Nine Months To Save The Union

The 15^th Vermont Infantry a Nine Month Regiment was mustered into Union service October 22^nd 1862.

President Abraham Lincoln called for more Union troops on August 4^th 1862 following the disastrous defeat of Major General George B McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign.  The 15^th Vermont Infantry was a nine month regiment raised in response to this request.  The men were mostly recruited from Caledonia, Orleans, Orange and Windsor Counties. They went into Camp Holbrook October 8^th 1862 at Brattleboro VT, and were mustered into the Union Army October 22^nd 1862.  The next day the men of the 15^th left by train for Washington, DC, where they would join the 14^th Vermont Infantry at Camp Chase in Arlington, Virginia.

The 15^th spent the winter and spring performing picket duty in defense of Washington, DC.  On June 25^th 1863 the 15^th became part of the First Corps, and were ordered to march to join the rest of Brigadier General John Fulton Reynolds Corps in the pursuit of Confederate General Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.  As they neared Gettysburg on June 30^th 1863 at Emmettsburg, Maryland, the 15^th along with the 12^th Vermont Regiment were detached from the rest of the Brigade.  These two Vermont Regiments spent the Battle of Gettysburg guarding the First Corps trains near Rock Creek Church about 2 miles from the battlefield.  Following the defeat of the Confederates the 15^th joined in the pursuit south, marching over South Mountain to Williamsport on July 14^th 1863.

The men of the 15^th found their nine months were up a few days later on July 18^th 1863.  They were moved by train to New York City where they spent a few days during the New York City Draft Riots.  They arrived back in Vermont and were mustered out of service on August 5^th 1863.  The 15^th started with 942 men, out whom they had 78 die from disease, and 5 who were taken prisoner of war.
If you would like to read more about the 15^th VT, check out Nine Months with the 15th Vermont Volunteers