2nd Vermont Cavalry

2nd Vermont Cavalry
Unit name	2nd Vermont Cavalry Regiment
Dates	August 1862 – August 1865
Country	Vermont
Allegiance	Union
Branch	United States Army
Type	Cavalry
Size	Regiment
Notable commanders	George J. Stannard, George A. Taft

2nd Vermont Cavalry

The 2nd Vermont Cavalry was a Union cavalry regiment raised in Vermont during the American Civil War that served in numerous operations of the Eastern Theater including engagements associated with the Overland Campaign, the Siege of Petersburg, and the Appomattox Campaign. Organized in 1862, the regiment operated under corps and cavalry leaders such as Philip H. Sheridan, George G. Meade, Ulysses S. Grant, and coordinated with units from states including New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The regiment's actions intersected with major battles and figures including Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Cold Harbor, Jubal Early, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson-era operations in Virginia.

Formation and Organization

The regiment was mustered at Burlington, Vermont and other recruiting centers under state authorities led by Jared Stark-era local officials and Vermont governors who answered the call following President Abraham Lincoln's calls for volunteers. Companies were drawn from counties such as Chittenden County, Vermont, Rutland County, Vermont, Franklin County, Vermont, and Bennington County, Vermont, and officers received commissions under the Union Army appointment processes overseen by the Adjutant General. Muster rolls and organization followed precedents set by earlier cavalry regiments like the 1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment and contemporaries in the Army of the Potomac structure, integrating into cavalry divisions commanded by leaders affiliated with the Army of the Shenandoah and corps such as the IX Corps and the VI Corps when required.

Civil War Service and Campaigns

The regiment participated in reconnaissance, screening, raiding, and mounted infantry roles across campaigns tied to Ulysses S. Grant's coordinated offensives against Robert E. Lee's forces. It was engaged in operations during the Overland Campaign—including movements related to the Wilderness Campaign and actions proximate to the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House—and later served during the Siege of Petersburg. Elements of the regiment took part in the Appomattox Campaign culminating in encounters preceding Appomattox Court House and the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army. The unit also faced Confederate cavalry commanded by J.E.B. Stuart and raiders under John S. Mosby during counter-guerrilla operations in the Shenandoah Valley, and clashed with Confederate forces led by Jubal Early during his raids toward Washington, D.C. and operations in the Valley.

Commanders and Notable Officers

Regimental command included officers who served under theater leaders such as Philip H. Sheridan and George G. Meade; notable individuals associated with the regiment interacted with figures like George J. Stannard and staff officers tied to commanders such as Winfield Scott Hancock and David McMurtrie Gregg. Company and field-grade officers often coordinated with brigadiers and division commanders including Henry E. Davies, Wesley Merritt, and George A. Custer-led elements during integrated cavalry operations. Several officers later appear in postwar Vermont political and veterans' circles alongside contemporaries like Redfield Proctor, Peter T. Washburn, and members of veteran organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic.

Casualties and Strengths

Strength varied through the regiment's term, reflecting recruitment, reenlistment under veteran volunteer provisions, and losses from campaign attrition as seen across Union cavalry units. The regiment incurred killed, wounded, captured, and missing in engagements tied to major battles such as Cold Harbor, Hatcher's Run, and smaller skirmishes across Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Disease and noncombat causes mirrored patterns recorded in other regiments like the 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment and 3rd Vermont Infantry Regiment, influencing muster-out numbers during the final demobilization following Appomattox and the general surrender of Confederate forces.

Equipment and Uniforms

Mounted soldiers of the regiment were equipped similarly to contemporaneous Union cavalry, using carbines, revolvers, sabers, and accouterments typical of regiments operating under cavalry chiefs like Alfred Pleasonton and J.E.B. Stuart's opponents. Uniforms conformed to standards implemented by the U.S. War Department cavalry regulations, reflecting common patterns seen among units such as the 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment and 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment, and adapted for the rigors of campaigns like the Petersburg Campaign and long-distance raids. Horses, tack, and supply issues intersected with logistics arrangements overseen by the Quartermaster Department and veterinary concerns addressed by army surgeons in the field.

Postwar Legacy and Reenactment

After mustering out in 1865, veterans participated in commemorations alongside national figures such as Ulysses S. Grant and attended reunions connected with organizations like the Grand Army of the Republic and state-level veterans' groups led by figures such as Erastus C. Benedict in Montpelier, Vermont. The regiment's history has been preserved in state archives, local histories, and through reenactment units that portray actions from campaigns including the Appomattox Campaign and the Overland Campaign, interacting with broader Civil War memory shaped by works tied to historians including James M. McPherson and Shelby Foote. Monuments and markers in places such as Gettysburg National Military Park and local Vermont cemeteries commemorate members alongside memorials to other Vermont units like the 1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment.

Category:Units and formations of the Union Army from Vermont Category:Military units and formations established in 1862 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1865