behind AotW

Officers of Company A of the Second Vermont Volunteers; taken at Gaines’ House, near Mechanicsville, Virginia.

This small, faded photograph by George H. Houghton is online from the Bennington Museum; probably from the collection of the Vermont Historical Society. Based on the service/commissioning dates of these officers, it was taken between 21 May and 17 July 1862. The regiment was in camp at Gaines’ Mill between 22 and 24 May, so that’s a likely time.

Standing:
(1) Eugene Otis Cole (enl Sgt, CoA, 2nd Vermont Inf 7 May 1861, comm 2LT 21 May 1862; 1LT 17 Oct 1862, M.O. 29 June 1864; comm. Major 5th Vermont Inf 30 Jan 1865, Lt Colonel 9 June 1865, M.O. 29 June 1865)
(2) Charles Miller Bliss (Yale ’52; enl Sgt, CoA, 2nd Vermont Inf 7 May 1861, comm 2LT CoB 2 Sept 1861, disch 4 Oct 1862)
(3) William H. Cady (comm 2LT CoA, 2nd Vermont Inf 16 May 1861, 1LT 22 Jan 1862; Capt 21 May 1862, wnd 5 May 1864, M.O. 29 June 1864)
(4) William B. Robinson (enl Sgt CoG 1st Vermont Inf 2 May 1861, M.O. 15 Aug 1861; enl Sgt CoH 5th Vermont Inf 25 Aug 1861, comm 2LT CoK 19 April 1862, 1LT CoD 22 Oct 1862, Capt CoH 4 Dec 1862, disch wds 8 Aug 1864)
(5) Edward W Appleton (enl 1Sgt, CoA, 2nd Vermont Inf 7 May 1861, comm 2LT 14 Sept 1861; 1LT 25 Jan 1862, disch disability 25 Sept 1862)
(6) Newton Stone (comm 1LT, CoA, 2nd Vermont Inf 16 May 1861, Capt 22 Jan 1862, Major 8 Jan 1863, Lt Colonel 9 Feb 1863, Colonel 2 Apr 1864, KIA Wilderness 5 May 1864)

Seated:
(7) unidentified
(8) unidentified
(9) Abel K. Parsons (comm 1LT, CoA, 4th Vermont Inf 27 Aug 1861, detailed ADC to BGen Brooks 1 May 1862, KIA Cold Harbor 3 June 1864)
(10) James Hicks Walbridge (comm Capt, CoA, 2nd Vermont Inf 16 May 1861, Major 21 May 1862, Lt Colonel 8 Jan 1863, Colonel 9 Feb 1863, resigned 1 April 1864)
(11) Guilford Ladd (comm Adjutant 2nd Vermont Inf 11 June 1861, resigned 17 July 1862)

The 2nd Vermont Infantry, part of the Vermont Brigade (2nd of the 2nd Division, Sixth Army Corps), was in action at Crampton’s Gap on South Mountain on 14 September and arrived on the battlefield of Antietam about mid-day on 17 September, and was in reserve that afternoon and “on the skirmish line” the next day.

Most or all of the men in that photograph were probably in Maryland that September, but so far I only have specific evidence for two of them: Lieutenant Parsons (4th Vermont) served on the Brigade staff as aide to General W.T.H. Brooks, and Major Walbridge commanded the 2nd Vermont as senior officer present.