Second Company - History
By William H. Humphrey,
First Lieutenant Company E
The Second company of Vermont sharpshooters was recruited by Homer R. Stoughton, of West Randolph, Vermont. Before any man could be accepted, he must shoot his target--that is, he must put ten successive bullets into a five inch ring one hundred yards distant. November 9, 1861, one hundred officers and men were mustered into the United States service, the officers being Capt. Homer R. Stoughton, 1st Lieut. Frederick Spaulding, 2d Lieut. Henry M. Hall.
November 21, the company left Vermont for Washington, D. C., where we joined our regiment, and were known as company E, Second regiment, U.S. Sharpshooters; our camp was known as the camp of instruction. We remained here through the winter of 1861 and '62, and on January 15, 1862, we were paid for the first time by Major Old, who, turning to our Colonel, H. A. V. Post, said: "Colonel, you have one thing of which you should be proud; you have a regiment of almost eight hundred men, and every man steps up and signs the pay-roll himself. I do not believe such a thing ever happened before in the worlds history of wars."
March 18, 1862, we crossed the Potomac by way of Long Bridge, into Virginia, and joined Major-General McDowell's Corps, becoming the First Battalion, First Division, First Army Corps; April 18 we left for Falmouth, arriving there the morning of the 19th, when company E was deployed as skirmishers, and fired their first shot at the Rebels; June 1st, we marched towards Richmond, but were ordered to the Shenandoah Valley; we took the cars at Mannassas Junction, and when near Salem, met with an accident, company E having eighteen men injured, some of them severely. We were then ordered back to Falmouth, and found our Sharps breech loading rifles waiting for us.
July 26 we made a reconnaissance in force to Orange Court House; August 5 to Thornton, Virginia, skirmishing with the rebels at both places; August 8 we marched to Slaughters Mountain, arriving in time to help the rebels across the Rapidan River; August 18 we were the rear guard to Major-General Pope's army across the Rappahannock River; August 21-22-23 we skirmished along the river banks; August 26 we had a sharp skirmish at Warrenton toward Bull Run, in the rear of Jackson's Rebels, and picket up quite a number of stragglers as prisoners; August 28 we were in action at Gainsville; August 29 and 30 at second Bull run, and on the 29th the company had its first man killed in action.
Sept. 1, we were in line at Chantilly; Sept. 8 we crossed the Potomac at Long Bridge for Antietam; Sept. 14 we charged over South Mountain and captured two mountain howitzers and a number of prisoners. Back of the brush fence we counted twenty-seven dead Rebels from the Thirty-seventh North Carolina regiment. Sept. 15 and 16 we were picking up stragglers; Sep. 17 we entered the historical corn field at Antietam and helped to fill the bloody lane, at the expense to our company of one killed and ten wounded. Our captain and four men were left for duty. We were left in camp without much duty to perform; October 1 we had thirteen men for duty in company E; October 17 we had thirty recruits join us, and with some of the slightly wounded and sick, returned to duty, we were again a company.
October 30 we crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry; November 15 we were in camp near Stoneman's Switch, Va December 12 we crossed the Rappahannock to the field of Fredericksburg, where we captured a cavalry picket post, both men and horses; we lost one wounded. December 20 F. D. Sweetser was made Captain, S. F. north, First Lieutenant, John f. Law, Second Lieutenant. December 30 we joined the First regiment of sharpshooters, under Colonel Berdan. 1862 had been a hard year for company E. We had had on our rolls one hundred and forty-five officers and men, two had been killed in action, five died of disease, forty-three had been discharged for wounds and disability, six deserted, three transferred to Invalid Corps, and one promoted out of the company; sixty-one had gone, leaving eighty-four officers and men borne on the rolls of the company.
