The following is a paper written by John Haltigan of Pittsburg, PA . He has kindly advised us that we may publish it on our website.
MIDDLEBURY in the
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE CONFEDERATE LINES AT PETERSBURG, VIRGINA
The 3rd BATTLE OF PETERSBURG – APRIL 2, 1865
In his History of the Town of Middlebury in the County of Addison, Vermont, Samuel Swift lists the population of Middlebury in 1850 at 3517. Estimating fifteen years later, the population at approximately 4,000, it is an exceptional footnote in the history of the Civil War, that three sons of this village along the banks of Otter Creek, would play highly significant roles in one of the most dramatic and decisive events of the war that took place in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 2, 1865.
Finally, after ten months of relentless siege by Union forces under General Grant, the heavily defended fortified Confederate line outside the city of Petersburg, Virginia would be broken. The breakthrough by Union forces, would lead to the rebel evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond and ultimately result in the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert Lee a week later at Appomattox.
The rebel fortifications were a long line of deep rifle pits with high relief fronted by strong lines of abates with lines of pointed stakes between them. Every few hundred yards were batteries equipped with artillery. In the vanguard of the wedge shaped assault over an open field approximately 500 yards wide, was the 2nd Division of the Sixth Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac. Three brigades made up the 2nd Division and in a remarkable occurrence, the 1st and 2nd Brigades, each with approximately 5,000 infantry soldiers were commanded by officers from the town of Middlebury, Vermont. The 1st Brigade consisted of the 62nd and 93rd New York and the 98th, 102nd and 139th Pennsylvania regiments, and was commanded by Middlebury native Brigadier General JAMES M. WARNER.
James M. Warner was born in Middlebury in 1836, the son of Joseph Warner, a prominent merchant, officer of the 1st National Bank and a trustee of Middlebury College and Jane Anne Meech Warner. Warner attended Middlebury College for two years but in 1855 was accepted as a cadet and transferred to West Point from which he graduated in 1860. He was appointed in September of 1862 as a Colonel in command of the 11th Vermont regiment also known as the 1st Vermont (Heavy) Artillery, which served as part of the northern defense forces surrounding Washington D.C. In May of 1864, the 11th Vermont was called upon to take part in General Grant’s Overland campaign and they first saw action in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in which Warner was severely wounded. He returned from convalescence in July and was promoted to the command of the 1st Brigade of the Second Division of the Sixth Corps, a position he would hold to the end of the war.
The 2nd Brigade was the famous Old Vermont Brigade, made up on April 2, 1865 of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 11th Vermont Regiments. The long time commander of the brigade, Lewis A. Grant had hours prior to the beginning of the assault been wounded by a piece of shrapnel and his place as commander of the Vermont Brigade was assigned to the Lt. Colonel commander of the 2nd Vermont regiment, AMASA TRACY, ironically also from Middlebury.
Amasa Tracy, born in 1829, was a native of Maine, who had moved to Middlebury around the age of fifteen. Early in the war Tracy enlisted at Vergennes in the 2nd Vermont regiment where he was elected 1st Lt. He participated in the first major engagement of the war the Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. Tracy was badly wounded on May 3, 1863 on Marye’s Heights, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, VA. He was soon promoted thru the ranks and commissioned a Lt. Colonel in 1864. Tracy commanded the old Vermont Brigade at the Battle of Cedar Creek in October 1864 where he was again wounded and for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry. He would be promoted to brevet Colonel of Volunteers for gallantry for his role in the final assault on the rebel lines at Petersburg. After the war, Tracy operated a store in Middlebury for a number of years prior to serving as Middlebury postmaster for twelve years.
At the very “tip of the spear” in the charge, was the 5th Vermont Regiment, one of the six regiments in the Old Vermont Brigade under Tracy’s command. It has been credited with being the first regiment to plant their colors inside the Confederate fortifications. Company B of the 5th Vermont was primarily raised in Middlebury and Company F included not only men from Middlebury, but also from adjacent towns of New Haven, Cornwall, Bridport and Salisbury. One non – commissioned soldier who was among those who played a major role in leading the heroic charge of the 5th Vermont, was still another Middlebury resident, the 22 year old first sergeant of Company B, JAMES GRACE.
James Grace was born in Middlebury in 1843 and enlisted in May 1861 early in the war in the 90 day 1st Vermont He would later in September of 1861 reenlist as a sergeant in the 5th Vermont regiment and was wounded on May 4, 1863 at the Battle of Salem Heights, VA. He would be commissioned as a 1st Lt. in the 5th Vermont prior to the end of the war.
Two soldiers in the 5th Vermont regiment from nearby Addison County towns paid the ultimate sacrifice during the breakthrough assault. Corporal LEWIS YOUNG of Shoreham and Corporal JULIUS BAKER of Salisbury were both killed in action. Private LESTER HACK from Salisbury was credited with capturing the colors of the 23rd Tennessee Regiment, for which he later would receive the Medal of Honor.
James Warner died in New York City in 1897 at the age of 61. Amasa Tracy died in 1908 at age 79 in Middlebury. Both are buried in West cemetery in Middlebury and their graves are shown below. James Grace migrated west after the war and died in 1914 at age 71 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he is buried in Forest Home cemetery.
The breakthrough of enemy fortifications at the outset of the 3rd Battle of Petersburg on April 2, 1865 was one of the most significant military events of the Civil War. For the small community of Middlebury, Vermont, and surrounding areas it is an honor that its sons demonstrated such high level leadership and heroic roles in this famous battle, that would result in the demise of the Confederacy.
