March to Gettysburg

In the Spring of 1863, the 2^nd Vermont Brigade was stationed in Northern Virginia. The soldiers who served in the 2^nd Vermont had signed up for a 9 month tour of duty. They spent the winter camped at Fairfax Courthouse, where, in March, their Brigade commander, Edwin Stoughton, was captured by John Mosby, the Confederate “Gray Ghost”. Stoughton was replaced by George Stannard, who arrived and took command on April 20^th.

Spring brought good weather, and a resumption of engagement in battle. The Battle of Fredericksburg was very close to Fairfax Courthouse. From their camp, the Vermont boys could hear the cannons and feel the ground shake. In his book “Nine Months to Gettysburg”, Howard Coffin quotes Colonel Veazey, commander of the 16^th Vermont division, writing home to his wife Julia, “Hooker began to fight. We can hear continuous cannonading. What I would give to be with him. I sometimes think fortune is against me in this military business.” Lieutenant Colonel Cummings writes in the same vein, when he reports the outcome of the Battle. “Hooker's attempt, like those of his predecessors, is a failure. It does seem as if the Army of the Potomac is fated to ill success.”

At this point, the Vermont Brigade had been away from home since October, and had yet to see any real action, although a couple of regiments had been involved in some skirmishes along the railroad lines. Railroad lines were often scenes of action because whichever side controlled the railroad controlled transportation of their men, equipment and supplies. During late April and into May, the Vermont regiments went out along the front to guard railroad crossings and bridges. One regiment would go out for two weeks. At the end of two weeks, that regiment would return to camp and a different regiment would replace it. Coffin's book is full of soldiers writing home telling of what they saw on the way to the railroad, on the way back from the railroad, and how the land was so flat they could see from one railroad crossing to the next.

As interesting as this might sound, our boys were getting discouraged. They hadn't seen any real action, and had not participated in any battles, yet at the same time, kept hearing dismal reports about Union defeats. The warmer weather brought diseases, especially typhoid. It had to be depressing to leave Vermont to serve your country, go all the way to Virginia, be in enemy territory, and have your worst enemy be typhoid fever, and see your friends die all around you, without getting to do what you went there for. To stave off boredom and to make sure the men would be ready for battle if indeed the time came, General Stannard had the troops drill constantly. The marches to and from the railroads also helped keep the men in shape.

As May turned into June, it became apparent that Robert E Lee was moving his troops north. The men in the 2^nd Vermont were nearing the end of their 9 months' enlistment. Mid summer is the time for war. As the Army of Northern Virginia moved north, there was great concern for Washington, DC. Another rumor afloat was that Lee was headed for Maryland or Pennslyvania. Howard Coffin quotes Colonel Veazey when he wrote to his wife, “It is a splendid time for fighting now. We stand a poor chance of seeing any as our time is near out. I shall not have many honors to bring back to you this time.

On June 23^rd, the 2^nd Vermont was ordered to rendezvous at Union Mills, and once all the regiments had arrived, the brigade would begin a march to join the I Corps, commanded by Major General To get ready for a long march, and because they were short-timers anyway, the troops jettisoned everything they didn't really need, that would make the march more difficult. All of the equipment and items that had made their life more comfortable during the winter they spent in Virginia were left behind.

They w.ere right – it was a long, hard march. Not long after they started on the road, it began to rain and turn the roads muddy. The intermittent rain didn't cool off the temperature, though, and the men were slogging through muddy roads, in rain and hot, steamy humidity, with their wool uniforms making them even hotter.

The other regiments in the I Corps were used to hard marches. The I Corps had seen plenty of action. They were war seasoned veterans compared to the 2^nd Vermont, which had seen no real action and no hard marches. Yet the Vermonters gave it their best shot and managed to gain on the I Corps. Still, General Stannard wanted them to move even faster, so he ordered the officers to get rid of all their luggage, which the enlisted men had already done, and he also gave an order that no man would leave ranks to get a drink of water. The men quickened their pace, but the heat and dust caused some to pass out and even have convulsions.

As they left the south and entered into Frederick, Maryland, they were cheered by the townspeople, with pretty girls waving handkerchiefs. This was the first time they'd seen friendly faces since Springfield, Massachusetts, and it was an encouraging sight. When they stopped to camp for the night, townspeople came into camp bringing home cooked food for sale, the first good food the men had seen since Christmas.

While the Army of the Potomac moved north, a Confederate brigade went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, looking for shoes. This brigade met some union cavalry, and the engagement between the two brought forces from both sides streaming along the nine roads that led into the town.

By June 30^th, the 2^nd Vermont was exhausted, having marched for 6 days, in rain and mud, and in dust and heat. Howard Coffin writes that on that morning General Stannard got a message from General Reynolds saying to move even faster, that in a few hours his corps would be engaged and he would need all the troops he could get. The Battle of Gettysburg was about to begin.