Letters to Vermont

In their letters “To the Editor” of the Rutland Herald, thirteen soldiers tell of young Vermonters in the Civil War, fighting for the Union, galloping around Lee’s army in Virginia, garrisoning the beleaguered defenses of Washington, D.C., and blunting Pickett’s desperate charge at Gettysburg.

One writer is captured, another serves as a prison camp guard, others are wounded — and one dies fighting in the horrific conflict in the Wilderness of Virginia. The author provides biographical information for each writer (except one unidentified soldier who remains an enigma) and supporting commentary on military affairs. Illustrated with 30 engravings and prints,15 contemporary maps, 21 historical photographs. Each volume contains chapter notes and an extensive index.