7th Vermont Infantry

The 7th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry (or 7th VVI) was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Western Theater, predominantly in Louisiana and Florida, from February 1862 to March 1866. It was the longest serving Vermont regiment during the war.

The regiment was mustered into Federal service on February 12, 1862, at Rutland, Vermont. It was engaged in, or present at, the 1862 1st Siege of Vicksburg, Battle of Baton Rouge, Gonzales Station, the Mobile campaign and Spanish Fort, and Whistler, Alabama.

The Regiment proceeded from Rutland on March 10, 1862, to New York City, boarding the sailing ships "Premier" and "Tammerlane" and sailed to Ship Island, Miss., the Premier arriving April 5 and Tammerlane on the 10th. On May 3 Companies B, C, and part of D, boarded the Gunboats USS New London and USS Calhoun and were sent to capture Fort Pike, a fort that guarded the entrance to Lake Ponchartrain. They found the Confederates had just evacuated the fort so they occupied it with out opposition and set about repairing damage inflicted by the Confederates when they left. The rest of the Regt. was shipped to Carrolton, La. on the Steamer "Whitman".

On May 15 the Regt., minus those at Ft. Pike, sailed on the "Iberville" to Baton Rouge.

On June 19 eight Companies boarded the steamers "Ceres" and "Morning Light" for the ill-conceived,and under manned, expedition to lay siege to Vicksburg, Miss. arriving near Vicksburg on the 25th. The Siege of Viksburg was abandoned on July 24 with the Regt returning to Baton Rouge on the 26th with only 100 men fit for duty out of 800 who went up river.

The Battle of Baton Rouge was on August 5, 1862 a very foggy day. Many units fired on other Union troops, with the 7th firing, on orders of Gen. Williams, into the neighboring 21st Indiana Regt. During the battle Gen. Williams was killed and the 7th's Commander, Col. George T. Roberts, was mortally wounded, dying 2 days later. The Confederate attack was defeated. Before the battle no preparations like digging entrenchments were made or any defensive plans made despite knowledge the CS Gen. Breckinridge had a large force nearby. After the battle Gen. Butler placed a lot of blame for confusion & poor performance on the 7th including firing on other Union troops and withdrwaing from the front lines during the battle. The "withdrawal" was the evacuation of the hospital, including a large number of 7th Vt. troops, to the river bank to keep them safe. The allegations of Gen. Butler poisioned relations between him and the Regt. Gen. Butler forbade the Regt. permission to put the battle honor "Baton Rouge" on their Battle Flag, and prohibiting them from carrying the Colors. Permission to carry was restored later.

On Augst 20th Baton Rouge was evacuated and the 7th returned to Carrolton.

Gen. Butler became aware that the Commander of the forts south of Pensacola, Fla. was not happy with the conduct and performance of one of his Regiments, so the 7th was sent there in exchange for the 6th New York Inf. Regt (Wilson's Zouaves). The Regt boarded the steam Tug Boat "Nassau" on Nov. 13th, 1862 arriving in Escambia Bay the next day. The Regt would perform garrison duties at Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens from November, 1862 until August, 1864. On 13 February 1864 110 new recruits arrived from Vermont. Also in February the 7th reelisted for 3 years or the duration of the War & had their designation changed to 7th Regiment Vermont Veteran Volunteers. On July 21, 1864 a Union force including four Companies of the 7th engaged CS forces in the Battle of Gonzales Station (A.K.A. Fort Hodgson).

On August 10 the 7th (less the new recruits) boarded the steamer "Hudson" to travel back to Vermont for a Reenlistment furlough, arriving in Brattleboro Aug. 26. with the Regt reassymbelling there on 27 September 1864. They departed on the 30th and arrived in New York City on Oct.1, boarding the steamer "Cassandra" on the 3rd for New Orleans, arriving in New Orleans on the 13th.

The 7th was part of Gen. Gordon Grainger's 13th Corps. for the Mobile Campaign, participating in the Siege of Spanish Fort, a battle at Whistler, Ala and the surrender of the Army of Mobile at Citronelle, Ala.

On May 30, 1865 the Regt boarded the steamer "Starlight" to Mobile, where the men were transferred to the steamer "Gen. Sedgwick" and shipped to Texas to become part of the "Army of Observation" along the Rio Grande keeping an eye on Maximillion's French Army there, arriving on June 5. They were officially Mustered Out on March 14, 1866, travelling as a group back to Brattleboro where the unit disbanded on April 6, 1866.

The 7th Vermont lost during its term of service 11 men killed and mortally wounded, 15 died from accident, 6 died in Confederate prisons and 379 died from disease, for a loss of 411 men, plus another 242 discharged for disability, primarily from disease, a total of 649.