This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| 2nd Vermont Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 2nd Vermont Brigade |
| Dates | October–December 1863 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Infantry brigade |
| Size | Approx. 1,800–2,000 men |
| Notable commanders | George J. Stannard; Asa P. Blunt |
2nd Vermont Brigade The 2nd Vermont Brigade was a short-lived Union infantry formation organized during the American Civil War in late 1863, assembled from several nine-month regiments raised in Vermont. The brigade served in the defenses of Washington, D.C. and played a prominent role at the Battle of Gettysburg campaign and in later operations, interacting with corps and departments such as the VI Corps and the Middle Department. Its soldiers came from towns across Vermont, including militia veterans who had previously served in regiments like the 1st Vermont and later integrated into broader Army of the Potomac movements.
The brigade was created in October 1863 by consolidating nine-month regiments raised under the 1863 volunteer call from counties such as Chittenden County, Vermont, Washington County, Vermont, and Bennington County, Vermont. Constituent units included the 12th Vermont Infantry Regiment, the 13th Vermont Infantry Regiment, the 14th Vermont Infantry Regiment, the 15th Vermont Infantry Regiment, and the 16th Vermont Infantry Regiment, which were organized at camps like Camp Mead and Camp Baxter. Command arrangements placed the brigade initially under officers from the Vermont Militia and state authorities, with coordination via the Adjutant General of Vermont and consultation with federal commanders including representatives of the Department of Washington and the XXII Corps. Administrative links ran through the War Department (United States) mustering officers and provost marshals who managed returns and furloughs.
After muster the brigade moved to the defenses of Washington, D.C. to occupy fortifications such as Fort Stevens and Fort Slocum, serving under the XXII Corps and supporting the Defenses of Washington. In late June 1863 detachments were ordered toward the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign, where the brigade performed reserve and flanking duties in coordination with divisions of I Corps and III Corps. Elements of the brigade later operated in Maryland and Virginia during pursuits following Gettysburg, participating in counter-movements that intersected with forces from Maj. Gen. George G. Meade and operations monitored by President Abraham Lincoln's administration. The regiments completed their terms and were mustered out in December 1863, with many veterans reenlisting in units such as the 6th Vermont Infantry Regiment or accepting commissions in the United States Colored Troops or state militia.
The brigade's most notable action occurred during the Gettysburg Campaign, where it held defensive positions on the approaches to Washington, D.C. and supported the Union Army's southern operations by guarding supply lines and rear areas during the Battle of Gettysburg aftermath. Companies were engaged in skirmishes near Hagerstown, Maryland and Funkstown, Maryland during the retreat of Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee and actions during the pursuit after Gettysburg. While not committed as a division-sized striking force at Gettysburg, the brigade's detachments were involved in engagements linked to cavalry actions under commanders like Alfred Pleasonton and infantry maneuvers coordinated with leaders such as John F. Reynolds and Winfield Scott Hancock. The brigade also participated in security and picket duties during operations around Leesburg, Virginia and in the Shenandoah approaches.
Initial brigade leadership included Asa P. Blunt, who had prior service in Vermont regiments and coordination with state authorities, and George J. Stannard, who later achieved fame at Gettysburg and retained influence among Vermont troops. Other field officers and staff included colonels from constituent regiments, adjutants tied to the Vermont Adjutant General's office, and company commanders drawn from prominent Vermont towns such as Burlington, Vermont and Montpelier, Vermont. Several non-commissioned officers and enlisted leaders went on to serve in longer-term regiments like the 2nd Vermont Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Vermont Infantry Regiment, and veterans later appear in posts within the Grand Army of the Republic and state veterans' organizations. The brigade interacted with higher commanders including Darius N. Couch and staff officers attached to the Army of the Potomac.
Soldiers in the brigade were equipped under federal supply regulations with standard-issue Springfield Model 1861 rifled muskets, edged weapons, and accoutrements provided through the Ordnance Department. Uniforms followed Vermont procurement patterns combining federal issue blue sack coats and state-raised kepis, with some companies retaining militia frock coats and caps acquired at state mustering points. Logistical support used railheads at Baltimore and Alexandria, Virginia and supply lines coordinated through the Quartermaster Department, with wagon trains routed via the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Alexandria and Washington Railroad. Medical support was tied to field hospitals run under the United States Sanitary Commission and the Army Medical Department, while provost duties were supervised by the Provost Marshal General.
Casualty figures for the brigade were modest compared with long-service formations, reflecting its abbreviated term: deaths from combat, disease, and accidents were recorded in regimental returns submitted to the War Department (United States) and state archives. Disease losses mirrored trends seen in other volunteer regiments, with typhoid, dysentery, and measles noted in hospital muster rolls maintained by the Army Medical Museum. Combat fatalities and wounded from skirmishes during the pursuit after Gettysburg were cataloged alongside court-martial and disciplinary records held by the Adjutant General of Vermont.
The brigade's legacy is preserved in Vermont through monuments and memorials at sites associated with the Gettysburg National Military Park and local markers in towns including Bennington, Vermont and St. Albans, Vermont, as well as in veteran reminiscences published in state histories and collections held by the Vermont Historical Society. Veterans participated in Grand Army of the Republic reunions and influenced memorialization efforts that involved figures such as J. Gregory Smith and historians like Justin Smith Morrill. Regimental colors and artifacts are conserved in institutions like the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration and the Bennington Museum, while academic studies in Civil War scholarship reference the brigade in works circulating among Civil War Trust researchers and military historians associated with universities such as Middlebury College and University of Vermont.
Category:Units and formations of the Union Army from Vermont Category:Military units and formations established in 1863