Bennington Zouaves

In Vermont, it was John E. Pratt's intention to form, at the outset, a 100-man all-Zouave Company A of the Fourth Regiment Vermont Volunteers -- with the regiment itself perhaps becoming solidly Zouave. But his idea never got quite that far.

In October, 1861, two months after the August recruiting appeal by Pratt, a military poster appeared in Washington, D.C., giving "the names and residence of the Zouave Company, being Company A, Fourth Regiment Vermont Volunteers, as recruited in Bennington by John E. Pratt, August, 1861."

The October post displayed in Washington showed that Pratt had signed up 79 men for his proposed Zouave Company A. In addition to himself as captain, he had enlisted from the Bennington area two lieutenants, five sergeants, eight corporals, one drummer, thirty privates from Bennington, 13 privates from Shaftsbury, eight privates from Woodford, five privates from Readsboro, three from Wallingford, two from Pownal, two from Whitingham, one from Danby, one for Charlemont, Mass., one from North Adams, Mass., and one from New Haven Conn.

That apparently was the last mention of the Bennington unit as Zouaves. No one knows when the name "Zouaves" slipped from usage. The next time we pick up Company A of the Fourth Regiment Vermont Volunteers is in the official record of Vermont's participation in the conflict -- "Revised Roster of Vermont Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion (1861-1866)," compiled by Vermont's Adjutant-General Theodore S. Peck in 1892.

There we find Pratt's complete 79-man list, together with many others, comprising Company A, and a full complement of the Fourth Regiment from all over the state. All were just plain officers and soldiers; there was no reference to Zouaves. The Fourth Vermont hung up an enviable Civil War record. One historian paid this tribute: "(The Fourth Regiment's) history is everywhere a part of the history of a brigade famed throughout our nation, and whose losses in battle, killed and mortally wounded, exceed those of every other brigade in the Union armies, east or west."

Taken from an article by Charles Bennett entitled "The Zouaves: Vermont's crack war unit" For the complete article, and more, click the link below.

SERVICE:

Organized at Brattleboro and mustered in September 21, 1861. Moved to Washington, D.C., September 21-23. Attached to Brook's Brigade, Smith's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, and Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to July, 1865.

SERVICE.--Duty at Camp Griffin Defences of Washington until March 10, 1862. Reconnoissance to Vienna, Va., October 19, 1861. Moved to Alexandria March 10, 1862, thence to Fortress Monroe March 23-24. Reconnoissance to Big Bethel March 27-28. Reconnoissance to Warwick March 30. Young's Mills April 4. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Lee's Mills April 16. Battle of Williamsburg May 5. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Garnett's Farm June 27. Savage Station June 29. White Oak Swamp Bridge June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Moved to Fortress Monroe, thence to Alexandria August 16-24. Maryland Campaign September-October. Crampton's Pass, Md., September 14. Battle of Antietam September 16-17. At Hagerstown, Md., September 26-October 29. Movement to Falmouth October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Burnside's Second Campaign, "Mud March," January 20-24,1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2. Maryes Heights. Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks' Ford May 4. Franklin's Crossing June 5-13. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 2-4. Funkstown July 10-13. Detached for duty at New York August 14-September 16. Moved to Alexandria, thence to Fairfax Court House, Va., and to Culpeper Court House September 16-23. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May-June, 1864. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, Spottsylvania, May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 18-19. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. Siege of Petersburg until July 9. Moved to Washington, D.C., July 9-11. Repulse of Early's attack on Fort Stevens July 11-12. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Near Charlestown August 21-22. Gilbert's Ford, Opequan River, September 13. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Nonveterans mustered out September 30, 1864. Duty at Strasburg until November 9 and at Kernstown until December 9. Moved to Petersburg, Va., December 9-12. Siege of Petersburg December 13, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Fort Fisher, before Petersburg, March 25, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. Sailor's Creek April 6. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. At Farmville and Burkesville Junction until April 28. March to Danville April 23-27, and duty there until May 18. Moved to Manchester May 18, thence march to Washington May 24-June 3. Corps Review June 8. Mustered out July 13, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 12 Officers and 150 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 279 Enlisted men by disease. Total 442.

LINK:http://www.vermontcivilwar.org/1bgd/4/zouaves.shtml

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