"We Are Coming Father Abra'am": The History of the 9th Vermont Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1865

“We Are Coming Father Abra’am” The History of the 9th Vermont Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1865 by Don Wickman Foreword by Jeffrey D. Wert, PA When the 9th Vermont Regiment marched down Broadway in New York City in July 1862, the local press proclaimed it as the first regiment to answer President Lincoln’s recent call for 300,000 volunteers. It was an auspicious beginning. Two months later the Vermonters found themselves part of the Union garrison surrendered at Harpers Ferry. During the remaining three and a half years of their service the regiment constantly worked towards the removal of that blemish on their record. From the routine of guarding Confederate prisoners incarcerated at Camp Douglas, Illinois, to the piney woods of coastal North Carolina and finally to the gates of Richmond, the 9th Vermont earned a reputation of being well-disciplined and steadfast under fire. The men displayed these characteristics at the 1863 Siege of Suffolk, the engagement at Newport Barracks, North Carolina, the gallant charge at Chaffin’s Bluff outside Richmond, and the 1864 fight at Fair Oaks. Members of the unit marched among the first troops that entered the Confederate capital of Richmond. Though the 9th Vermont did not belong to the renowned ‘Vermont Brigade’ or the 2nd Vermont Brigade made famous in blunting Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, the regiment still has a noteworthy history. Through the use of many primary source documents, the story of the regiment is told. It is not limited to a tale of the unit, but the 1,878 men who served in the ranks and experienced the soldier’s life as it became one of the most traveled Federal infantry regiments. 87 photographs and illustrations; 20 maps; regimental name roster; index; 526 pages.