A new season of The Civil War Regiments Podcast begins in this interview with Peter Vermilyea about Litchfield County (Connecticut) in the Civil War. Peter teaches history at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, he is a graduate of Gettysburg College and is the director of the student scholarship program at the Civil War Institute. He is also the author of many articles and books on Litchfield County, including his latest book "Litchfield County and the Civil War." In his book and through this interview, Peter describes the makings and organization of a regiment (19th Connecticut/2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery) and it's impact on a community during the war. We focus on the battlefield and the homefront, as well as a deep dive in the horrendous slaughter of the regiment at Cold Harbor in 1864. The Heavy Artillery regiments in the war is a personal passion of mine to study and so I thoroughly enjoyed this interview and a great way to kick off a new season!
Show Notes:
Books:
"Litchfield County and the Civil War," by Peter Vermilyea https://www.amazon.com/Litchfield-County-Civil-War/dp/1467156213
"Hidden History of Litchfield County," by Peter Vermilyea https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-History-Litchfield-County-Vermilyea/dp/1626195773
"Wicked Litchfield County," by Peter Vermilyea https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Litchfield-County-Peter-Vermilyea/dp/1467119695
"Outside Lies Magic" by John Stilgoe https://www.amazon.com/Outside-Lies-Magic-Regaining-Awareness/dp/0802713408
"Lincoln's Mercenaries" by William Marvel https://www.amazon.com/Lincolns-Mercenaries-Motivation-Conflicting-Dimensions/dp/0807169528
"Connecticut for the Union," by John Niven https://www.amazon.com/Connecticut-Union-Role-State-Civil/dp/0300007957
"The Old Nineteenth," by Richard Smith
"Connecticut in the America Civil War," by Matthew Warshauer https://www.amazon.com/Connecticut-American-Civil-War-Sacrifice/dp/0819573647
"History of the Second Connecticut Volunteer Heavy Artillery," by Theodore Vaill https://www.amazon.com/History-Second-Connecticut-Volunteer-Artillery/dp/0656089121
Resources:
Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/
Chronicling America-LOC Newspapers https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
Historic Sites and Battlefields:
2nd Connecticut Monument at Cold Harbor https://stonesentinels.com/cold-harbor/markers-monuments/2nd-connecticut-heavy-artillery/
Wadham Brothers Memorial https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=31161
John Sedgwick Gravesite https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6475/john-sedgwick
Mustered Out Monument https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=31160
Site of Recruiting Camp https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=229361
Camp Dutton Monument https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camp_Dutton,_Litchfield_CT.jpg
Cold Harbor Battlefield https://www.battlefields.org/visit/battlefields/cold-harbor-battlefield
Cold Harbor National Cemetery https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/national_cemeteries/virginia/cold_harbor_national_cemetery.html
Fisher's Hill Battlefield https://www.shenandoahatwar.org/fishers-hill-battlefield
New England Civil War Museum https://www.newenglandcivilwarmuseum.com/
Litchfield Historical Society https://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/