January 20, 1863, we marched through mud and rain to the river and picketed along its banks. We returned to camp January 24. April 28 we marched below Fredericksburg and saw Sedgwick's Sixth Corps across the river; May 1 we marched to a ford an to the plank road near the Chancellorsville House; May 2 we helped to capture the Twenty-third Georgia regiment, four hundred and eighty of Jackson's rear guard, for which Major General Sickles got off his horse and taking each man by the hand, thanked us for the work we had done, excusing us from duty for the next twenty-four hours. May 4 the company was again at work, and May 6 we crossed the river; we had lost three men prisoners, and one wounded; June 11 we were off for Gettysburg; June 12 at Rappahannock Station; June 17 at Centreville; Jun 19 at Gum Springs; June 26 we crossed the Potomac at Edward's Ferry, and marched to Point of Rocks, making thirty-two miles of hard marching. July 1 we were at Gettysburg, where we did some hard fighting, though each days' loss of men was slight; one wounded; four prisoners. July 22-23-24 we were engaged at Mannassas Gap and Wapping Heights; July 26 we were near Warrenton, remaining in the neighborhood of Warrenton and Culpeper, doing picket duty until October 9. As the rebels took the offensive we were driven back to Fairfax, where we skirmished with the enemy.
October 13 we were near Little Auburn, and had quite a sharp skirmish. November 7 we led the Thirds Corps to Kelley's Ford, and deployed along the river bank while the First regiment sharpshooters changed across the river and captured Col. G. Gleason's Twelfth Virginia regiment, one Surgeon, one Major, several Captains and Lieutenants, and about five hundred prisoners. November 8 we again met the Rebels at Culpeper. November 26 we crossed the Rapidan and met the enemy at Locust Grove and Mine Run, without the loss of a man. Soon after we returned to our camp near Brandy Station. December 21 seventeen of the original one hundred men re-enlisted as veterans. Captain F. D. Sweetser had been cashiered, and S. F. Norton comes in Captain, John F. Law, First Lieutenant, Thomas J. Tarbell, Second Lieutenant. The year of 1863 had seen hard marching and bloody battles, yet our loss was small, as we had only one man died of disease, two were wounded, six taken prisoners, fifteen discharged for wounds and disability, and four transferred to Invalid Corps, leaving sixty-four officers and men on our company rolls.
January 7, 1864, we left for Vermont on our veteran furlough. February 23 we were again at Brandy Station, where we found forty-four recruits for the company; February 28 we marched to James City, but soon returned to camp, and on May 4 the company crossed the Rapidan at Ely Ford; May 5 we were again after the rebels in the Wilderness. We thought we had seen harding fighting and hardships before, but this was war twice told, every day at the front. May 5 to 7 we were in the Wilderness and around Chancellorsville; May 8 and 9 at Todd's Tavern; May 10 and 11 at Po River; May 12 at Spotsylvania and Hancock's great charge, where many thousand prisoners and thirty pieces of artillery were taken. May 13 to 18 we were skirmishing with the enemy; May 19 General Birney gave the company a day off. We were near his headquarters, when up the road in our rear we hard firing, "fall in sharpshooters"; we go on the double quick and drive back Ewell's Rebels -- Company E having two wounded, and that is all the rest we got. May 23 found us at North Anna River, known as Taylor's Bridge, where we took part in the charge, and captured a redan with artillery and several hundred prisoners. Company E had one man killed, two mortally wounded. May 27 we were at Lady Grove Church; May 31 at Totopotomoy Creek, charging the enemy at that place.
It being necessary to relieve the Fifth Corps, we were told by General Grant, in person, to go across the creek, if we had to surrender when we got there, but we did not surrender; we took one hundred and thirty-seven of the Twenty-seventh North Carolina prisoners and held the works that night. We had one killed and four wounded, one being mortally wounded. June 1 we were at Bethesda Church; June 3, at Cold Harbor, where we had one mortally wounded; June 4 to 11 in a line of works along the Chickahominy River; June 12 we marched to Long Bridge and crossed the Chickahominy to Wilcox Wharf and across the James River. For forty-one days we had seen constant fighting, skirmishing and picket duty, without intermission and with the loss of many good men. June 16, 17 and 18 we were on the skirmish line and picket line; June 21 at the Weldon Railroad; July 27 we crossed the James River at the Crow's Nest, and marched towards Richmond all day. The 28th we skirmished with the enemy; July 29 we deployed along the line in front of where the mine was to explode, keeping the Rebels from firing their batteries; so well did we do our duty that not a piece was fired, for which our General highly complimented us.
