" when passing through Charleston during Sheridan's valley campaign.
Adams, Cyrus A., cred. Stockbridge, VT, age 24, enl 7/21/61, m/i 7/16/61, Musician, 3rd VVI Band, m/o 8/9/62;
enl again 4/17/63, m/i 5/26/63, 1st Vt. Brigade Band, m/o 6/29/65Adams, Nelson D., cred. Burlington, VT, age 30, enl 6/21/61, m/i 7/16/61, Bandmaster, 3rd VVI, m/o 8/9/62;
enl again 4/11/63, m/i 5/26/63, Bandmaster, 1st Brigade Band, m/o 6/29/65Barron, Porter P., cred. Huntington, VT, age 34, enl 3/1/65, m/i 3/1/65, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Bickford, Henry, cred. Glover, VT, age 17, enl 8/11/62, m/i 9/26/62, Pvt, Co. E, 1st VVC, m/o 3/1/63
enl 5/5/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 7/7/65 (pension: F&S, 1st VT INF; RR doesn't list musicians in F&S)Bolles, Laurin A, cred. Chester, VT, age 23, enl 8/30/64, m/i 8/30/64, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/18/65
Bradley, Merritt H., cred. Huntington, VT, age 26, enl 3/1/65, m/i 3/1/65, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Bryant, George E., cred. Richmond, VT, age 20, enl 4/17/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Clapp, Rollin M., cred. Jericho, VT, age 34, enl 4/21/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, dis/dsb 8/14/64
Clark, William J., cred. Chester, VT, age 21, enl 8/30/64, m/i 8/30/64, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, disch 5/23/65 for pr as 2LT U.S. SIG CORPS
Earl, Norman W., cred. Chester, VT, age 28, enl 9/15/62, m/i 10/23/62, Pvt, Co. K, 16th VVI, Musician, m/o 8/10/63;
enl again 8/30/64, m/i 8/30/64, Musician, 1st Brigade Band, m/o 6/19/65French, Lucian W., cred. Williston, VT, age 24, enl 5/22/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Gibbs, Josiah H., cred. Burlington, VT, age 25, enl 5/4/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, dis/dsb 12/22/63
Perry, William A., cred. Cabot, VT, age 18, enl 4/20/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 12/22/63
Putnam, Charles B., cred. Cabot, VT, age 17, enl 5/11/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Richardson, Warren W., cred. Chester, VT, age 23, enl 8/30/64, m/i 8/30/64, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/19/65
Roleau, Dorr A., cred. Williston, VT, age 22, enl 4/14/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Roleau, John B., cred. Williston, VT, age 17, enl 4/14/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Rose, Truman, cred. Windsor, VT, age 21, enl 4/17/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/26/65
Thomas, Joel B., cred. Burlington, VT, age 21, enl 4/17/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65
Warren, Charles Carleton, cred. Hartland, VT, age 20, enl 4/17/63, m/i 5/26/63, Musician, 2nd VVI Band, 1st Bgd Band, m/o 6/29/65 (more)
Sources: Revised Roster, pp. 655, 740
See also:
Legend: A.C. - Army Corps; AG - Adjutant General; AAG - Assistant Adjutant General; AAAG - Acting Assistant Adjutant General; AACS - Acting Assistant Commissary of Subsistence; AAQM - Acting Assistant Quartermaster; ACT - Acting; ADC - Aide-de-Camp; AIG - Assistant Inspector General; A&IG - Adjutant & Inspector General; AoP - Army of the Potomac; A.P.M. - Additional Paymaster; AQM - Assistant Quartermaster; Artfcr - Artificer; BGLR - Bugler; Bndmstr - Bandmaster; BGen - Brigadier General; Blksmth - Blacksmith; Bvt - brevet; enl - enlisted; CS - Commissary of Subsistence; com - commissioned; cred. - credited to; CS - Commissary of Subsistence; CSA - Confederate States Army; d/dis - died of disease; d/prison - died in prison*; d/svc - died in service (cause unknown); d/wds - died of wounds; dis/dsb - discharged for disability; dis/dischon - dishonorable discharge; DRMR - Drummer; dsrtd - deserted; ENG - Engineer (rank); ENGNRS - Engineers (unit); FFR - Fifer; GCM - general court martial; gsw - gunshot wound; Hosp. - Hospital; IG - Inspector General, kia - killed in action; MGen - Major General; m/i - mustered in; m/o - mustered out; Muscn - Musician; mwia - mortally wounded in action; n.d. - no date; nfr - no further record; P.M. - Paymaster; pow - taken prisoner; pr - promoted; prld - paroled; Rcrt - Recruit; red - reduced (demoted); resgd - resigned; RQM - Regimental Quartermaster; SOWD - Special Order, War Department; Stew. - Steward; tr to/from - transferred to/from; USA - US Army; USCA - US Colored Artillery; USCI - US Colored Infantry; USSS - US Sharpshooters; USV - US Volunteers; VVLB - Vermont Volunteer Light Battery; VHAC - Vermont Heavy Artillery Company; VRC - Veterans Reserve Corps; VVC - Vermont Volunteer Cavalry; VVI - Vermont Volunteer Infantry; Wgnr - Wagoner; wdd - wounded
* NOTE: d/prison includes those who died on parole as a result of imprisonment
Source of roster information: basic information on enlistments, promotions, casualties, etc. comes from the 1892 "Revised Roster of Vermont Volunteers," and additional information from a variety of sources, including cemetery, pension, census and other records as well as published biographies of individuals.