From this time until August 13 we did picket duty, marching then to City Point and going upon the transport down the river; just at dark the transport faced about, going to Deep Bottom; we then marched toward Richmond and flanked a four-gun battery, which we charge and took, with twenty-five or thirty prisoners and a quantity of ammunition. Just at dark we marched to Weldon Railroad, which we helped to take and hold. Again we did picket duty until September 10, when the pickets closed along the front of the Chimneys, the Twentieth Indiana and Second Sharpshooters. At one o'clock, a.m., we charged and captured three hundred to four hundred prisoners and held the ground taken, for which we were again complimented for duty well done. Again picket duty until October 27, when we crossed Hatcher's Run and marched towards the Southside railroad and sharply engaged, Company E losing two men killed and five wounded. We called it the battle of the Bull pen. December 8, with the Fifth Corps, General Mott's Division of the Second Corps, we marched towards the north Carolina line, tearing up one hundred and thirty miles of railroad, and back to petersburg. December 23 we had thirty-two men from the First company, (F), join us; our company quota was full, although we had a number absent, wounded or sick. Again we have picket duty until Feb. 5, when we again cross at Hatcher's Run, charge the Rebel works we had taken once before, and take a number of prisoners without loss to Company E. February 25 our regiment was badly reduced in numbers and we lost our regimental organization, being transferred to 4th Regiment Vermont volunteers. As Company G our company was full. Sergt. W. H. Humphrey was, on Nov. 12, 1864, made First Lieutenant, and Sergt. W. F. Tilson, Second Lieutenant.
Captain Norton had been absent, having been wounded, since May 12, 1864, Lieutenant Law had resigned, Lieutenant Tarbell had died of wounds, we had lost eleven killed in action, ten died of wounds, three died in Rebel prisons, and ten of disease. When we left the Second Corps Brigade, General De Trobriand issued a highly complimentary order, acknowledging our long and efficient service and our glorious record made on many a bloody battle field.
After going into the 4th Vermont, Lieutenants Humphrey and tilson each lost a right leg.
We have many others with an arm or leg gone, and many ghastly wounds, showing plainly the hard and bloody fighting the company has done, yet we have had but a small part of the praise given to the Vermont troops, but we get praise from a source that but few get theirs from; ours comes from the enemy, they knew us well. Often the enemy had been heard to sing out, "Look out, there are those devils with big hats and short guns!" Colonel Oates writes that when fighting our little regiment at Gettysburg, with his brigade, he never got into such a hornets' nest in all his life. we all tried hard to do our duty, and whether we get our due praise or not we can enjoy a united country, with its freedom and love, friendship, charity and loyalty.
Engagements
1862:
Rappahannock Station Va, 21-24 Aug
Sulphur Springs Va, 26 Aug
Groveton Va, 28 Aug
Second Bull Run Va, 29-30 Aug
South Mountain Va, 14 Sep
Antietam, Md., 16-17 Sep
Fredericksburg Va, 12-16 Dec
Chancellorsville Va, 2-4 May1863:
Gettysburg, Pa, 2-4 Jul
Wapping Heights Va, 22 Jul
Auburn Va, 13 Oct
Kelly's Ford Va, 6 Nov
Brandy Station, Vt., 7 Nov
Orange Grove Va, 27 Nov
Mine Run Va, 28-30 Nov1864:
Wilderness Va, 5-8 May
Po River Va, 10-12 May
Spotsylvania Va, 10-12 May
North Anna Va, 23-24 May
Totopotomoy Va, 31 May
Cold Harbor Va, 11 Jun
Petersburg Va, 16-23 Jun
Deep Bottom Va, 27-28 Jul
Petersburg Va, 10 Sep
Boydton Plank Road Va, 27 Oct
Weldon Railroad Va, 7-19 Dec1865:
Hatcher's Run Va, 5-7 Feb
Sources: 1892 Revised Roster; photograph of Hiram Edgerton courtesy of his 2nd-great-grandson, Brian G. Edgerton, Idaho Falls, Idaho; photograph of Luke M. Lewis courtesy of his great-granddaughter, Hazel Winter
